Well done GD1

[Gemini]

Well done to him, Sum1. I hope your GS is happy there and it is the right place for him.
As Mimi says, this year has been a difficult one for them all.

I must confess until a few years ago when Libra's GD passed her 11 plus I had no idea that 11plus exams and grammar schools still existed! I thought they were a thing of the past. They certainly are around here.

From a personal point of view I liked the girls grammar school that I went to, I do remember clearly the pressure to pass however. My parents had paid for me to go to private school from 5 and would have unable to pay any longer. I was aware that the secondary modern was a terrible place should I fail! (no idea if it was, just what I was told!)

[Daisy]

Sum1 - well done to your GS1. I know the selection process in Kent is fiercely contested and many children are coached for months if not years before they take the exam. I hate the thought of children being pressurised to 'pass' so I'm glad R was able to avoid all that and he relied on his natural ability. (I think that's how it should be if you're selecting in this way.)

The situation for my GD1 was rather different. They are not in the catchment area for the grammar schools in Bournemouth, so it was very much GD's choice to sit the test. She loves doing tests, that and double Maths on a Monday are her great joys!! She's a natural student, always wants to study and learn things. She had about 3 hours coaching for a couple of weeks beforehand, mainly on how to tackle one of the papers and making sure she knew the general procedure.

Her parents and I agreed it's the best school for a child like her - her local comp isn't great. She'd be unlikely to get a place at the comp our DSs went to, which would suit her better, so the grammar school place is a blessing.

My OH has an interesting take on his education! He passed the 11+ and went to his local mixed grammar school. He's always maintained he would have enjoyed the secondary modern more, leaving at 15 and getting an apprenticeship. The grammar school I went to was academically good, but totally lacking in any human attributes!! It's a bit of a lottery, isn't it!

Gem - Bournemouth has a mixed system. There are a couple of single sex grammars and the rest are single sex comps, apart from one mixed one. So some children just opt for the comps. I think quite a lot of children who are privately educated take the 11+ with the hope of going to the grammar school, but if they don't get a place they continue in the private sector. I used to recruit from the comps for college, and they were all good schools with a good work ethic and a good ethos.

[Nanto2girls]

to your GS Sum1Ls.

I'm another one that thought 11+ exams were long gone.