[Dave Beans]

http://www.dailymail...fford-fees.html

Quote

Rising numbers of pupils taken out of private schools by parents who can no longer afford the fees are ending up in tough comprehensives as competition increases for top grammars and academies. One admissions appeals service said enquiries from parents whose child has been assigned to an unpopular or distant school after leaving an independent are up by half on last year.

Overall as many as 100,000 parents across the country face disappointment today when local councils announce secondary school allocations for September. Around one in six families are expected to miss out on their first-choice school on National Offer Day, rising to more than half in parts of London and the South-East. With top secondaries – including grammars, academies, faith schools and flagship government free schools – up to nine times over-subscribed, soaring numbers of parents are expected to appeal.

The competition for these schools is presenting problems for parents forced to abandon independent education for financial reasons whose children, it is claimed, could arrive at their new school ‘with a big target on their back’.

Like Will in the hit TV comedy the Inbetweeners they face a struggle to fit in, especially if sent to schools miles from their friends. Matt Richards, a senior partner in School Appeals Services which helps families challenge admissions decisions, said it had been contacted by 50 per cent more parents than last year who had left the fee-paying sector and were unhappy with the new school.

‘They can’t afford to pay school fees so have had to give notice,’ he said.

‘They thought their child would get into the local secondary school but instead are sent to a school three miles away. It’s very difficult. A child coming from a private school will turn up with a big target on their back.’

He added that some children were ‘sitting at home’ rather than attend the school they had been allocated. The number of pupils in private education dropped for the third year in a row last year. Meanwhile up to nine pupils are vying for each place at England’s over-subscribed academies and free schools, making them as popular as leading faith and grammar schools.

Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College, an academy in south-east London, attracted 1,517 applications for 161 places, while King Solomon Academy in Westminster drew 480 for 60 slots. The West London Free School, set up by journalist and author Toby Young to provide a grammar school-style education at a comprehensive, attracted 1,070 applications for just 120 places. Tamsin Kelly, of parenting website Parentdish.co.uk, said: ‘National Offer Day is a nightmare for parents in over-subscribed areas.’

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: ‘There are still too many pupils trying to get into too few good schools. Our school reforms will raise standards and create more good schools.’

This post has been edited by Dave Beans: 01 March 2012 - 10:52 AM

[anonguest]

Dave Beans, on 01 March 2012 - 10:51 AM, said:

http://www.dailymail...fford-fees.html

I'm no expert of the education system, having left school long ago, but am led to understand that a major cause of the problem in being able to achieve high standards is that (at secondary school at least) pupils of all abilities are lumped together in classes at random? There is no 'streaming' by ability? and teachers have to structure/deliver their lessons to cater for the ineviatble large range of abilities/aptitudes and also enthusiasm (or lack of!) of individual students. I belive it's called 'differentiation'?

In my day, at O-level age, classes were streamed according to ability - and that was a comprehensive school.

I understand that this is still done in private schools, and probably plays a non-trivial part in their being able to churn out higher grades in higher numbers - as pupils with interest/aptitude are not distracted/dragged down/led astray by their, no doubt nice, but less able/cooperative pupils.

Even in the poorest, most deprived areas their will be capable, intelligent and willing to learn pupils with all the right sort of values instilled in them. Surely if they were placed in appropriate classes then even poor performing schools, often in deprived areas, would perform even better.

The less academically inclined shoudl not be forced to learn E=mc2 and such like and have whatever interests/aptitudes they do have identified early on - and pushed in that direction as deemed appropriate.

Thus, all these 'unfortunate' academically inclined Tarquins and Jemimas of the world would not have to end up sitting next to all the propsective army cannon fodder.

[brocken spectre]

Generally children are pretty fair and don't take account of where you come from.If you act like a twit you'll
be treated like one.
I work in a School and i'm a twit!.
BS
P.S should read Tw-t (a) sounds more cutting

This post has been edited by brocken spectre: 01 March 2012 - 11:52 AM

[tomandlu]

anonguest, on 01 March 2012 - 11:43 AM, said:

I'm no expert of the education system, having left school long ago, but am led to understand that a major cause of the problem in being able to achieve high standards is that (at secondary school at least) pupils of all abilities are lumped together in classes at random?

My son's school is streamed, but it's a foundation school. Not sure if bog-standard comps are allowed to stream or not...

[leicestersq]

Are these people who cant afford to send their children to private schools hoping for some sort of subsidy or what? Loads of people cant afford private school, big deal.

[M'lud]

Oh well, labour have achieved their wet dream of forcing more people into comprehensives - shame they did it through the back door by trashing the economy

[Superted187]

anonguest, on 01 March 2012 - 11:43 AM, said:

I'm no expert of the education system, having left school long ago, but am led to understand that a major cause of the problem in being able to achieve high standards is that (at secondary school at least) pupils of all abilities are lumped together in classes at random? There is no 'streaming' by ability? and teachers have to structure/deliver their lessons to cater for the ineviatble large range of abilities/aptitudes and also enthusiasm (or lack of!) of individual students. I belive it's called 'differentiation'?

