PASS MARK ?
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Ami
Poetry in motion
Why don't you post the poem on the forum - we'd all love to see it. You can tell her that it is also available on the web! 
Not sure if I'm allowed to until it's gone to print? Better not just incase.
Will let you all knOw later on.
If she doesn't get the grammar school would it be posible to submit something like this as evidence of grammar school ability at an admissions appeal? Or would it look like bragging?
You sometimes are not sure which way things things can go in these circumstances??
Any advice always appreciated.
Footymad.
Will let you all knOw later on.
If she doesn't get the grammar school would it be posible to submit something like this as evidence of grammar school ability at an admissions appeal? Or would it look like bragging?
You sometimes are not sure which way things things can go in these circumstances??
Any advice always appreciated.
Footymad.
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SAD
Our situation is that we live nearest to Grammar and church-based comprehensives - as we don't attend church - the grammars seem a good option - if she fails - she would have to travel along way to a weak high school. Its a bit of a kick in the teeth to have to go to the worst choice school in the area and travel past all the good schools on the way!Essex mum wrote:Interesting Sally-Anne, it does not matter what part of the country people live in, the system is not perfect is it. It seems that if people live in catchment they believe catchment children should have priority and if people live outside catchment they believe catchment is irrelevent. Likewise, if people have siblings they think they should have priority and if they don't have siblings they don't think they should have priority. I guess it's within human nature, to look after your own!
Luckily we can choose from a few good independent schools too - otherwise we would have to move or find religion
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SAD
Re: Pass mark
So did your children attend the prep school and is this how you personally know that children who attend prep schools are given massives amount of VR coaching? or are you basing your comments or hearsay?Robyn wrote:Hello,
No I did not say private school kids were stupid, I am only speaking from experience of my area. Our local prep schools give massive amounts of vr work from year 3, and that when they got to year 9 there was non of them in the top stream, you can infer from this what you like, but in our area the facts speak for them selves.
Robyn
Prep schools around here do not coach children to pass the 11 plus - they want the children to stay until age 13 which is the usual age for a prep school child to leave. They are at no advantage when taking the 11 plus - its a great fallacy that the prep school teachers coach them. The prep schools do not want their most successful children to leave at age 11, they want them to stay and take common entrance so that the school can boast that it got boys into Eton, girls into Roedean - the local grammar school just doesn't do it for them. The children who come into the school to replace the Grammar school children are inevitably the 11 plus failures and in most cases are not as strong as those who leave.
Prep Schools do not like or support the 11 plus!
I can't understand why so many people have problems with children from a private education going to a state grammar school - these places are available to any child living in this country who demonstrates appropriate ability on the day and not just those from state schools.
They certainly do OK when they get into the grammar system - otherwise there would be heaving masses of prep school children being thrown out of grammar schools - afterall they can't afford to drop down the league tables because of children who are not up to it.
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Jess
I couldn't agree more SAD. We decided to send my very very bright daughter to a private school simply because in all conscience we could not have sent her to the poor local primary and watched her wither in a class of 30 kids. As it is she has to be given extension work/lessons, and that's in a class of 15.
Myself and my husband both went through the state system and we would have liked nothing more than to send our children through it too, but I refuse to put my own principles ahead of my daughter's well-being
The notion that it is unfair to allow privately-educated children to re-enter the state system at 11 is utterly absurd and smacks of inverted snobbery. If they're clever enough to pass, why shouldn't they go? It would be quite nice to get some return on the tax we have (willingly) paid into the education system having made no demands on it thus far
And as for prep-schools helping their pupils to pass the 11-plus, you are quite right, why would they bite the hand that feeds them?
Myself and my husband both went through the state system and we would have liked nothing more than to send our children through it too, but I refuse to put my own principles ahead of my daughter's well-being
The notion that it is unfair to allow privately-educated children to re-enter the state system at 11 is utterly absurd and smacks of inverted snobbery. If they're clever enough to pass, why shouldn't they go? It would be quite nice to get some return on the tax we have (willingly) paid into the education system having made no demands on it thus far
And as for prep-schools helping their pupils to pass the 11-plus, you are quite right, why would they bite the hand that feeds them?
