Not trying to be controversial here and All Grammar schools would be doing great.However some do stand out in what they focus more on. This is to collate info on same.

Best grammar school for my DD is the one she goes to, it won't be the best for anyone's DS and not the best for other DDs. Much like beauty I think it is in the eye of the beholder.

What I meant was suppose I would be choosing History as Majors later then any particular GS that helps more towards it? just in way of better teaching staff, opportunities etc.

But how would a 10 year old know what they want to study later? And by the time they get to 6th form the school could have completely different teachers. (Sorry to poke my nose in, I'm not from your area).

My kid is 11 years and very keen on pursuing history as a subject. I can see early signs so just checking.

To be honest, this is a ridiculous thread. It is not answerable - do you mean GCSE level, which is pretty basic really, so all the schools are probably similar, or A level...?

Try not to preempt ability. One thing experience has taught is that GS is a great leveller - parents who think their children excel in one area or another are often surprised to find their child is actually just "normal"...or worse....

Genuinely encourage your child to embrace everything. Including non academic subjects as, often, they becme the real deciding factor and the making of the "man" so to speak.

Agree with others...pigeon holing a child at 11 is a bit pointless...my dd loved history, art, reading as a younger child but as she went through her school developed a love of computing and her maths ability developed...I was expecting an arty child...but in the end she excelled at science and maths in gcses

When you say "...some (GS) do stand out in what they focus more on", have you any examples to support this, or do you have any data to support this statement?

That might help define the question and generate different responses.

At 11 it is difficult to predict what a child will want to pursue..

When it comes to picking options, I guided my DS and DD, but by that time then,, they have their own ideas and opinions. (At KEFW options are chosen in year 8 to commence in year 9)

My DS has always loved History, probably one of his top 2 favourite subjects, so it was a forgon conclusion he would take it at A level and he duly picked it as an A level (along with maths & physics, dropping chemistry to do so)

However, he is also good at chemistry, and personally I felt chemistry would be more useful than History. He thought about it and decided to swap History for Chemistry.

One of the best decisions he thinks he's made!

Earlier this year he did his mocks and is currently coming to the end of his GCSEs and has found History is so involved and has needed so much of his revision time, that he is relieved not to be taking it at A level.

So taking this into account, I think it's impossible to assume at age 11 that they know what they want to do at 17!

+1 with DS2 nervousmom....he loved History but the sheer volume of information that has to be memorised, regurgitated and analysed for GCSE has really put him off the subject, even though he has one of the best teachers in the school. There is no way he will consider it now and I know lots of boys thinking the same way - such a shame that the changes have all but destroyed the subject.