why are bucks uppers so unreliable?

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southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

why are bucks uppers so unreliable?

Post by southbucks3 »

One school comes out of special measures, another goes in, and two more wobble dangerously close.(just those I know of)
There seems to be a continual cycle of instability with our uppers, particularly with staff leaving ill fated schools following management shake ups, or disagreements.

Fern Britain is in the bucks free, bemoaning the latest yoyo school, holmer green senior:

http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/archive ... s__school/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Why are they so unstable when many of the grammars seem to be a rock solid ofsted rated outstanding?
This just adds to the whole feeling of children not passing their eleven plus in the area being fobbed off with not just a restrictive but also second rate education. This cycle has been happening to uppers for as long as I can remember, why hasn't something been done about it. Surely the level of disparity between school types is screaming out that a two tier system is simply not working?

We live in an area where 75% of our children are educated in upper schools and 25% in grammars, why are the schools that are serving the majority not managing to keep the title "good" or "outstanding" when those serving the minority of the population are?

Is there an easy read chart of regional schools ofsted results, like there is for gcse results?
All these yoyo schools seem to manage to get somewhere in the region of 60%+ of their kids to pass 5 gcse exams inc. maths and english, it seems to be the level of a child's improvement that is often criticised, or management methods. I am aware that ofsted inspections have changed and toughened up very recently and some grammars may also get a bit of criticism when they are next inspected, but like I said this has been happening since the 80's to my knowledge!

Ideas?
Last edited by southbucks3 on Sat May 17, 2014 11:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
kittymum
Posts: 925
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 10:42 pm

Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?

Post by kittymum »

Sorry no ideas ...

The grammars have more money - full roles, parents happy to make donations (cheaper then paying school fees :roll: ). I wonder also if the Ofsted inspection model is really appropriate for uppers as it wasn't designed for schools which have (theoretically) had the top 30% skimmed off. Mr Gove also hasn't helped ....
noonynunu
Posts: 318
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2013 1:31 pm

Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?

Post by noonynunu »

kittymum wrote:I wonder also if the Ofsted inspection model is really appropriate for uppers as it wasn't designed for schools which have (theoretically) had the top 30% skimmed off.
I fully agree.

I do wonder how much private tuition skews the results too. A large proportion of children gain entrance into Grammars off the back of extra tuition and I do know children currently attending semi-selectives who are continuing to use private tuition to keep up in what is a very competitive environment.
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?

Post by southbucks3 »

True..pupils and oarents obviously play a part, but what about poor management and high staff turn over?
Rob Clark
Posts: 1298
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:59 pm

Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?

Post by Rob Clark »

It's an interesting question, SB3. :D

I think part – though by no means all – of the answer is that when one of the Upper Schools is on the up and up, it attracts families who are keener to be involved in the school life and their children's education, so it becomes something of a virtuous circle. For example, when my two were still at primary school, people tried to avoid Amersham School like the plague and get their children into the Misbourne or Holmer Green.

In more recent times, though, Amersham has improved and is now over-subscribed for the first time in many years while the Misbourne had a few dodgy years but is now doing well again. In Amersham School's case this is down, I believe, to a very strong HT and deputy HT who have raised expectations and recruited well.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?

Post by Guest55 »

My opinion, for what it's worth, is that there was about a five year period where no were Uppers in special measures a few years ago then they became Academies ...

Some have used that status well - others clearly haven't kept up to speed with the Ofsted changes. Also it is hard to recruit quality staff to Bucks because houses are so expensive - a strong field for a teaching post is a rarity even in Grammars.

Few Grammars have hace an Ofsted since the changes in 2012 and I think some might find the new standards a challenge ...
pippi
Posts: 320
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 12:33 am
Location: Bucks

Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?

Post by pippi »

Below are the 2013 figures from DFE for the % of pupils making "expected progress" in English and Maths (and also most recent Ofsted overall grade). Taking a quick look at these, I think that none of the Upper Schools matched any of the Grammar schools in their average "expected progress". The averages for the two types of school are: 67% and 71% for Upper Schools, and 96% and 97% for grammar schools.

Upper Schools:

Code: Select all

The Grange School	 Good	71	70
Cressex Community School	Requires Improvement	60	76
The Wye Valley School	Inadequate	55	59
St Michael's Catholic School	Good	65	75
The Misbourne School	Good	71	80
The Aylesbury Vale Academy	Satisfactory	62	69
Buckingham School	Requires Improvement	60	71
Burnham Park E-ACT Academy	Requires Improvement	83	58
The Mandeville School	Inadequate	58	39
Highcrest Academy	Requires Improvement	58	70
Princes Risborough	Requires Improvement	65	84
John Colet School	Requires Improvement	64	80
Holmer Green Senior School	Requires Improvement	64	73
The Beaconsfield School	Satisfactory	63	71
Sir William Ramsay School	Good	85	72
Amersham School	Good	69	80
The Chalfonts Community College	Good	72	84
Waddesdon Church of England School	Outstanding	86	77
Great Marlow School	Good	80	86
The Cottesloe School	Requires Improvement	71	65
Grammar Schools:

Code: Select all

John Hampden Grammar School	Outstanding	91	90
Burnham Grammar School	Good	85	90
Aylesbury High School	Outstanding	97	98
Dr Challoner's High School	Outstanding	100	99
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School	Good	94	98
Chesham Grammar School	Outstanding	94	95
Aylesbury Grammar School	Outstanding	97	98
Royal Latin School 	Outstanding	98	100
Wycombe High School	Outstanding	98	98
Dr Challoner's Grammar School 	Outstanding	98	99
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School	Outstanding	99	100
Beaconsfield High School	Outstanding	100	100
Royal Grammar School 	Outstanding	98	99
JamesDean
Posts: 1537
Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:03 pm

Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?

Post by JamesDean »

'Outstanding' schools are inspected less often than those judged to be 'good' or 'requiring improvement'. It may therefore be that these schools haven't been inspected for a while and may no longer actually be 'outstanding' under the new framework ...

Just a thought ...

JD
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?

Post by Guest55 »

I would be sacked if my students only made 3 levels of progress in a GS! A level 5 to a grade B - hardly challenging ..

All school are compared to national three levels of progress ... in 2013 this was 69% in English and 70% in maths. Indeed Ofsted dig a bit deeper than this and look at progress from starting points.

Nationally in 2013 (data from RAISEonline):
3 levels of progress from level 3 - En 55%, Ma 44%
3 levels of progress from level 4 - En 71%, Ma 77%
3 levels of progress from level 5 - En 79%, Ma 81%

So the higher you achieve at KS2 the more likely you are to make expected progress - now there's a surprise ... not!
Last edited by Guest55 on Sat May 17, 2014 3:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kittymum
Posts: 925
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 10:42 pm

Re: why are bucks uppers so unreliable?

Post by kittymum »

I have to say Great Marlow with its 80 and 86 is impressive - yes not as good as it's close neighbour but considering it's different pupil makeup I think v good.
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