Moving for grammar school

[sandy09]

We are definitely moving for a grammar school place here. The house move has been planned for a couple of years now and delayed for various reasons. We are still living in our starter home (bought pre-children) and now having two primary school aged kids, the place is just enough for us but we definitely need more space.

We were on the verge of moving in 2016 when DD secured a 7+ place in one of London's sought after prep schools with a linked senior school however Brexit hit the housing market and we decided staying put. DS started reception a year after. When we started the 11+ journey with so many headaches of a DIY approach at times we thought that we should have taken the prep school offer and moved then so as to avoid this transition. Now DD has passed with good scores at some grammar schools we are definitely moving this time.

Every family's different. I agree with one poster here that many immigrant families have moved thousands of miles for a good education (with work and life and everything else of course) so another ten miles or so, providing work and life are not materially disrupted, it's not a big deal. We both work in Central London and do work from home a few days a week.

Onwards and upwards! Isn't social mobility about moving on?

[Ricky74]

I met somebody whose year 8 child was commuting daily to and from Derby and Walsall (35 miles, 1hr in a taxi shared with other students from Derby).

They were planning to move as the youngest (y4) was aiming for a Sutton Coldfield grammar (not too far from Walsall).

Dad said he had a flexible job and could move 'anywhere'.

I don't know if they ever did move, but I hope they did if only for the sake of the older child.

[kenyancowgirl]

There is a massive difference moving "another 10 miles or so" (to make a journey to school more comfortable) than moving from one end of the country to another, 100s of miles as we see on here - the grammar school or bust mentality, is what worries me.

I know that parents tell themselves that, in the GS or B group, they are moving for social mobility/the good of the child etc but the reality of the pressure on that child to love the school, to settle, to do well etc etc must be massive and with the focus currently on mental health issues, I do wonder where it ends....

[rhiane]

One of the recent immigrant parents at our group tuition centre was a taxi driver. So he could work anywhere. But you do see kids on the train from inner London to Medway, who have another long walk head of them. I just answered someone on the Medway forum, contemplating a two hour journey each way for their child. This year hasn't been so bad on the Kent forum; there was someone another year asking about travel from Hounslow. The thing that annoys me is posters demanding detailed information and not replying or thanking those who help them.

I agree with everything you have said!

[Aethel]

there is a certain proportion of adults who feel that the GS system is a game to be played as strategically as possible with the verb “to win a grammar place” being very much in action. Victory is the elusive “Grammar” elite, and anything with that title counts over and above the actual suitability of that particular school. Some of them don’t even visit the school but rely on hearsay and OFSTED rankings alone.

While playing “the grammar game” (and yes I’m a cynic, but have been kicking about the boards a good few years now), levels of “dedication” to the game vary:
in ascending order of trying, this seems to be

1) Tutor child from earlier on with aim to increase score (year 5 is “casual”, year 4 is “keen”, year 3 is “dedicated” in these parent’s eyes)

2) Reduce extracurricular activities “to let them concentrate on studies” (in y5 usually: some parents reduced attention to regular school homework as it was “less important”

3) Use the “scattergun” approach of as many 11 plus entries as possible: we’ve had folk in here complaining that it wasn’t fair two 11 plus exams “clashed” when the counties were over 100 miles apart...

4) set up one or more rental short term tenancies in counties of target schools and lose the deposit in two places to “take up” the third when score revealed so they can “be in cachement” for place allocation at the school with the best chance of a place (I have even heard anecdotally in the past of estate agents offering to backdate tenencies by a few weeks to permit earlier residency) It’s weird that people don’t think of this as “cheating”/fraud, it’s legitimately seen as a tactic, and there is complete ignoral of the fact it will deprive a genuinely local family of a place if their DC gets in....

5).... I don’t know what five should be....maybe bribe the county council to designate their house a “feeder school”?.... Breed unicorns to ferry their child to school? create an EHCP on the grounds that their DC will be emotionally traumatised if they don’t attend the GS?

The point is that it’s a strange and peculiar system. We work within it the best we can, but one parent’s “dedication” is another parent’s “a bridge too far”.

[Deb70]

It's almost like using grammar schools as a "service", rather than a school with its own school "community". Just pick a handful, sift through and then move to one.

Perhaps I'm old fashioned but in my day, many pupils eventually returned to their home town/school town after uni because they had family, friends and history there, and they brought their skills and training back to their communities. Not that I'm against children moving to new and exciting places. I suppose times are changing.

[Proudmumregardless]

If you want to see some of the ludicrous notions that go on in parents heads come over to the Essex boards.

London and beyond parents wanting to send their kids to Colchester without even visiting the town let alone the school is a common one

At least if parents relocate into the area it shows they're vaguely considering the child

[Brackenboo]

I grew up 10 miles from Colchester but went to primary in Suffolk so it wasn't an option to take the test then.

I travelled to London for a job for the year and was out 7-7. I definitely wouldn't put my child through that for 5+ years, I lasted a year.

[Sparklecat]

Apparently you can move into Buckinghamshire for a grammar and still apply for Kent grammars and move again if successful.

[rhiane]

Apparently you can move into Buckinghamshire for a grammar and still apply for Kent grammars and move again if successful.

None of that made any sense!
I still can't work out what was going on there?