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Guest
I agree the state system is not always great but I do believe that parents who choose private and them opt for state grammar are 'playing the sytem'. If a state grammar is good enough but a state primary not is it the mixed ability classes in priamry that you disagree with? Do you believe that your children recieve a better education in a prep school? Is this due to low class sizes, early selection by ability or pushier parents with the I've paid for it so I must have results attidue. I have heard many parents paying into the prep system that they view it as an investment for their child's grammar education. I have also heard people wishing to be refunded some taxes for the sytem they are paying into but not using then wishing to use it again when it suits. Schools are allocated money per child per year so your absent child does not generate funding for the school. How will your children cope in a class of 30? Will it be grammar or failing that an independent?
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Guest
I feel I must add previous "Guest", that although the schools get paid a certain amount per child attending, this is out of a budget. If more children were attending the schools the budget would be less and therefore the amount paid per child would be considerably less. If the budget needed to be increased then either taxes would have to rise or other areas of government funding would have to be cut. There is not, unfortunately, a bottomless pit.
Previous "Guest", please don't run people down who choose to send their children to Private schools, it makes individuals like us, who send our children to the state schools, jealous and envious. i for one am greatful they have chosen prep schools, it is bad enough having 30 in a class and the state system could not deal with anymore children.
Previous "Guest", please don't run people down who choose to send their children to Private schools, it makes individuals like us, who send our children to the state schools, jealous and envious. i for one am greatful they have chosen prep schools, it is bad enough having 30 in a class and the state system could not deal with anymore children.
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Jo
Wow!!
We chose to send our daughter and consequently our two sons to prep schools, mainly for the class sizes and the opportunities that are given to them.
Our daughter should have attended the local primary school but there were going to be 37 in her reception class (this was before the government capped the numbers to 30). We freaked as our daughter is quite outgoing (!!!) and would not have settled in such a large class. We then opted to send her to a prep school, where she has had 14 in her class, and done very very well. She has also learned social manners and graces (god I can hear you all cry that I am a snob - I am not), but she is courteous and polite, and has impeccable manners. She speaks beautifully. She has not been held back and has been treated as herself instead of as a number in the class who has to pass her SATS to boost her schools ratings. Her school does not do SATS nor do my son's school. She goes swimming twice a week, she goes horse riding, she has at least an hour of sport a daybut she does have a long day!!! These are all included in the fees. My son does cricket, rugby, swimming, golf and studies a very varied curriculum. Far more varied than the National Curriculum allows.
I had a state school education and my husband had a private education. I am so glad we have opted to go down the private route. The local primary just is not the same. There are special needs children who hold the rest of the class back, there are troublesome children who the school cannot do anything about and there are children who just do not want to learn.
How do I know this? Because I teach them that's why! My next job will definitely be in a private school as the kids want to learn, and not be held back by problem children. That's my opinion - do not blast me for having this opinion.
I went back to work to pay for my kid's education. We do not drive posh cars nor have expensive holidays (if we have holidays at all). We do not have playstations or latest trainers etc etc we choose to put our children through private education. We do not have a huge posh house on a private estate.
Please do not be nasty about us - it is our money to do with as we want. We are giving up places in our local primary school which is so popular it has a waiting list. We are not hurting anyone by doing this so I really do not know why people have a problem with it. We wanted to give a children a good start in life and to us that means giving them a good education. If they pass the 11+ then they will go the local grammar school as it is a brilliant school, and if not then they will go private again. Although this will mean us selling our house to downsize it will be worth it to give them the best ever start they could want. Are we so awful for wanting that for our children?
There are loads of things I want that others have. I do not begrudge others having them. They obviously have worked hard to buy them so good for them. It is the same as private education - if we can afford it, then why shouldn't we do it? I just do not understand people's mentality when they are so nasty to people who put their kids through private education.
If the prep schools in our area did not exist, then the government would have to build at least 5 new primary schools!!! What sort of state would the schools be in then?
Jo
We chose to send our daughter and consequently our two sons to prep schools, mainly for the class sizes and the opportunities that are given to them.
Our daughter should have attended the local primary school but there were going to be 37 in her reception class (this was before the government capped the numbers to 30). We freaked as our daughter is quite outgoing (!!!) and would not have settled in such a large class. We then opted to send her to a prep school, where she has had 14 in her class, and done very very well. She has also learned social manners and graces (god I can hear you all cry that I am a snob - I am not), but she is courteous and polite, and has impeccable manners. She speaks beautifully. She has not been held back and has been treated as herself instead of as a number in the class who has to pass her SATS to boost her schools ratings. Her school does not do SATS nor do my son's school. She goes swimming twice a week, she goes horse riding, she has at least an hour of sport a daybut she does have a long day!!! These are all included in the fees. My son does cricket, rugby, swimming, golf and studies a very varied curriculum. Far more varied than the National Curriculum allows.
