A grammar school is not automatically better, and the 11+ is not a verdict on a child.
That is an odd thing to read on a site that sells 11+ practice material, and it is the honest position after twenty years of watching how these children actually turn out.
What the test actually measures
The entrance test measures performance on two papers, on one morning, in four question types, against that particular year's cohort.
It is a sorting mechanism for a limited number of places, and because it is competitive, a child can be genuinely able and still not get one. Two marks separate children regularly.
So a child who misses out has not been told they are not clever. They have been told there were more qualified applicants than places.
What a grammar school offers
Being fair to the thing: a grammar school is an environment of academic excellence, and that is a real advantage for the right child.
Every pupil has cleared the same bar, the pace assumes that, and a child who thrives on being surrounded by others working hard will find that environment suits them. Parents who choose it are usually choosing exactly that, and it is a reasonable thing to want.
What a good comprehensive offers
A strong Birmingham comprehensive offers things a grammar school structurally cannot.
| Worth weighing | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Being near the top of the year | Confidence and opportunity, rather than mid-table in a selective cohort |
| A mixed-ability cohort | Closer to the world the child will work in |
| Breadth beyond the academic | Sport, music, drama, vocational routes |
| A short journey | Local friendships, and hours a week back |
| Sixth form options | Several strong Birmingham sixth forms admit from anywhere |
The first row deserves thought. A child who would be comfortably top of a comprehensive and middling at a grammar school may do better, and be happier, in the first.
What happens afterwards
Here is what twenty years of watching actually shows, and it is the most useful thing on this page.
Many children I have taught did not get a grammar school place, went to their local comprehensive, and went on to succeed beyond anything anyone imagined for them: strong GCSEs, strong A levels, and good careers after that.
Not a few. Many. A grammar school place is not mandatory for any of it, and treating the 11+ as the gateway to a child's future is both wrong and unkind to the child.
How to decide
- Visit both properly. Corridors between lessons tell you more than any presentation.
- Be honest about your child, not about the schools. Does this one thrive on pressure, or wilt?
- Weigh the journey. An hour a day each way for five years is a real cost.
- Rank truthfully. Under equal preference, order only decides between offers you would have received anyway.
- Include a non-selective school you would genuinely accept.
See our guide to ranking preferences and our guide to open evenings.
See where your child stands today
Timed sections in the GL Assessment format, marked instantly, with a topic-by-topic breakdown. No sign-up to start.
Many of them succeeded beyond anything we imagined
This is totally dependent on the parent and what they want. A grammar school may not be better than a comprehensive. There is the competition, because of the nature of the test and the number of students competing for a place, and a child not getting in does not mean their ability is only average.
A grammar school is a school with an environment of excellence, and a parent choosing that for their child may simply want them in that environment. That is fair enough.
But a student going to a comprehensive does not mean they will not achieve. Over the years I have taught many, many students who did not get into a grammar school and who went on to succeed beyond their wildest imaginations at GCSE and A level, and have had very successful careers ahead of them. So it is not mandatory. It is not the thing that decides it.
Mushtaque Ahmed, Founder of GrammarPath and Bright Mentors
Frequently asked questions
Is a grammar school better than a comprehensive?
Not automatically. A grammar school offers an environment where every pupil has cleared the same academic bar, which suits some children very well. A strong comprehensive offers breadth, a mixed cohort, a shorter journey, and the chance to be near the top of the year.
Does missing the 11+ hold a child back?
There is no evidence of it in twenty years of teaching. Many children who did not get a grammar place went to their local comprehensive and achieved strong GCSEs and A levels and good careers afterwards. The 11+ is a sorting mechanism for limited places, not a verdict.
Is it better to be top of a comprehensive or middle of a grammar school?
It depends entirely on the child, and it is worth asking honestly. A child who would be comfortably near the top of a comprehensive and middling in a selective cohort may do better, and be happier, in the first.
What does the 11+ actually measure?
Performance on two papers, on one morning, across four question types, against that year's cohort. Because it is competitive rather than a pass mark, a genuinely able child can miss a place by a mark or two.
How should I choose between a grammar school and a comprehensive?
Visit both and watch the corridors between lessons, be honest about whether your child thrives on pressure, weigh the daily journey over five years, and rank your form truthfully rather than strategically.