Birkenhead High
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wirralnumbers
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 1:30 am
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bestpossibleoutcome
- Posts: 83
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:35 am
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bestpossibleoutcome
- Posts: 83
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:35 am
B'head
Yes, but maybe the misunderstanding here is to do with a) whether you would willingly send your child into a (perceived) 'snobby', academic (child must be in bed early, produce copious amounts of homework, be dragged away from computer/TV etc. etc. when all their 'mates' are going to the local comp.
This type of pressure is very common and is applied to both parent and child. My daughter was told frequently that 'it was "tight on her" that she was the only one going to her new school' (quotes are from my memory, but you get the gist!). In the event, she took it in her stride, and is much happier there than in her largely affluent, mentioned in house sale adverts, primary.
(Sorry, I've forgotten (b) - I was up until after 1am seeing daughter off on battlefield trip! and I have to be out of the house in about 30 min (embarrassed and tired emoticon) : )
will continue soon,
regards BPO
This type of pressure is very common and is applied to both parent and child. My daughter was told frequently that 'it was "tight on her" that she was the only one going to her new school' (quotes are from my memory, but you get the gist!). In the event, she took it in her stride, and is much happier there than in her largely affluent, mentioned in house sale adverts, primary.
(Sorry, I've forgotten (b) - I was up until after 1am seeing daughter off on battlefield trip! and I have to be out of the house in about 30 min (embarrassed and tired emoticon) : )
will continue soon,
regards BPO
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bestpossibleoutcome
- Posts: 83
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:35 am
... continued
Part (b) from the above post hit me at roughly the same second as the water from my shower.
(b) How accurate is the 11+ at finding that elite 25%? A vastly experienced yr6 teacher made the memorable comment that "anyone can pass the 11+ if they are tutored". This is perhaps an overstatement, but top end primary teachers frequently see pupils who they feel should have done well in the tests fail to get a place whereas those, frequently less able, who are tutored exceed expectations. In my daughter's year 6 I can't think of anyone who passed who wasn't tutored. Others will have had the same experience I am sure. I'm not anti-tutoring, but feel that it muddies the waters with regard to selection. In the type of environment where pupils who passed the 11+, sometimes extremely well, mix on a level playing field with others who either were not entered for it or (more tellingly) were entered and failed, that you would expect the 11+ passees (?) to do significantly better than the failees(??), particularly at subjects requiring the level of logical thinking needed to tackle some of the questions on the 11+ paper. This environment exists at B'head and I can state emphatically that this is not the case.
Birkenhead High School does not have the level of disruption in lessons or bullying that I have had reported by parents and grandparents of both present and past pupils of one grammar school in particular. I pray that this will remain so.
Although I understand that there are moves to change this (and rightly so) you will go a long way to find a comprehensive school in Wirral that offers the separate sciences at GCSE. Also, I did a sub. lesson for the head of music at a school last year where I had a large GCSE group (some of whom I had taught in subjects where they did not shine). I expressed surprise that all these pupils had grade 5 music theory. The music teacher asked me why I thought they had achieved this level. I explained that it was a requirement for the GCSE course at my daughter's school. He replied that theirs was more of an "applied" music course. It seems that not all GCSEs are equal!
My apologies for another long post, I seem to have meandered gently through part (c) and (d) here as well as (b). I can fill out some of the details or clarify anything if required, - but no names!
regards, BPO
(b) How accurate is the 11+ at finding that elite 25%? A vastly experienced yr6 teacher made the memorable comment that "anyone can pass the 11+ if they are tutored". This is perhaps an overstatement, but top end primary teachers frequently see pupils who they feel should have done well in the tests fail to get a place whereas those, frequently less able, who are tutored exceed expectations. In my daughter's year 6 I can't think of anyone who passed who wasn't tutored. Others will have had the same experience I am sure. I'm not anti-tutoring, but feel that it muddies the waters with regard to selection. In the type of environment where pupils who passed the 11+, sometimes extremely well, mix on a level playing field with others who either were not entered for it or (more tellingly) were entered and failed, that you would expect the 11+ passees (?) to do significantly better than the failees(??), particularly at subjects requiring the level of logical thinking needed to tackle some of the questions on the 11+ paper. This environment exists at B'head and I can state emphatically that this is not the case.
Birkenhead High School does not have the level of disruption in lessons or bullying that I have had reported by parents and grandparents of both present and past pupils of one grammar school in particular. I pray that this will remain so.
Although I understand that there are moves to change this (and rightly so) you will go a long way to find a comprehensive school in Wirral that offers the separate sciences at GCSE. Also, I did a sub. lesson for the head of music at a school last year where I had a large GCSE group (some of whom I had taught in subjects where they did not shine). I expressed surprise that all these pupils had grade 5 music theory. The music teacher asked me why I thought they had achieved this level. I explained that it was a requirement for the GCSE course at my daughter's school. He replied that theirs was more of an "applied" music course. It seems that not all GCSEs are equal!