I had a state school education and my husband had a private education. I am so glad we have opted to go down the private route. The local primary just is not the same. There are special needs children who hold the rest of the class back, there are troublesome children who the school cannot do anything about and there are children who just do not want to learn.
How do I know this? Because I teach them that's why! My next job will definitely be in a private school as the kids want to learn, and not be held back by problem children. That's my opinion - do not blast me for having this opinion.
I went back to work to pay for my kid's education. We do not drive posh cars nor have expensive holidays (if we have holidays at all). We do not have playstations or latest trainers etc etc we choose to put our children through private education. We do not have a huge posh house on a private estate.
Please do not be nasty about us - it is our money to do with as we want. We are giving up places in our local primary school which is so popular it has a waiting list. We are not hurting anyone by doing this so I really do not know why people have a problem with it. We wanted to give a children a good start in life and to us that means giving them a good education. If they pass the 11+ then they will go the local grammar school as it is a brilliant school, and if not then they will go private again. Although this will mean us selling our house to downsize it will be worth it to give them the best ever start they could want. Are we so awful for wanting that for our children?
There are loads of things I want that others have. I do not begrudge others having them. They obviously have worked hard to buy them so good for them. It is the same as private education - if we can afford it, then why shouldn't we do it? I just do not understand people's mentality when they are so nasty to people who put their kids through private education.
If the prep schools in our area did not exist, then the government would have to build at least 5 new primary schools!!! What sort of state would the schools be in then?
Jo
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Jess
Sorry but I feel I have to respond to this. The 'guest' just before this is absolutely right. The taxes myself and my husband pay clearly do not go directly to the state school my daughter would have attended. But it does go into the 'pot' that is shared out amongst state pupils, and she isn't one of them. I have no problem with this. I believe that we should all pay, according to our ability, to fund the state. You may know of people 'wishing to be refunded their taxes' but that obviously isn't going to happen and nor should it. So that's a spurious argument.Anonymous wrote:I agree the state system is not always great but I do believe that parents who choose private and them opt for state grammar are 'playing the sytem'. If a state grammar is good enough but a state primary not is it the mixed ability classes in priamry that you disagree with? Do you believe that your children recieve a better education in a prep school? Is this due to low class sizes, early selection by ability or pushier parents with the I've paid for it so I must have results attidue. I have heard many parents paying into the prep system that they view it as an investment for their child's grammar education. I have also heard people wishing to be refunded some taxes for the sytem they are paying into but not using then wishing to use it again when it suits. Schools are allocated money per child per year so your absent child does not generate funding for the school. How will your children cope in a class of 30? Will it be grammar or failing that an independent?
In our case, yes I do believe my daughter is getting a better education in a private school. I don't believe that education is all about passing exams or attaining certain levels. It should be about fostering a love of learning for its own sake. She could read fluently at 2-and-a-half. We didn't teach her, she just made us read to her until she'd worked it out. (My son is 4 and he can't read yet. If I'd taught her I would have taught him). How would she have fared in a class of 30 kids in a poorly-performing state reception class? How would they have held her interest and convinced her that school was an interesting place to be? So yes, the small class sizes helped and believe it or not, 'pushy parents' are in the minority, at least in my experience. As for 'early selection', how can someone who is browsing a site like this, and therefore must be in the market for a grammar, have a problem with selection? As it happens, her school isn't selective.
If parents are seeing prep schools as an 'investment for grammar', it's a pretty crap investment. It costs £50k plus to put a child through an independent primary. You could pay for a tutor for 2 years, buy all the books going and still have thousands to spare for that. And if they can't get in after intensive private tutoring then they'd be better off elsewhere.
How will my child cope in a class of 30? She'll have a damn sight better chance at 11 in a highly selective grammar than she would have done at 4. Will it be 'grammar or failing that an independent'? Her IQ puts her in the top 0.05% of the population. I don't think its going to be an issue.
Sorry, but this sort of attitude makes me really cross.