Difference between Grammar School and Independent School

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hermanmunster
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Re: Difference between Grammar School and Independent School

Post by hermanmunster »

I think this also varies around the country - my DCs went to private preps and the kids from those went to a variety of schools - approx 50:50 private:state.

Unlike your experience quite a few in the DD's school took the GS as their first choice and then, if they passed the GS also too indie exams as the "back up" in case they did not get the GS on distance. Some took the GS and if they didn't pass then took some indies - most of the exams were January so well after the results date for the GS.

Elsewhere where there were no GS (at least < 25 miles away!) it was a case of State or Indie and most people had decided early on in junior school. Though I do remember one child who failed to get into an indie that he had set his heart on (but didn't have a particular academic reputation... and rarely seemed to fail people) - he went to look at a comprehensive school, parents and he were very impressed and when the indie rang back offering a place, the parents were delighted to turn it down.
Yummiemummie
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Re: Difference between Grammar School and Independent School

Post by Yummiemummie »

Agree with you mike 1880. We chose Inde even though our DS passed his Bucks 11 plus for GS. My son is at an inde boys day school and there is a huge range of parents and many who sacrifice a HUGE amount to pay the fees. The car park at the local GS has more chelsea tractors than my sons schooll!
mike1880
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Re: Difference between Grammar School and Independent School

Post by mike1880 »

hermanmunster wrote:Unlike your experience quite a few in the DD's school took the GS as their first choice and then, if they passed the GS also too indie exams as the "back up" in case they did not get the GS on distance. Some took the GS and if they didn't pass then took some indies
Depends on the child as well. Indie was always a back up choice for our son - we thought the GS would suit him best (absolutely nothing to do with the thought of paying 10k a year for him to do the absolute minimum he could get away with and opt out of everything that wasn't absolutely mandatory... :oops: !). But we liked the indie better for our daughter, although we did have some irritable (on my part) discussions about whether the 40th best school in the country was worth x thousand a year when we could have the 80th for nothing.

Mike
poiuyt
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Re: Difference between Grammar School and Independent School

Post by poiuyt »

we could have sent DC to indie but didn;t because our local grammar offered something the indies didn't. It really is a personal decision and one made family by family, with some data gathering. The personality and temperment of the child is paramount in these decisions.
ritz667
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Re: Difference between Grammar School and Independent School

Post by ritz667 »

Although my ds goes to Qe I think some comments made about independent schools is unfair.

My son sat the Habs entrance exams and found them just as challenging as the grammar school ones, in my experience schools such as Habs boys and girls, St Albans, North London Colligete and Merchant Taylors take very bright boys and girls and passing the exams should be considered as a very good achievement
sherry_d
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Re: Difference between Grammar School and Independent School

Post by sherry_d »

Bizare that that anyone registers just to stir up controvesy :roll:
Impossible is Nothing.
hermanmunster
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Re: Difference between Grammar School and Independent School

Post by hermanmunster »

I think that is true ritz, really depends on the area - I have lived in areas where the local GS is basically the academic equivalent of an Indie in another area with no GS.
hermanmunster
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Re: Difference between Grammar School and Independent School

Post by hermanmunster »

sherry_d wrote:Bizare that that anyone registers just to stir up controvesy :roll:

Too right S-D :roll: :?
Thingsbehindthesun
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Re: Difference between Grammar School and Independent School

Post by Thingsbehindthesun »

ritz667 wrote: My son sat the Habs entrance exams and found them just as challenging as the grammar school ones, in my experience schools such as Habs boys and girls, St Albans, North London Colligete and Merchant Taylors take very bright boys and girls and passing the exams should be considered as a very good achievement
+1

I would definitely have to agree-it does take alot of effort to pass any entrance exam and not every one does. There may not be as many people applying for independent schools, as is with the case with the most selective grammar schools, which have 1000+ applicants for a handful of places but even then the "best" independent schools are besieged with applications.
;D
pabrighton0
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Re: Difference between Grammar School and Independent School

Post by pabrighton0 »

ritz667 wrote: My son sat the Habs entrance exams and found them just as challenging as the grammar school ones, in my experience schools such as Habs boys and girls, St Albans, North London Colligete and Merchant Taylors take very bright boys and girls and passing the exams should be considered as a very good achievement
Would the level required to pass something like DAO be below these?
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