Grammer Schools Vent !!!

[craftyfeeling]

I just want to have a vent !!! About grammer schools in my area and the way they choose the children who they want..... I live in Burnley which I feel at the momemt is in caos when it comes to Senoir schools , every single high school in burnley in the last 2 years has been knocked down and in its place a Super school with more than 2000 pupils and teething problems. My child goes to a church school and I would like her to go to the church high school in the next town, however although we are christian and attend church probably once a month , she will not get in as you have to either attend 3 or 4 days a month so either every week or 3 out of 4 sundays. so we have put her forward for the 11+ to attend one of the two grammers in the area . Both we are not in the catchment area for so we fall down there both schools have about 140 approx spaces this year the one we have chosen when I registered my daughter she is no 478 that will take this years exam and instead of the 140 top scorers they take 80% of the top scoring lOCAL !! children first then 20% of the next highest scoring so even if she scores well her chances of getting in are appaling .... just what do you do.. she can pass and still not get a place and because Burnley no longer has a grammer well what a farce... help!

[inkyfingers]

cover your bases. You have a few weeks to increase your church attendance (you go once a month anyway). Go for the exam as you've nothing to lose. The church school is probably your best bet if you don't like the other local schools. Appeal if you don't get in. Good luck.

[curlymama]

The catchment for our local grammar schools is quite large, but they say that it would be in the best interests of the child if they live that far away, simply because they would have to spend so much time each day travelling. I can see their point.

The other thing is that the grammar schools are so over subscribed, that even children who get a good result can be denied a place, no matter how close they live, because other children might have done better. Our Grammars openly state that not every child that they feel would be suitable for the school will get a place.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Its shit. In Lincolnshire they don't take marks into account when allocating palces for the Grammar school. Obviously you have to pass 11+ but then the places are given out by distance to the school. So you can have a kid who lives down the road but just scrapes a pass and they get a place but the kid who got the highest score but lives 5 miles away doesn't get a place.

[KStocks]

All I can recommend for the 11 plus is practice. Obviously the higher your score the better your arguement should you need to appeal the process.

You can buy lots of products to build your daughter's confidence as they use specific question types which can confuse children easily.

I found the Bond Parents Stress Free Guide really useful as it gives you a study planner to help you prepare, and some really good 11 plus advice too.

Don't be disheartned by them stating local. If your daughter excel's she could well be granted a place, if not you can increase your number of church visits in a hope this may help with your first choice.

[mumzy]

I think instead of having a vent at grammars you should have a vent at all secondary schools in general. Every single good secondary school has some sort of barrier which you have to cross to get into. Good comps demand you live in a tight catchment area(subsequent higher house prices) church schools demand you are baptisted the minute you're born attend church religiously and your family contribute to the live of the church, grammar schools demand you pass the 11+. To be fair your grammar school situation is not unusual in most grammar schools a certain number of places are allocated to the highest scorers and then its down to distance for the others who pass the 11+. Some superselective grammars allocate their places to the highest scorers irrespective of home distance.