Top ten grammar schools for GCSE results

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Guest55
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Re: Top ten grammar schools for GCSE results

Post by Guest55 »

Schools should be aware of such long commutes and, if/when students health is compromised, speak to the parents. The fact that they do nothing to curtail such applications speaks volumes about pastoral care.
squareofthewicket
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Re: Top ten grammar schools for GCSE results

Post by squareofthewicket »

Why isn't HBS considering putting a catchment in place? Surely its popularity as a SS school isn't going to diminish just because it introduced catchment!! And this will also address the issue of travel times.
Tinkers
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Re: Top ten grammar schools for GCSE results

Post by Tinkers »

squareofthewicket wrote:Why isn't HBS considering putting a catchment in place? Surely its popularity as a SS school isn't going to diminish just because it introduced catchment!! And this will also address the issue of travel times.
The first year kendrick introduced a catchment they had 776 take the test. In previous years it was typically in the 500s. It’s continued to increase since.
Daogroupie
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Re: Top ten grammar schools for GCSE results

Post by Daogroupie »

HBS wishes to give all dds a chance to apply for the school, no matter where they live.

But the idea was that they would move closer if they were offered a place.

I know of parents who stated that of course they were going to move if their dd got a place. But then never did. I know of another girl who commutes daily from Aylesbury.

HBS and QE offer hope to those who live in areas with no selective schools but they need to follow through and make sure that all those offered places are planning to move somewhere feasible. DG
Guest55
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Re: Top ten grammar schools for GCSE results

Post by Guest55 »

Daogroupie wrote: I know of parents who stated that of course they were going to move if their dd got a place. But then never did. I know of another girl who commutes daily from Aylesbury.

HBS and QE offer hope to those who live in areas with no selective schools but they need to follow through and make sure that all those offered places are planning to move somewhere feasible. DG
Clearly they are failing - the girl from Aylesbury passes several other high performing GS every day - crazy situation.
food4thought
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Re: Top ten grammar schools for GCSE results

Post by food4thought »

I used to live in Coventry and a daily commute from there to London would be a nightmare and very expensive. I think it is unreasonable for the parents to get their children to do that. But i dont think catchment areas are the answer:

1) does not give the best kids a chance
2) some areas do not have grammar schools
2) some parents would move closer to the school, if their child got a place

for example, I personally want to live in a certain area as my friends and family live there. It is now an expensive area so i would have to compromise in my accomodation, ie maybe a tiny house, or a flat... and for that reason I have never taken the plunge to move there. However, if my child got into a grammar school in that area then that would give me a nice little push to move there.

I do think alot of parents to move closer to their children's school, and agree long journeys to school are not sustainable or in the interest of the child.
nyr
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Re: Top ten grammar schools for GCSE results

Post by nyr »

My DD has just finished Y8 in HBS and I can confirm Stokers' earlier comment, there was a girl in DD's form who is living in Birmingham. The girl had lived reasonably nearby when she joined the school and she moved to Birmingham sometime later. DD tells me that, after the move, this girl wasn't coming into school but the family hadn't given up her place. My guess is that they were holding onto the place in the hope of finding some workable solution. She has been replaced by a new girl, who will join at the start of Y9.
daddyshah
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Re: Top ten grammar schools for GCSE results

Post by daddyshah »

test1 wrote: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?

Would be ideal, but a 15 min commute to school doesn't exist for the vast majority in a metropolis like London unless one is almost next door. With eye-watering house prices and rental values around some of the most sought after schools, kids unfortunately end up enduring longer journeys.
kenyancowgirl
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Re: Top ten grammar schools for GCSE results

Post by kenyancowgirl »

Guest55 wrote:Schools should be aware of such long commutes and, if/when students health is compromised, speak to the parents. The fact that they do nothing to curtail such applications speaks volumes about pastoral care.

Yes this! x 1000.
loobylou
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Re: Top ten grammar schools for GCSE results

Post by loobylou »

daddyshah wrote:
test1 wrote: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?

Would be ideal, but a 15 min commute to school doesn't exist for the vast majority in a metropolis like London unless one is almost next door. With eye-watering house prices and rental values around some of the most sought after schools, kids unfortunately end up enduring longer journeys.

Yes, this is true. I know people who haven't got into their nearest comprehensive (because they're not quite near enough or because it's not suitable/single se.x etc) and the next nearest comprehensive is a couple of miles away but 40-45 minutes on the bus.
Similarly in rural areas, people might be significantly further than 15 minutes' commute from any school at all.
Maybe in smaller towns this is a reasonable ideal but there's a big difference between crazy journeys and slightly-annoying-but-necessary ones.

(One of my children's commute is a 12 minute cycle. The other's is a 5 minute walk and 20-25 minute bus journey. They're at the same school!)
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