My apologies for another long post, I seem to have meandered gently through part (c) and (d) here as well as (b). I can fill out some of the details or clarify anything if required, - but no names!
regards, BPO
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bestpossibleoutcome
- Posts: 83
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:35 am
I found your post interesting, not the least because I raised the point about the validity of what the school was proposing re catchment areas,at the second of the meetings I attended. I didn't hear anyone else question this.
I found your comments regarding the music "specialism" amusing because I have recently been involved in a post school level maths course which involves the study of music in its content.
I have always spoken from the perspective that the changes are only minimally likely to affect my daughter - if at all. However, there are fewer places available in grammar schools for girls than boys. BHS is a resource that Wirral can ill afford to lose. If the parents of girls who traditionally go there give up on it then Wirral will have to bear that loss. That has been my great sadness since the announcement.
From a personal point of view, I would not apply for a place at one of the local grammar schools, not because it will be "contaminated" by people from the 'North End of Birkenhead' (incidentally, a few years ago, one of the primary schools there was doing a far better job by its pupils than one in a far more 'middle class' area of the borough), but because the types of behaviour that cause disruption to learning (and bullying) are not confined to one socio-economic group. In fact the people I know who are better placed to comment than I am on selective schools in the borough tend to discuss the management of those schools in this context.
I reiterate, that the teaching in the senior school at BHS is impressive (there are some techniques used - and I am thinking of maths here - that I have never seen used elsewhere). I imagine that this is the reason that the only person I have spoken to since my last post, who has a daughter in year 6 in the junior school, is continuing her education at the school - in spite of passing the 11+.
Again, as I said in a previous post, families in which education is not valued are unlikely to send girls into an academic environment a) because most of them couldn't be 'bovvered' b) being intelligent (and this is sadly often true for staff as well as pupils) is looked upon as marking you out as different and so the object of contempt, certainly not as something to aspire to.
I was astonished (not in a good way) when I had occasion to travel to one of the halls of residence of a reasonably well thought of university, just before the Easter break, to discover how low the standards of the students there were. Food discarded and ground into the carpeted hallways etc. etc. I never saw that when I was a student ( and yes, I do mean carpeted hallways as well as food ...). It brought home to me that our children will have to mix when they leave the school environment and they need to develop strategies to do this.
best wishes
BPO
I found your comments regarding the music "specialism" amusing because I have recently been involved in a post school level maths course which involves the study of music in its content.
I have always spoken from the perspective that the changes are only minimally likely to affect my daughter - if at all. However, there are fewer places available in grammar schools for girls than boys. BHS is a resource that Wirral can ill afford to lose. If the parents of girls who traditionally go there give up on it then Wirral will have to bear that loss. That has been my great sadness since the announcement.
From a personal point of view, I would not apply for a place at one of the local grammar schools, not because it will be "contaminated" by people from the 'North End of Birkenhead' (incidentally, a few years ago, one of the primary schools there was doing a far better job by its pupils than one in a far more 'middle class' area of the borough), but because the types of behaviour that cause disruption to learning (and bullying) are not confined to one socio-economic group. In fact the people I know who are better placed to comment than I am on selective schools in the borough tend to discuss the management of those schools in this context.
I reiterate, that the teaching in the senior school at BHS is impressive (there are some techniques used - and I am thinking of maths here - that I have never seen used elsewhere). I imagine that this is the reason that the only person I have spoken to since my last post, who has a daughter in year 6 in the junior school, is continuing her education at the school - in spite of passing the 11+.
Again, as I said in a previous post, families in which education is not valued are unlikely to send girls into an academic environment a) because most of them couldn't be 'bovvered' b) being intelligent (and this is sadly often true for staff as well as pupils) is looked upon as marking you out as different and so the object of contempt, certainly not as something to aspire to.
I was astonished (not in a good way) when I had occasion to travel to one of the halls of residence of a reasonably well thought of university, just before the Easter break, to discover how low the standards of the students there were. Food discarded and ground into the carpeted hallways etc. etc. I never saw that when I was a student ( and yes, I do mean carpeted hallways as well as food ...). It brought home to me that our children will have to mix when they leave the school environment and they need to develop strategies to do this.
best wishes
BPO
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hope for the best
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 10:33 pm
- Location: west wirral
Wirral Numbers,
Have been reading your postings with interest but have only just registered myself.
I believe our daughters may be in the same class. As things stand, I understand your point of view but am interested to know whether you have been happy up until now with the standard of education and pastoral care that BHS has provided for your daughter?
regards
Have been reading your postings with interest but have only just registered myself.
I believe our daughters may be in the same class. As things stand, I understand your point of view but am interested to know whether you have been happy up until now with the standard of education and pastoral care that BHS has provided for your daughter?
regards
Hope for the best