don_quixote
Trent End
i didnt realise it as a child, but i've come to realise that compared my peers i'm exceptionally bright at maths.
the problem i found with my turn-of-the-millennium state education is that i attended:
1) a very middle class state village primary school (1990-1997)
2) a lower-middle class middle and upper school (1997-2002)
3) a huge city centre sixth form college (1600-2000 pupils) which was 80% ethnic minority students
out of all of these it was only the sixth form college which ever pushed me. i was pushed occasionally at other places, usually involving being set my own work away from the rest of the class, but i tended to get lazy and the schools were happy for this to happen since i was bound to get top marks even if i didnt do any work for a whole year. not that i would since i enjoyed the subject, but nonetheless.
the thing i've noticed about most people is that they always consider their own education to be the best, and are fairly blinkered about other peoples experiences, which could suggest the advice in the news article linked in the opening post. from my own experience moving to a sixth form college was the best decision i ever made, as it took me out of a stale environment for myself and also a large sixth form college had the neccessary resources and students to provide support for those who needed to take the further exams that universities were asking about.
i'm not sure what i would be doing or how much better i could be if i'd attended schools that had driven me from the start. although i'm pleased that i never attended an independent or grammar school.
the problem i found with my turn-of-the-millennium state education is that i attended:
1) a very middle class state village primary school (1990-1997)
2) a lower-middle class middle and upper school (1997-2002)
3) a huge city centre sixth form college (1600-2000 pupils) which was 80% ethnic minority students
out of all of these it was only the sixth form college which ever pushed me. i was pushed occasionally at other places, usually involving being set my own work away from the rest of the class, but i tended to get lazy and the schools were happy for this to happen since i was bound to get top marks even if i didnt do any work for a whole year. not that i would since i enjoyed the subject, but nonetheless.
the thing i've noticed about most people is that they always consider their own education to be the best, and are fairly blinkered about other peoples experiences, which could suggest the advice in the news article linked in the opening post. from my own experience moving to a sixth form college was the best decision i ever made, as it took me out of a stale environment for myself and also a large sixth form college had the neccessary resources and students to provide support for those who needed to take the further exams that universities were asking about.
i'm not sure what i would be doing or how much better i could be if i'd attended schools that had driven me from the start. although i'm pleased that i never attended an independent or grammar school.