Top ten grammar schools for GCSE results

[Tinkers]

It would be good to see a statement about travel on the website with the school recommending that an hour as the maximum commute time for the girls.

It would also be good for the Head to actively address this problem in her speech at the open day.

If the schools actually started to tell parents very clearly that they don't want their girls have had to have such long commutes that perhaps some parents would think again.
DG

Doing any or all of this would still not be enough, there will always be some who think massive journeys are worth it and Whatever the head says doesn’t apply to them, they are the exception. Parents who think those guidelines are for other people and don’t care about what the travel is doing to their child, as long as they are at ‘xyz’ school, that’s all that matters.

The kendrick head regularly mentioned it in the heads talk during open evenings (and maybe still does, even after the introduction of a catchment). I think it also used to be mentioned in the prospectus before catchment was introduced.

Not always a popular statement, but the only thing that goes anyway to solving excessive travel is introduction of a catchment.

[piggys]

It would be good to see a statement about travel on the website with the school recommending that an hour as the maximum commute time for the girls.

It would also be good for the Head to actively address this problem in her speech at the open day.

If the schools actually started to tell parents very clearly that they don't want their girls have had to have such long commutes that perhaps some parents would think again.
DG

Doing any or all of this would still not be enough, there will always be some who think massive journeys are worth it and Whatever the head says doesn’t apply to them, they are the exception. Parents who think those guidelines are for other people and don’t care about what the travel is doing to their child, as long as they are at ‘xyz’ school, that’s all that matters.

The kendrick head regularly mentioned it in the heads talk during open evenings (and maybe still does, even after the introduction of a catchment). I think it also used to be mentioned in the prospectus before catchment was introduced.

Not always a popular statement, but the only thing that goes anyway to solving excessive travel is introduction of a catchment.

Yep, agreed. I honestly do wish this would happen. I am constantly amazed by the bulldozer attitude of certain posters on this board for whom distance is no consideration; they will force their poor child to endure long journeys with very heavy bags come what may. Those kids likely have a very poor quality of life.

Every year there are threads with never before seen posters asking for people to help them come up with a travel plan for their dc who lives in some far flung location to travel to the gleaming stellar SS. Why don't they organise the arrangements themselves? It's ironic that they demand their kids undertake a very long and arduous journey yet are so indolent themselves they can't even be bothered to research it.

DG, the girl travelling from Coventry - is that really true? if so then it's shameful. That is child abuse IMO. It is also crazy of the school not to intervene. Somehow the law ought to be changed.

Anyway we have had this conversation many times. There remains a certain group of parents for whom getting their ds/dd into one of the SS is a matter of cultural and family honour - DG has posted about this before. I wish I could find the thread. Personally I find it pretty dishonourable.

[lastminmum]

Coventry!! What?!?!? I really really hope that was just heresay and there was no truth in it. I had no idea people in Coventry (and even further away than that) had even heard of HBS. Ridiculous!
And there was me thinking that dd traveling from Southgate to DAO was too far

[ToadMum]

Coventry!! What?!?!? I really really hope that was just heresay and there was no truth in it. I had no idea people in Coventry (and even further away than that) had even heard of HBS. Ridiculous!
And there was me thinking that dd traveling from Southgate to DAO was too far

I have a horrible feeling that someone mentioned Brighton once...

[Daogroupie]

I know 2 students who were in her class. It is true.

Her parents had a deal with a taxi driver.

But she was frequently late and falling asleep in class.

She then disappeared halfway through year 8 after 18 months of a round trip five days a week.

Her parents moved and got her in elsewhere.

The only time I have ever heard either HBS or QE mention long commutes was QE talking about the long lunch break for clubs as long commutes made it hard to run clubs after school. DG

[Stokers]

I don't know if DG and I are taking about the same student but DD (just finished in Year 8 ) told me that the girl who was coming down from Birmingham everyday has left to go to another school and they're getting a new girl in Sept.

[Daogroupie]

We are. I saw 2 girls from her class who I know recently.

They said it was Coventry but perhaps she said Birmingham to those who had never heard of Coventry!

HBS held exams to fill the place in early July and contacted those on the waiting list for that year group and invited them to come and sit the exam. DG

[test1]

I think putting any child to a school that's more than 30 min drive away is just insane and bordering abuse. Should be ideally no more than 15 min. Why don't the parents shift if they think that a particular school is that important?

[Daogroupie]

Because they think they can have a dc in a school miles away in a totally different area and still carry on with the life they want to lead where they are currently living.

They are not putting their dc first although they think they are as they are putting them in a top school.

But it does not help that HBS and QE say nothing in their website or in their open day speeches about it.

They need a very clear message. Move to somewhere where the commute is one hour or less or go elsewhere.

I know families that were planning to move but as it "didn't really seem necessary and the school does not seem to mind" they didn't. DG

[piggys]

That is absolutely terrible. Poor child. It is nothing less than neglect and abuse IMHO.

I think there are quite a few parents who say they 'are planning to move' but have no intention of doing so. Their poor children have to bear the brunt of their stupid selfishness.

I completely agree that the schools need to assume a firm stance on this. Latymer had a postcode catchment for exactly these reasons until it was challenged successfully. Things do not appear to be in any danger of changing soon.