Yeah. As I remember it, at my grammar school, the Upper Fifth was basically for O-level students, whereas the Lower Fifth was for those not taking O levels, or those re-taking them. That's how one of my sisters, who re-took hers (and passed them all) remembers it too. Bottom line is, that everyone I know who went to a grammar school before 1985 remembers there being a Lower Fifth: it just isn't even a question.
Mine was a secondary modern. The year I left junior the headmaster chose those kids who would go to grammar. By best mate was a Jewish kid called Gomberg. We were always either first or second in the end of year exams. I didn't get chosen to go. His mum, who was a socialist kicked off about it, but the head said I wasn't suitable. ( Code for dad came home with dirty hands) my two best mates at secondary modern ended up as a professor of English and the MD of an oil exploration company with two thousand employees. Incidentally the head chose three boys and nine girls. He was a ***** and also chair of the magistrates bench. ( oh and a Tory).
I was lucky that the junior school I went to was fanatical about sending bright kids to state grammar schools, as the Catholic kids (Liverpool was two-thirds RC back in the '60s and '70s) had their own, protected grammar schools. Good grammar schools too. Our old headmaster, who was a Liberal councilor iirc, was on a mission to send CofE kids to grammar schools. By the late '70s the Labour council was trying to close the state grammar schools such as the one I attended: even though the very same councilors didn't think twice about sending their own kids to RC grammar schools. Then again, it has to be said that in my form at school, only about a third of us were working class. At least the RC grammars did tend to have mostly working-class kids in them.
Thats pretty much it and that’s thats how my school worked with lower and upper 5th. I left school in 82 after lower 6th, as I had a change of heart and went the apprenticeship route
I saw this earlier. It was a cross party committee so they can't even wriggle out of this damning indictment. What an utter shambles Priti (out of her depth) Patel and this government is. Cynical, thick, bigoted and corrupt. The government said its "world-leading" plan would stop dangerous crossings. The same as the "world class" track and trace no doubt. I wonder how many billions will be wasted this time on their ineptitude
They really are going large on this tranny thing, aren't they? It is a dog-whistle issue for their activists and members, and as they will ultimately decide the next leader, I suppose you can see what they're doing. But all the polling of floating voters, and even Red Wall newbie Tories shows again and again that it's nowhere compared to the economy, failed Brexit, the NHS, fuel and energy prices, inflation, etc- funnily enough, all those issues that the Tories have 12 years of abject failure to defend. No wonder they want to talk about trans issues.
Yeah but optional pronouns on a badge will bring down society.. the wokies failed last time with vegan sausage rolls this time they have upped their game.
The billions are NOT wasted. In The United Kingdom Of Kleptopia, firstly a lot of Tory donors will get even richer on untendered, dodgy, government contracts given out by ministers and senior civil servants. Secondly, a lot of this money will find its way back into the coffers of the Tory Party as donations. And thirdly, lot's of nice sinecure directorships and shares await the said politicians when they leave office and head back to trough that is the City of London. Oh, you meant our public, taxpayers' money that we'll never see any value for? Yeah, well we're ****ed.
The tory electorate is pretty maliable. They're easily wound up by headlines into a frenzy about the trivial. They'll ignore the bigger problems which do vastly more damage to this country like the billions being syphoned off by cronyism, corruption and tax loopholes which favour the rich and big business (who in turn laugh at them for the mugs they are) and spend their time getting worked up about trans, foreigners and poor people. Very odd.
