I\u2019ve never had a burning ambition to send my children to a grammar school and there are aspects of the grammar school\/selective system that I fundamentally disagree with. However, when we discovered we were realistically only in the catchment area for one school, which wasn\u2019t a particularly well-performing one, I thought it was something I needed to consider just to give more options. I felt it was my <\/em>\u2018duty\u2019 not to just go for the easy option. The aforementioned is the easiest option due to proximity and the fact my daughter wants to go there as many of her friends will be going there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the interests of keeping our options open, we got my daughter a tutor<\/a>. This wasn\u2019t hothousing, it was just an hour a week (alternating between maths and English) for a year to get her used to some of the skills required for the 11+ \/common entrance and to practise some papers. We did find she encountered quite a few topics, which hadn’t been covered at school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We only did an hour of tutoring a week as I felt if she needed more than that, then grammar school wasn\u2019t the right thing for her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I had a very negative perception of our local non-selective secondary school mainly based on league tables. Sofia and I went to its open day whilst she was in year five (a year early) and I have to admit I found the pupils all lovely and really engaged (half the entire school was on show not just a couple of cherrypicked students) and the new head, who had been at the helm for eight months, was dynamic, enthusiastic and charismatic (more so than the heads of the grammar schools I\u2019ve subsequently been to). I’ve also been impressed by the school’s use of social media to communicate with its pupils; linking news articles to specific things they are covering on the curriculum. I also spoke to people who had children at the school and guess what? They all loved it and said their kids were thriving there. T<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sofia\u2019s done the first common entrance. We\u2019ve told her, and strongly believe ourselves, that it isn\u2019t the be-all and end-all if she doesn\u2019t pass. However, if she does well, there\u2019ll be a further exam. What I do know is, she\u2019d much rather be a big fish in a smaller pond. If she felt she was off the pace in a selective school it would completely dent her confidence and I can see her getting totally dispirited instead of being spurred on to attain more. What I certainly don\u2019t want is to get onto a programme of constant tutoring to compete. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m a strong believer that the best course is the one that\nmakes you happiest and as her current form teacher has said \u201cshe\u2019ll do well wherever\nshe goes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being the New Girl – Starting School<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting School: Part 2 <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Should Twins be Separated at School? <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\nTutoring<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The journey so far <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What now? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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