Was 2008 a very tough year for state school kids

mattsurf · Post by **mattsurf** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:16 pm

The word on the playground at our primary is that this is the lowest number of kids from the school ever to pass the 11+, so far just one is known to have passed, typically the school sends 5 - 6 to one of the Birmingham Grammars

Parents are blaming the mass exit from private schools into the state system and grabbing all of the grammar places thanks to the better preparation that a private education offers

Clearly this is just anecdotal, there may be a whole raft of reasons - poor year at the school (it is just one class intake), maybe the standard of teaching has dropped (the teachers all played musical classes for the past 2 years).

Has anyone experienced this - particularly in the Birmingham area? Are some places worse affected than others?

Naturally I am a little concerned as DS takes 11+ in November - Although we will be moving area to Wiltshire first

mike1880 · Post by **mike1880** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:11 pm

We'll find out for sure when the KE Foundation publishes its annual report. Pass marks seem high this year, but it might be that they're expecting fewer rejections than usual and have offered fewer places, so perhaps there might just be a little more movement of waiting lists than usual??? It's pure speculation at this stage.

Mike

serialtester · Post by **serialtester** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 7:35 am

I think that this year has been a 'bumper' year for the KE schools, probably partly due to the recession and less parents being willing or able to spend 70K on secondary education. And at the end of the day it is a competition, and the more people who take part the longer the odds are.

I don't think teaching at a particular school will have any bearing, after all they are teaching to the NC not preparing kids for the 11+

My state school kid got a place this year, in fact at least 10 kids in her year (3 form entry) secured places.

mike1880 · Post by **mike1880** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:45 am

There were 5 in my son's class that he knows of, he's not the most sociable child so may not know all of them. It's also a 3-form school so the total should be into double figures. I don't know what they usually get, but that sounds quite respectable to me.

Mike

T.i.p.s.y · Post by **T.i.p.s.y** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:01 am

I think next year may be worse as lots of bankers and other employees thought their jobs/bonuses were safe and have only found out in the last month they are not. I know many wish they'd stuck DC in for GS entrance exams last November but thought they would be ok and are not now. I am going to sit my son for entry in 2010 as a fall-back this year at a GS that doesn't have a catchment area.

mike1880 · Post by **mike1880** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:01 pm

Good point, my in-laws' neighbours in the stockbroker belt are becoming ex-bankers at an alarming rate.

Mike

capers123 · Post by **capers123** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 2:39 pm

Stroud High School (girls) had a lower number of children taking the test than last year. Seemed to be no particular change in the ratio of private to state.

My DD went to a nursery attached to a private school, then to state primary. Some of her friends from that time went on to other private schools, some stayed there, and many others to state schools. All of the children we had picked out as bright when they were 2 or 3 have places at Stroud High, irrespective of the intervening education; when they left to go to reception, the comment was "see you at Stroud High" and sure enough... Apart from some of us didn't pay for the last 7 years.

From DD's primary (1 1/2 class / 45 children intake) there is a record 15 going on to grammars, which is quite high (the school do not tutor them). So in our little part of Gloucestershire, there does not seem to have been an influx of private to state convertees. However, I have noticed an increase in marketing activity from the private sector.