Berkshire parents are taking a stand against the chronic unfairness of the grammar school system. Local parents are forcing a ballot in the Reading area of Berkshire -- using legislation set up under the Labour government -- to see whether the local community actually wants grammar schools in their area. Since very few local children go to the schools, it appears that these schools will lose the ballot and be forced to lose their grammar school status. Last night it was confirmed that a group of parents in Berkshire had begun the process of forcing a vote on the future of the Reading School and the town’s other grammar, Kendrick School for girls
Today's
Daily Mail presents these parents' arguments in a negative light, but even the Mail's biased reporting can't hide the fact that these parents have a very good point: the two grammar schools in their area,
Reading School and
Kendrick School, are both highly selective state schools which do not admit many children from the local area. Reading School, a state-boarding school and grammar school, is clearly full of children from more privileged backgrounds, with the latest data on it showing that it admits just 0.5% of pupils on Free School Meals (FSM), compared with the national average of 20% pupils on FSM. Kendrick School admits just 0.4% of pupils on FSM. Have a look at the school's websites and you'll see that they are essentially state-funded "public schools".
One way that the schools could take more control over their destinies would be to become Academies but this could mean that they'll only be able to select 10% of pupils who have a particular aptitude in a subject they specialise in; obviously, not enough selection for these highly selective schools.
Kendrick School clearly have the best "PR", publishing
this leaflet urging parents to vote "No" in the vote: it has the highest Google rating on the subject. Meanwhile, the 11+ chatrooms are buzzing with chatter about the subject, which can be found
here. I'm finding it difficult to find many details from the protesting parents, but will follow this up in due course.
Comments
Our school only accept pupils from further away if they are more intellectually gifted! you make it sound like all local kids are rejected so kids from further away can have a place
This 'local schools for local people' is a pathetic argument that I would expect from a BNP supporter, or any other far-right person.
At the other end of the spectrum, we also unfortunately experience the argument that because not everyone gains a "good education" (you will hear from my schoolmates that our teachers are rubbish, but I suspect that they are better than those found in comprehensives) then we should all receive a poor education.
Both arguments have no credibility whatsoever: things were fine, are fine, and - as long as this ballot fails - will remain fine.
So one would assume that reading resident's comment saying that "them posh buys" should be shot will shortly be removed. Thanks.
Yes, and that might be a debate worth having, but certain people on both sides keep taking the issue back to the supposed arrogance and wealth of the reading school pupils. Now, were we to be converted to a comprehensive, I have been told that it would require an estimated £5-7 million for the needed changes to be made. I think this money would be much better spent as part of a new, entirely local comprehensive which would serve the local community, instead of effectively shutting down Britain's top state secondary school (as judged by The Times) to reopen a comprehensive on the same premises.
You trash comments only from people against your view. Most of us arguing against you are still at the school, i.e we know the sort of people who attend and what our school is about. Too many of your people are making outrageous comments about us being rich and priviliged and buying our way in, including that Francis guy on radio, and that is not on. If you want to talk shit about us then so be it, but be ready to get it sent right back.
I would be interested to see how many people against these grammar schools would accept this...
what a load of crap- local pupils aren't discriminated against there's something called an entrance test which discriminates on basis of intelligence, if you're against then surely nothing should be based on ability i.e. oxford should let anyone in, jobs shouldn't go to the best. I mean where would your warped sense of equality stop
What would you define as a local school?
Fiona Miller 'it is not really a local school since it rejects local residents in favour of pupils from much further away'. I know that your natural journalism skills tell you that you need to manipulate words in a way that they favour your side of the argument, but is it really worth telling straight up lies?
I can tell you, the labour council encouraged this so that the comprehensive system in Reading would still work. As this site says for the comprehensive system to really "work" it needs people from all ability levels. The council did not want all high ability students in Reading to attend the grammar school, and still don't. Therefore the schools have such a large catchment area to allow this to be the case.
They reject local residents who get worse in the entrance exam than pupils from further away, as they should, being a selective school.
Reading School and Kendrick are academic havens, it can be said that those who passed tests to get into the schools, were passionate about receiving an excellent education. This is purely the reason these two schools do so well. They do not have any special facilities and, in fact, under the recent Labour government received less funding than some comprehensive schools. This is why these schools have recently become academies (since January and yes they are academies). Remove the entrance exams and these academic havens will be lost, along with the positive attitude to learning. Many new sixth form students come to these schools and have realised that the facilities and teaching are equal to those in comprehensive schools (if not below that mark). The only thing that makes these schools great are the pupils attitudes to learning.
By taking away the selective element to these schools, there will be no opportunity to those who are less fortunate to be able to afford private schools to excel academically to their full potential.
The fact of the matter is, you are saying that all schools should be localised to provide more places for local residents, thinking that with the new comprehensive status, local kids will rise to the level the schools are currently performing. However, the schools will actually fall in standards to that of non-selective schools, and there will be no schools left for academic achievers, of all backgrounds, to excel in. Rather than take this opportunity away from them, you could think of petitioning for a new school to be built. I'm sure Reading Borough Council will consider this if the demands for places in local comprehensives is really that much greater than places supplied.
So this is why none of my comments appear :)
It does not reject local residents, do people still not unerstand that all there is is AN ENTRANCE EXAM, where are you getting all this stuff about 'middle class' and 'posh', if you are smart enough to get in and within the catchment area then you will get in. If your child is not smart enough then tough, everyone does THE SAME TEST, how is there any rejection or discrimination as mentioned above. I go to reading school and i know loads of chavs who smoke etc... don't know what you are talking about.