It's up to each school if they do it or not.

In my Mrs' school, the head allows the departments to decide for themselves if they should "stream" or not. Some departments do (Maths) and some don't (Geography) for certain year groups. They have to justify any decisions they have made should things go tits up (results get really bad one year, for example).

The decisions to stream or not are based on established research and studies, and by looking at department or class' past results. Apparently the benefits of mixing the ability of kids is that it encourages the lower ability kids to push themselves. They do this by deliberately sitting a low ability child next to a high ability child.

It's important to say however that it is unusual for classes not be streamed by ability during the latter years of education. I.e. years 7, 8 and 9 might be mixed ability, but 10 and 11 certainly would not as they would be preparing for their GCSEs. However, they will still occasionally put a difficult child into a higher streamed set to focus them even in these years.

Anyway. If a Head has unilaterally decided that all of her departments will not stream, and that all classes will be mixed ability, she would have to explain her decision to the inspectors when they turned up.

This post has been edited by Superted187: 01 March 2012 - 12:12 PM

[scrappycocco]

increase in lunch money takings, property rich kids going home without trainers and such....whats not too like....propwerty prices might actually go down....

i remember my school not so long ago what a shower.....fights everyday to entertain us, nasty kids, old past it teachers and substitutes to look after us, widespread cheating on coursework etc, standing outside in the rain for two hours a day so the day carers could have a break, not allowed anywhere other than the concrete paved areas in break times, the library always of limits, headmaster having an affair with his secretary.....truly a place of no learning, just like a prison and has now become some kind of academy....

time served hopefully if I'm ever up before a judge for something.....

[Unsafe As Houses]

anonguest, on 01 March 2012 - 11:43 AM, said:

I'm no expert of the education system, having left school long ago, but am led to understand that a major cause of the problem in being able to achieve high standards is that (at secondary school at least) pupils of all abilities are lumped together in classes at random? There is no 'streaming' by ability? and teachers have to structure/deliver their lessons to cater for the ineviatble large range of abilities/aptitudes and also enthusiasm (or lack of!) of individual students. I belive it's called 'differentiation'?

In my day, at O-level age, classes were streamed according to ability - and that was a comprehensive school.

I understand that this is still done in private schools, and probably plays a non-trivial part in their being able to churn out higher grades in higher numbers - as pupils with interest/aptitude are not distracted/dragged down/led astray by their, no doubt nice, but less able/cooperative pupils.

Even in the poorest, most deprived areas their will be capable, intelligent and willing to learn pupils with all the right sort of values instilled in them. Surely if they were placed in appropriate classes then even poor performing schools, often in deprived areas, would perform even better.

The less academically inclined shoudl not be forced to learn E=mc2 and such like and have whatever interests/aptitudes they do have identified early on - and pushed in that direction as deemed appropriate.

Thus, all these 'unfortunate' academically inclined Tarquins and Jemimas of the world would not have to end up sitting next to all the propsective army cannon fodder.

+1 I'm a strong believer in grouping classes by ability from a young age - you've already set out the advantages, the disadvantages are labelling children as 'failures' and grouping all the worst children together would make it rather difficult to teach them anything since the worst children are often the most disruptive. Nevertheless, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

My girlfirend is a teacher in state primary school year 4 and believes her current class are about a year behind on average and this is partly due to the extreme disruption caused by one special little boy who attends 2 days a week;. If the parents of the other children knew that, I'm sure they would wholeheartedly agree with me.

This post has been edited by Unsafe As Houses: 01 March 2012 - 12:20 PM

[TheCountOfNowhere]

I know one bloke who went bankrupt...last thing he did was to cut back on the schooling.

He seemed to think he was doing his kids a favour

[cica]

My plan is to send any I'm lucky to have to at least something half decent and teach the important good stuff at home in the evenings.

This post has been edited by cica: 01 March 2012 - 12:53 PM

[M'lud]

cica, on 01 March 2012 - 12:50 PM, said:

My plan is to send any I'm lucky to have to at least something half decent and teach the important good stuff at home in the evenings.

Yep, home schooling and plenty of social activities/sport is the way to go

[Grrrr I'm a tiger]

They'll adapt and settle in.

[Grrrr I'm a tiger]

cica, on 01 March 2012 - 12:50 PM, said:

My plan is to send any I'm lucky to have to at least something half decent and teach the important good stuff at home in the evenings.

You do know that is illegal.

[Superted187]

M, on 01 March 2012 - 01:19 PM, said:

Yep, home schooling and plenty of social activities/sport is the way to go

Based on what?