British Education System

[Dannie Boy]

I’m sure there is still an “11 Plus type” of exam for selection into Grammar schools - let me check

Here’s one such example https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/choo ... admissions

[Dannie Boy]

I’m sure there is still an “11 Plus type” of exam for selection into Grammar schools - let me check

Here’s one such example https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/choo ... admissions

I used to live in Kent where there remain a large number of Grammar Schools and even my children sat the 11+ exams, let alone me (I think I may be a little older than you BB).

[HHTel]

Grammar schools today are state comprehensive schools. There are only 163 in England and there can be no new ones, although existing ones are allowed to expand. There are some 3,500 comprehensive schools.

The 11+ which was phased out along with grammar schools still exist. Nothing like the original 11+ and are, in effect, entrance exams which are set by each individual school.

It's a very small section of the education system and not really comparable with the the original 3 tier system which was phased out in the 70's.

[Big Boy]

The key is in 11+ type. Yes, I took tests/assessments to get into grammar school, but it most definitely wasn't the 11+.

I don't know, but from what I'm told, the 11+ was a lot harder. From memory, my written tests were a series of 8 tests over 2 years, plus teacher assessment.

I'm 64 BTW.

[HHTel]

The 11+, which was compulsory in the 50's and 60's, was usually taken on a Saturday morning. In those days it was more akin to an IQ test rather than a test of knowledge. Previous course work and assessments were not part of the deal.

I'm 74 and sat my 11+ in 1957.

[caller]

It's actually interesting to learn how different schooling was around the Country. My sister sat and failed the 11+. In the four years it took me to get to her age, where I was, it had been abolished.

My selection to my 'comp', only became a 'comp' in any meaningful way, in my 3rd year. Prior to that, we were graded and sat and worked with the same classmates throughout the curriculum. That grading came about because of my end of year primary school testing, work I had done throughout the year and an interview at the 'comp' I went to. But no-one was refused. A (still) friend of mine was in what was known as the 2nd bottom class (there were 1800 boys at the school) and I still remember asking him what they did all day. His reply? 'play chess'!

My primary school wanted me to apply for Emanuel, which is now a private (public) school, which was the grammar school for our area. That would have involved an entrance exam. But they only played rugby. Little did I know, that for the 1st two years in my comp (effectively a grammar stream), they only played rugby too! But a couple of teachers organised a footie team to play against other schools. This was all done in our own time. I got in the squad, but in those days of no subs, never got a game (I'd played against the other kids at primary school level and there were some great players there), so after a few months I quit and went to play with my mates for the local Church team!

[Dannie Boy]

I sat mine in the winter of 1961/62 and it was as you say, based purely on a test paper and no course work. Kent remains one of the county’s with the largest number of Grammar schools open for selection by examination and even though it may be very different than it was in the 60’s and before, it is still referred to as the “11 plus”

[HHTel]

My primary school wanted me to apply for Emanuel, which is now a private (public) school, which was the grammar school for our area.

Looking back at my grammar school, which was founded in 1330 and has an interesting history. One of it's pupils was William Wilberforce, the slavery abolitionist. He was a native of Hull. All that history has been destroyed in the current day. 1969 it became a comprehensive and in 1988 was renamed the William Gee School for boys. In 2001 it merged with the Amy Johnson School for girls and became the Endeavour High School.
The school was eventually closed in 2015 after almost 700 years. Such a shame.

[Nereus]

Arh, youse Poms must of had it hard at skool. Unless of course it was a Public Skool that was actually private.

Australian students who live in remote areas attend school remotely through The School of the Air. This film excerpt from 1958 shows how they used radio to communicate with their teacher and their classmates, to learn and have fun.

[HHTel]

Physical Training classes in those days, I imagine, was conducted in the prison yard!

Couldn't resist it.

[Nereus]

Physical Training classes in those days, I imagine, was conducted in the prison yard!

Couldn't resist it.

Only after the shackles and chains were removed.

[caller]

All that history has been destroyed in the current day. 1969 it became a comprehensive and in 1988 was renamed the William Gee School for boys. In 2001 it merged with the Amy Johnson School for girls and became the Endeavour High School. The school was eventually closed in 2015 after almost 700 years. Such a shame.

That was the fate of my 'comp' - Wandsworth School. It was originally a grammar school and the original building was where we mainly learnt in the first two years. When it became a comp, they built a purpose designed science block, art rooms, with windows that opened out from the top to provide better light, gym's and a building for classes in brick work, metal work and the like. general classrooms, a swimming pool and amazingly, a planetarium! None of which made it a great school.

A few years after I left, it was closed down and demolished, bar the original grammar school building. The site was then eventually resurrected with another school and then more recently, yet another. The original plan after closure, was for housing.

After being at the school for a while, we had a new English teacher, a Mr. Busby, who had attended Harrow and he put a note around one day to form a 'fives' club. It turned out the old grammar school building had two five courts, which he played at Harrow (being a public (private) school- lol!). I didn't know what fives was, but it's basically where squash came from and we played it with great enthusiasm, using a leather glove instead of rackets and the ball was wooden - backhanders could seriously hurt!

[dtaai-maai]

Arh, youse Poms must of had it hard at skool. Unless of course it was a Public Skool that was actually private.

Interestingly, it seems that there are an awful lot more fee-paying schools in Australia that there are in the UK.

Government schools educate approximately 60% of Australian students, with approximately 40% in Catholic and independent schools. Government schools (also known as public schools) are free to attend for Australian citizens and permanent residents, while Catholic and independent schools usually charge attendance fees.

One in three Australian families send their children to private schools

https://www.studyinternational.com/news ... australia/

[oakdale160]

Physical education--- In most "Public Schools" PE was not conducted by a bright young man with a degree in PE but by the Sargent Major, a retired army drill instructer. The aim was to get you fit but also prepare you for National Service where you would be sent abroad to protect the Empire. It was not at all PC, I really enjoyed it.

[Bamboo Grove]

Interesting.

https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/goo ... eport-2020