Actually may I take my last post back, it was a snappy response to Raymond's comment about my child who -- thank you very much -- is top of his class in the relevant school. However the school's ofsted is not great insofar as gifted pupils are concerned and the school does not prepare people for a competitive entry, indeed why should it. It's happy with its usual secondary option, which most kids in its catchment area get into. We can't get into that particular comprehensive as we're outside catchment and therefore we are left with the local sink. I can quite see why people like Raymond should be annoyed by parents getting precious on this subject, but if you are faced with the choice between a good grammar and a sink school frequented by police (I see them regularly outside it) which chucks children out at age 16 and is proud of the fact that it is open about the bullying in its ranks, then I am afraid as a parent you tend to want to go for the grammar. Or there is always home schooling which I would choose above the sink option. However I do not want to do home schooling if I can get my child into a normal educational environment.
Emily Driver ● 6832d