What are these primary schools doing?

[JayC]

So my youngest child is only in year 1 but now that I have gone through the 11 plus process once (and been successful) I have a feel for what needs to be done with my second child, e.g. read books, do puzzles, do spellings, and most importantly make learning fun, etc.

But one thing I was thinking about was potentially moving my child into another school, so I started to see if there was any statistic's about which schools the kids in Grammar schools come from. Brownie point goes to STRS in that they actually have a web-page with FOI questions and answers (I couldn't even find this page on Pates website, but that might be my rubbish detective skills...haha). On a side note what bizzare questions people ask (e.g. how much is electricity bill, do you have book X, how many reception kids, etc).

So having gone through this for STRS I found that 28% of children come from 10 schools - see list below (or put another way a whole year group i.e. 150 pupils came from these 10 schools). So my question is does anyone know these schools? And what is it that these schools are doing that maybe others are not? Or is it just coincidence?

Name, %
The Richard Pate School - 3.4%
Churchdown Village Junior - 3.2%
St James C of E Primary - 3.2%
Leckhampton C of E Primary - 3.0%
Elmbridge Junior - 2.8%
Gotherington County Primary - 2.7%
St Edwards Junior School - 2.7%
Longlevens Junior - 2.5%
St Mark's C of E Junior School - 2.5%
Dinglewell Junior - 2.3%

Thanks for any help!

[Glos18]

My son went to one of the state schools mentioned and goes to STRS. He was one of 6 to qualify for STRS from his year of 60. To answer your question, the school doesn't do anything extra. They do not publicise the 11+ at all, and do not encourage anyone to enter. They certainly do not deliberately prepare the children in any way. They provide a decent education, but nothing amazing.

However, the school is full of middle class families (doctors, teachers etc) who have been motivated to move to a tiny catchment to further their kids education, and they have the money to pay for tutoring etc. I would say the average IQ at the school gates is higher than normal, so the kids are at a genetic advantage, and these kids go back to homes full of books etc.

In regards to the prep schools on your list, that is what they are being paid for. Their 11+ and scholarship data will directly affect their popularity, so they heavily prep them for the exam.

[BusyandConfused!]

The Pates situation is very different to the STRS data quoted here. I don't know the exact detail, other than my eldest is at Pates in Y7 and we have been told that the 150 children in her year are from nearly 120 primary schools (116 I think, but don't quote me on that). So much so that they have intentionally split up any children who happen to have gone there with someone from the same school, so that all children are in the same boat.

The downside is that obviously the children are very far flung in terms of home addresses and don't get to go with their friends. But maybe it does show that no one Primary school is doing anything magic to produce a large crop of Grammar School successes?!

[Phoenix-Mum]

Some of them are quite large primary schools so you would expect more, they are also from the more middle-class areas of Gloucester.

Glos18 said her child was one of 6, so 10% got a place, my DD was one of 2, but there are only 12 children in her year, so 17% however they are the only 2 to take this test from their school in the past 3 years. I don't think the data is that reliable.

[Eromdap]

Ds was one of 10 in his school, so 10%. And in fact he was was one of four that got a Grammar School place in that year, so 40%. The following year only one child got a place from eight, so only 12% got a place! Some of the schools have bigger year groups than Ds’ school so will therefore have more children being successful with the 11+. I don’t think the schools have a magic formula!

The current year 6 have four out of 17 or so that have been successful with the 11+ although none got STRS this time.

[Brackenboo]

My DD was one of four to pass out of about 40 and last year there were 5 out of 30. Do a similar 10%. We are on a new build estate with 30% social housing etc. The school definitely doesn't do anything extra for 11+. We are also fairly close to Gloucester/ Cheltenham. I would imagine the proximity of grammars has a role to play with how many take the test, are willing to travel.

[jearund]

This year, as far as we know, DS was one of 6 to pass the 11+ out of 120 children. One has qualified for Pates, 3 for STR and Crypt, and two for all the girls grammars and Crypt.
Last year 4 passed. One is now in Year 7 at Pates, another at Crypt (don't know about the others).
The year before (my DD's year) 8 passed. 3 are now at Ribston (one of whom - my DD - also qualified high enough for DR), a further qualified for Ribston but didn't take up her place, 2 are at Pates, and 2 at Crypt.
This is a normal primary school (not on the list) and I was discussing this with DS' teacher the other day. He said the school do nothing to prepare them for the 11+. It's all down to genetics and whatever tutoring the parents may do.
For the OP - 2 of the schools on the list (Richard Pates and St Edwards) are private prep schools as described by Glos18 earlier. So it's no surprise that Richard Pates was top of the list.

[JayC]

Thanks to everyone who posted and provided me with some things to think about. It sounds like what I thought was the case. On the whole nothing special is being done by these schools but for the paid schools you may find a collection of more motivated parents. And so therefore what may seem to suggest something about the school is more likely related to the parents.

I know for example although I won’t say how that St Edward’s really don’t do anything in terms of preparing children for the 11 plus. The one I find interesting is Richard Pates as it’s a prep school with no senior school, I have a visit in a few weeks time so I will be grilling the head to understand what they do that is different if anything at all.

I have asked Pates and Crypt for similar data via FOI. With Crypt confirming receipt of email immediately. So far I’m not impressed by Pates for a lack help with FOI, it’s almost as though they are going out of their way to make getting data difficult.

Ultimately I think it will come down to me working with my child, which I suspected would be the case.

[RedMaple]

Our primary school is in Cirencester, with cohort of 60 in each year.
In both my kids' years, at least a third sat the 11+ with 15 or 16 getting into GS.
The school doesn't prep them, but it is OFSTED outstanding with some great teachers but also many middle class parents.

[stroudydad]

I think you will find that geography plays quite a large part in that data.. probably more than anything academic