Have your say in Buckinghamshire County Council schools admissions review (From Bucks Free Press)

What a shame that BCC have not had the courage to undertake a comprehensive review of the selective system. Grammar schools work for only the elete top 5%, whilst the results of the remaining schools fall well below the national average standard.
Bucks kids should deserve better, parents should expect more and theeducation Authority should have more courage to do what is only right and fair. Come on Cllr Clayton, be bold...

forget all this
why not scrap the 11+ selection system and educate everyone at their catchment school?
no social engineering, no "no go" schools, no oversubscribed schools (or if they are, they go to next neighbouring school)
i really noticed today that its half term- roads are working really weel. Not clogged with buses and car taking kids across the town to schools miles from their homes

hey the kids may then evn get to know people they live near and form friendships and WALK to each others homes rather than relying on cars etc

and before you ask... I am a parent and have experience of the 11+ system!

Hear hear - 11+ belongs in the dustbin of history - and I went to Grammar School!

I agree. The fervour of parents to send their children to Grammar School increases year on year. They tutor, they bribe, they offer obscene rewards.....
I hope they don't end up as cynical as me.

What is wrong with going (walking or bussing) to your local school, with a healthy social mix? Perhaps then we wouldn't need initiatives like community cohesion.

@DownleyDad: It's ~25% (not 5%) that go to grammars.
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@readerabc: Sadly, sending everyone to their nearest school will not guarantee no "no go" schools. In fact, for children living in the most deprived areas, there would be no escape (at least now, some get into grammar).

We should always be prepared to celebrate excellence in performance even if it's someone else achieving it.

You haven't got a clue!
If you "scrap the 11+" the Grammar schools like RGS will opt out of the system and set their own entrance exams.
All over the country there are Grammar schools that did exactly that.
Take Devon. They scrapped the 11 plus, yet there are still Grammar schools in Brixham, Colyton, Crediton, Exeter, Plymouth and Torquay!
In Kent each Grammar school sets their own exams and parents drag their children from school to school sitting entrance tests.
Wiltshire scrapped the 11+, but South Wilts Grammar School for Girls and Bishop Wordsworth's School still exist.
Scrapping the 11+ is not the panacea that many people believe it is, on the contrary it will only make the situation worse.

I am all for the 11+. I do not think that people should pay for coaching though- some do this from year 2!!! We basically all have a top level we could get to, by that I mean if I took 50 practice papers I would probably find that after the 1st 20 papers I wouldn't improve much as I'd be at my own personal best. So, if every school allowed more than 3 practice papers and practiced one lesson a week during year 5, then all the children would be at the same advantage ie the non-coached children wouldn't be at a disadvantage. I like the idea that anyone can get to the Grammar schools whatever your background. It is basically an IQ test, so I think it is fair. Mind you, it still helps to live near the schools to get in- and so if you can afford a house- or second home as I understand happens-in Beaconsfield or Little Vhalfont then you are advantaged, which I mind morally so wrong. The teachers at the Grammar schools can tell who has been overly coached as some of those children struggle almost immediately. Those children might be better off being the brainiest at the comprehensive school rather than the bottom of the Grammar school though. Some children would choose different schools from the ones that their parents think's best for them.
I think that the schools and admissions team should review when they have their open evenings- namely the week of the 11+, making children tired the next day when they take their papers. I think that the open days/evenings should be after the 11+ results in November so that children don't fall in love with a school that they then find they aren't allowed to go to, because they haven't "passed," and likewise the ones who "pass," don't get to see how cool the others are etc. It would save heartache, and it'd make the open evenings better as they wouldn't be as crowded because you'd only be looking at schools that your children had a chance of going to. I therefore think you should then give your letter in stating your first three school choices in in December- that'd still give County 3 months( do they need that long?) to allocate school places. I haven't got time to read this and check this as the pinger on my over has gone...so apologies for any typos.