I've wanted to come here since year 7.. and now that i have finally got in and have made the most amazing friends.. (dont even call them posh twats or you'll get merked swear down) and some will probably look at this post and spell check every single word for me.. but the fact now i have been accepted at this school.. and proud of myself of getting into a grammar school.. haters like you are telling people that it should just turn into any ordinary state school? This comment probably stopped making sense by the mid stages.. but basically, JUST LEAVE US ALONE :'( P.S Haters gonna Hate.
Then it's not a "local school". I don't get the issue. There are plenty of other "local schools" you can send your kids to.
Maybe you could trash Francis' comments about apartheid? Or at least ask him to apologize? Or you could look at some of the abusive comments from Dave, or Reading resident. But I suppose that would undermine your position of insisting that all offensive comments are from Reading schoolboys.
Oh for gods sake, get this in your head, local people in reading may not be as clever as people outside of Reading. You have worst argument ever, Michael Gove will not let this happen.
because they allow people in that want to study. And they give countless community help to local schools as well. Students from Reading School always go to other schools, even primary schools, and do voluntary work. Reading School is a grammar school, you need some of them in every area.
So being sent off to Thailand and being cooked in a curry isn't racist then? Makes perfect sense. Thanks
Fiona- you sound like a broken record; there are plenty of well formulated arguments which directly dissolve the point you make, and numerous times!
You seem to have misunderstood the entrance examination process at Reading School. It has nothing to do with location, and all to do with how the pupils fare in the series of demanding tests they undergo, as alluded to by Joe Greenwood (http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2011/05/local-parents-protest-against-the-unfairness-of-grammar-schools-in-berkshire-and-might-force-them-to-become-non-selective/#comment-6429). There is at no point any consideration of a pupil's suitability for the school, based upon where they live or how much money their parents earn.
I consider the use of the phrase 'social apartheid' in this particular debate an INCREDIBLY abusive comment. Shame on you for believing this acceptable in ANY way, shame on you Fiona.
Tushar, why you so generous?
"Why would you waste your money tarting that old thing up, you might as well get yourself a new one," she said.
"My point exactly."
The same applies here.
Quality Greg :)
Personal comments are probably not the best to make here but I can't help seeing a correlation between that manipulation of words Greg T talks about and a certain Alistair Campbell (partner of Fiona Millar), spin doctor extraordinaire...
This is why grammar schools are not very good examples of local schools
yeh and the illuminati were involved in this
I am not abusing you, you don't understand what is going on, typical grammar school boy to go and report me to a teacher.
Obviously as soon as the majority of the school pupils find out about this thread there are going to be some very strong opinions from people whose lives revolve around the school which they love.
What was your experience of the selective grammar school you attended in Kentish town?
what about the grammar school you attended?
In fact you are abusing us. Even in this same post you stereotype us.
I humbly thank you.
how would you even know what a 'typical grammar school boy' even is!?
It is now an extremely successful comprehensive school with the support of many local parents.
I enjoyed my school but am pleased that it is now an oversubscribed, successful comprehensive that delivers an equally high standard of education and is full of young women with a strong sense of social justice.
you have no idea what theses schools are really like so stop telling us what you think and start concentrating on your child's education!
what about the selective university you went to?
If your school now forms its intake based purely on catchment area, does that not mean it has lowered social mobility in the local area? Houses in the catchment area must be considerably more expensive than outside.
so it's changed from selecting clever kids to selecting women? How is that fair? You argue against selective schools but support single sex schools!? If someone living in the catchment area really wants to get into reading they can print off some practise papers and work really hard- it's possible. If you wanted to get into the school you went to but were a boy, you couldnt do a thing... double values?
Well I'm glad about that, but it shouldn't draw you to the biased conclusion that Reading School needs to be one of those as well. People who have been to comprehensives and Reading School all agree: Reading School is the best environment for people who are of high intelligence, where they are surrounded by others of similar ability.
If you are allowed to make sweeping judgements to focusing on the positives, then why should we not too be able to?
You choose to go for the school. You don't have to take the test. Rejection is only going to happen if you drive a mile or so and go into the exam hall!
It wasn't very selective back then ( we are talking about almost 40 years ago)
The statistics show that less people receive free meals, but not that less people are eligible. The lack of cafeteria/canteen at Reading School means that people who are indeed eligible, won’t apply due to the lack of cafeteria/canteen, and so your statement that less people are eligible for free meals at grammar schools is completely unfounded.
What is your response to this?
I am sorry Reading School doesn't have a canteen but many other grammar schools do , and that doesn't seem to have made much difference to the constitution of their intakes.
If you were to investigate statistics such as who receives EMA the differnce between Reading School and local comprehensives such as Maiden Erleigh will not be so different, do you not agree?
I assume that in your first sentence you are referring to grammar schools only? Also, apartheid was a violent, repressive regime and I think it lowers the tone of the argument to use such blatant hyperbole quite so freely. Okay, so less students in grammar schools come in on FSM. Why is this? In the case of Reading a viable reason has been offered in the lack of a canteen or refectory. In other schools, perhaps they have this, but these schools still select based ONLY on their entrance exams and (large) cachement areas. How to change this? Yes, you could make all grammar schools comprehensive but this would lower the quality of intake and they would become "just another comprehensive school". A good comprehensive, perhaps, but still lowering the average grade, and creating no more places for the people who want to send their pupils to a good school. It would also cost a large amount to convert all these schools into comprehensives with the ability to support lower-achieving pupils, money which perhaps could be better spent on schools specialising in helping these pupils reach their full potential. Now I recognise that this is not a perfect solution, but I am not a politician with years of experience in policymaking and budgeting, but I strongly feel it is more of a step in the right direction than destroying the fine establishment of Reading School to replace it with a comprehensive.
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