General / Off-Topic Congratulations to a 3rd generation commander.

[Davidtq]

Well just got our notification through today that my eldest has been offered a place at the local grammar school.

He managed to achieve this without any paid professional tutoring for the 11+.

He is the third generation of Elite players in the family starting with my father, then me and then my son. He's played oolite and Frontier for quite a few years and even designed his own custom ship in oolite a few years ago (Hes still only 10 now)

I appreciate some hate the grammar school system, but I'm pleased that there is a state offering that people can get into based on ability that is the equal of some of the top expensive paid for institutions. I am also very aware that many people pay large sums to have their children taught to pass the entrance exams. I am however very pleased to see that it is still doable to pass without that. (I was at one stage terrified that my meagre income was going to be a barrier for a state ran school)

 

[Junglebiscuit]

Congratz to him

 

[Susimetsa]

The UK school system is a bit hazy concept to me (we only have tax-paid schools in Finland - everyone gets the same education in theory (but the quality of teachers is of course a differentiating factor)), but congrats from me we well!

 

[Davidtq]

The UK school system is a bit hazy concept to me (we only have tax-paid schools in Finland - everyone gets the same education in theory (but the quality of teachers is of course a differentiating factor)), but congrats from me we well!

The grammar schools receive identical funding per pupil from taxes as a regular school, but their focus on academic achievement, pushing individual pupils to be the best they can and selecting children by ability produces exceptional results. The school my son is going to produced from the whole of last years gcses produced 28 results below a C grade, 500 A* results 695 A's 315 B's and 86 C's.

The norm at the school is to turn out students with mostly A* / A grades. Whereas a regular school on the same government funding levels aim (and often fail) to turn out children where just 4 out of 10 of them will achieve 5 results at C or above.

 

[breakpointUK]

Congratz

I went to my daughter's secondary school the other day and the teachers were falling over themselves saying what a pleasure it was to teach my daughter... her work does look very good.

Nothing like her Dad then

 

[Susimetsa]

The grammar schools receive identical funding per pupil from taxes as a regular school, but their focus on academic achievement

Sorry about taking this off-topic, but what the heck do the other schools concentrate on? Being daycare centres for the kids while the parents are at work?

 

[Davidtq]

Sorry about taking this off-topic, but what the heck do the other schools concentrate on? Being daycare centres for the kids while the parents are at work?

Making sure the slowest children are coming as close as possible to achieving the minimum requirements. A regular school is all about meeting the government targets, and they are more likelly to do that by concentrating on improving the lower end than by making the upper end achieve all they can. The upper end without effort will achieve the minimum guidelines.

My own experience in a regular school (missed grammar by a single point at 11 and passed by a mile at 13 but no places were available then) I was in the top ability groups but even there the lessons moved at a pace to suit the slowest, the top few in the class were pretty much twiddling our collective thumbs and rolling our eyes .

 

[ianw]

Congrats.

Bet he gets lots of kudos points with his mates too having that simpit setup to play with based on that pic you posted in that other thread.