Grammar School Admission

[tiffinboys]

@OP

Three grammar schools in Slough with catchment and open places. Forth grammar there is faith based. It is advisable to be in the catchment area by the applicable date, as there may be sufficient number of eligible candidates in the catchment area.

Two girls' grammars in Sutton borough again with catchment and open places.

Both areas have good commute to London via Paddington or Victoria/Waterloo.

Henrietta Barnett School in Hempstead is fully open selective. Underground from Golders Greem/Finchley to Central London. But property prices and rentals are very high in the area. You might find reasonable places on the Northern Line towards Edgeware.

If you move to Bucks in time, then there are several grammars with catchment. Your daughter would need to achieve the pass mark (121, off memory, but sure that some one would confirm soon) to get the place in the nearby grammar.

Then there are some good partially selective schools like Watford Grammar or Dame Alice Owen. Some selective places for those living in their catchment areas, but mostly for siblings and pretty close distances.

But as our resident experts have advised, you don't need to move for grammar places if you are happy with the schools situated in your area.

[tiffinboys]

Apologies to Amber and Another Dad for listing them as 'born' rather than 'live' in grammar areas. Stand with the rest of the posts.

[anotherdad]

If you move to Bucks in time, then there are several grammars with catchment. Your daughter would need to achieve the pass mark (121, off memory, but sure that some one would confirm soon) to get the place in the nearby grammar.

121 is indeed an important score, but be aware that it's not really a "pass mark", it's the qualification cut-off. The Bucks test is standardised so that roughly 30-33% of children will score 121 or above, so it's more accurate to say that a qualifier needs to be in the top third of scorers for their birth month. The qualifying raw score might change every year so that for example, 80% might be the qualifying raw score in one year and 70% in another.

Scores of 121 and over are all equivalent. There is no advantage gained from getting a higher score such as 140 and no correlation between 11+ score and eventual GCSE and A level attainment. Places in Bucks are primarily allocated on distance and never on score ranking once the 121 is reached.

[anotherdad]

Apologies to Amber and Another Dad for listing them as 'born' rather than 'live' in grammar areas. Stand with the rest of the posts.

I was born in a grammar area as it happens but that doesn't make it right to spam threads I post in with the same old accusations of hypocrisy and making the point a personal one. I posted what I consider to be a helpful reply about the Bucks area, added my view that moving from London into a selective county isn't a good idea and it was met with a suggestion that I'd misunderstood the OP (which I hadn't) and yet another snide accusation of hypocrisy, which has become a regular habit of yours.

You're spamming other people's threads with your obsession with certain posters. I have a different view to you on selective education but I don't stalk the forums bringing it up and accusing you every time you post something on any topic.

[tiffinboys]

Sorry that it looks like that to you. But I think I posted more helpful information for OP, rather than keep posting own views whether they should move or not move to grammar areas or another poster asking, why they would go for grammars having moved from Singapore.

It feels like at every opportunity, a small group of posters take very vocal view against grammars and try to discourage others from seeking place in grammars, despite sending their own children to grammars, which I try to counter argue. Generally, pro-grammars get silenced by this small group, despite the fact that this site is essentially 11 plus exam specialist site. One poster was even called 'resident comedian' because he proposed some (to him) out of box ideas. I don't stalk you, no interest there, but do come out against anti-grammar views all the time.

Btw, our areas has two single sex grammars with huge catchment area of 12-14 km radius so most of the intake is from out of borough, but it is not a grammar area like Bucks or Kent.

[asonthalia]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Looks like a lot more research and pondering is required from our side.

[yoyo123]

Please refrain from personal arguments. They add nothing to a thread and sidetrack the original post.
Thank you
Mod

[Bluearrow]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Looks like a lot more research and pondering is required from our side.

I am more familiar with schools in South/Southwest London. There is one at Kingston, TGS, which has a catchment. Another two in Sutton, Nonsuch and Wallington girls. They both take students from outside the catchment area, but the pass mark is always higher than in-catchment. Detailed information can be found from the schools' websites.

[rhiane]

I would just like to add that there are other reasons for wanting to apply/move to a Grammar school area!

My two local Secondary schools (only in Catchment for one of them, the worst one) are both really bad, Results are way below national and LA averages, Ofsted, both require improvement and feedback from parents who have their children there is very negative, socially and academically.

My DD and DS took the 11+ in two regions, not because I desperately wanted them in Grammar schools but because I felt it was my only logical choice and wasn't willing to take any chances.

Best of luck

[Proudmumregardless]

Depending on how far you need to travel then have a look at moving to Essex. Some of the grammars have catchment areas some don't. What I would say though is if you go for a mid or north Essex school move to mid or north Essex otherwise your child will have a monstrous commute.