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Flagship standards

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 5:39 pm
by vas
T.i.p.s.y wrote:My experience of most of the posters on the independent section is that they had very little choice and had to go down the independent route. They either didn't pass the 11+ or couldn't get a GS place and were offered a place at a sink school. Some have children with special educational needs and they have felt that they have had no choice but to struggle to send their child to an independent school.
Much as I didn't want to make any comments here, I couldn't help but contradict this statement. Many children I know (including my own) chose ind over grammar for various reasons. We personally chose the 30th in the FT league over the 5th and certainly were not alone in doing so.

From most preps only 30% to 40% take up the grammar places offered.

So I guess the inds are not made up of failed 2nd choice sink school avoiding candidates after all!! :D :D

Re: Flagship standards

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 5:47 pm
by sj355
vas wrote:So I guess the inds are not made up of failed 2nd choice sink school avoiding candidates after all!! :D :D
To be fair I do not think tipsy argued anything like this. She was only pointing out that there may be a selection bias in the people that post to this thread. And she might (just might..) have a point as some anecdotal responses suggest.

Please keep posting in. I shall now withdraw silently...

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 6:55 pm
by herewegoagain
For what it's worth we turned down a place at a v. selective London grammar school (1800 applicants for 180 places) for a scholarship at an indie. And several others at the indie took similar decisions.

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 7:06 pm
by Snowdrops
We MAY have to take up an indie place due to non offer of GS due to distance.

I have absolutely nothing against indies - except the fees :(

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 8:53 pm
by guest42
For what it's worth we chose a inde school over grammar even though DD achieved top marks in 11+. Our main reasons were

a-distinct preference for co-ed over all-girls

b-distinct preference for everything independent over everything state

In the words of DD Headmaster

"the vision remains the same: alongside high academic achievement, we want to allow boys and girls to grow into mature citizens, to use our independence to do our best for our pupils, unhindered by the latest government initiative, resisting the pressure to test at every turn; we want to retain both depth and breadth in what we offer...we also intend to do our best, in an increasingly fragmented society, to help our pupils to develop a sense of belonging, to appreciate the value of community and the importance that every individual has within the community."

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:02 pm
by Bewildered
guest42 wrote: b-distinct preference for everything independent over everything state

Guest42, Doesn't this then beg the question...

In that case, why sit GS entrance test at all?

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:07 pm
by guest42
Indeed it does..but we wanted a fallback.

The inde school application, as well as the exam, required consideration of whether the pupil was likely to be an asset-in practice evidence of not sitting on one's backside for the last 10 years playing computer games!!

"In selecting pupils at 11 for admission to the Senior School we are looking for academic potential to proceed to Higher Education. We also seek pupils with wide-ranging interests and talents, who are prepared to participate in the broader life of the School"

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:25 pm
by zorro
I agree 100% with all of the above posts -it's an unquantifiableadvantage.

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 11:13 pm
by mad?
zorro wrote:it's an unquantifiableadvantage.
what is?

Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:25 am
by mike1880
For our son, sending him private would indeed have been a last resort to avoid sending him to our local sink comp, but for our daughter it's something we're considering as a possible first option (assuming we've got any money two years down the line). It's partly about what we think would suit each one individually, and partly about what we think each would put into it and get out of it.

Mike