Should new Grammar Schools be opened?

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DarkEnergy
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Should new Grammar Schools be opened?

Post by DarkEnergy »

If the competition levels for grammar school places are so strong, why not open new grammar schools? Expand the number in counties that have them already and even open in other counties.

My area is Warwickshire and we have students coming from Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.

Any thoughts anyone?
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hermanmunster
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Post by hermanmunster »

Interesting subject - the problem in many GS areas is the quality of the other non selective schools.
As a kid I lived in Solihull an affluent area and one of the first to go comprehensive. It was said that for every middle class child to fail the 11 plus there were 2 votes for Comprehensives.

Yes I would love to see more GS and know the situation in Leicestershire well, but it would not have tobe at the cost of good quality in the alternate schools
zee
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Post by zee »

Short answer: yes.

Longer answer: yes, but...

!. There need to be enough of them so that they are not super-selective and everyone is in catchment for at least one grammar (as in the old days, and as now in Bucks and Kent).

2. The selection test needs to be as fair as possible, so look at perceived strengths and weaknesses of current systems including what sort of test (VR, non-VR, IQ etc) and how much, if any, coaching schools are allowed to do.

3. Money needs to be invested in the other schools so that children who go there still get a good education, albeit one that is not as purely focused on high grades in traditional academic subjects.
sherry_d
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Post by sherry_d »

Yes more grammars may be better in other areas but I think they will never have the vava voom of the original grammars. Just look what happened to the post 92 Universities. I fear it will just end up the same with no one really wanting the new. I have heard comment like X is the proper grammar because it was the first one to open many years ago. This is despite the other "new" grammar having better results and yet its always undersubscribed compared to the original grammar thats always oversubscribed.
zee wrote:3. Money needs to be invested in the other schools so that children who go there still get a good education, albeit one that is not as purely focused on high grades in traditional academic subjects.
I dont really think more money would help either, failing schools get quite a lot of government funding. These new academies are really state of the art costing millions but struggling in some areas to attract students.
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Sally-Anne
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Post by Sally-Anne »

The law currently forbids any increase in the level of selection for schooling. It seems that the Conservative Party is willing to go along with that.

Whatever your view, it appears that it ain't going to happen!

Disregarding the facts of life, please do feel free to discuss the point.

Sally-Anne
Gman
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Post by Gman »

The question is not should more grammars open, but why after all the money that has been thrown at schools, is there such a disparity in quality.
SSM
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Post by SSM »

No there shouldn't, as how ever many you have there would still be children not being able to get a place and calls for more GSs to be opened.

Also, whatever people say about comps at least there is still room for manouvre for children whose 11+ results does not reflect their true ability.
More GSs means less comprehensives which in my opinion leads to a two tiered system.

However, I do believe that 'one education fits all' does not work. So rather than money being spent on new GSs, for the kids that can perform well on one or two days of their lives, more money should be spent on providing schools which value not only 'academic ability' but also 'practical ability', like mechanics, engineering, childcare, plumbing etc.

The problem as far as I'm concerned is that most of us are snobbish when it comes to education and life.
How many of you can honestly say that you would encourage your DSs/DDs to be dustmen rather than lawyers? Yet I think most of us can say that dustmen have a bigger impact on our daily lives than lawyers.

I really don't mean to insult anyone, just the communist bit of me coming out.
Rob Clark
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Post by Rob Clark »

SSM wrote:more money should be spent on providing schools which value not only 'academic ability' but also 'practical ability', like mechanics, engineering, childcare, plumbing etc.
I always thought that this was the original concept behind secondary moderns – that children who weren’t academically equipped to do 8-10 GCSEs/‘O’ levels would do fewer of those and start learning a trade as well.

DD has the opportunity to do separate sciences at her secondary modern in addition to at least one foreign language, History and Geography. While on a personal level I’m very pleased about that, you do wonder slightly which schools are catering for children who might have a more practical bent. A pupil who might be disruptive because he doesn’t see the point in studying, say, Spanish might cause no problems at all if he were allowed to concentrate on woodwork/D&T etc.

I’d definitely be in favour of schools being given slightly more freedom in this respect.
Milla
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Post by Milla »

Rob Clark wrote:[ A pupil who might be disruptive because he doesn’t see the point in studying, say, Spanish might cause no problems at all if he were allowed to concentrate on woodwork/D&T etc.

I’d definitely be in favour of schools being given slightly more freedom in this respect.
totally agree. I've never understood how static syllabi seem to be, and think there should be a great deal more opportunity for children from 14, say, to do more practical and vocational stuff, rather than ploughing through motte and bailey castles and the properties of zinc.
Cats12
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Post by Cats12 »

Milla wrote:I've never understood how static syllabi seem to be, and think there should be a great deal more opportunity for children from 14, say, to do more practical and vocational stuff, rather than ploughing through motte and bailey castles and the properties of zinc.
i agree - isn't the gov trialling new secondary system at moment whereby DCs take options in yr8 (i know seems v early) with school guidance - there are 3 streams, vocational, semi vocational and academic; in order to cater for DCs different abilities. If successful i think it will be rolled out. Sounds like modern version of the old system of grammars and secondary mods, only all in one school. At least it would be a recognition that not all children suitable for academic route.
I'm all for more grammars and any other type of specialist school, be it sporting, academic, music....But can't see it happening. At least secondaries are starting to stream too.
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