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As a former student who left the school 2 years ago I had to comment on this thread, but I must say first that I am a little biased as I do hear some 'behind the scenes information.' I must say I was at the school for 8 years from junior school to year 11 before leaving. Whilst in Junior School I was blissfully unaware of everything except my own little world but even looking back, I am now aware that I was not the ideal student for most of the teachers as I was not particularly middle class and I did not live in Kirkella and I was not a majorly academic student which does not particularly fit the schools criteria a lot of the time. They like their students to be majorly academic and get A's and A*s all the way through as well as being sporty, I wasn't particularly either, although a lot of the teachers do have the 'academic attitude' I can not say that all of the teachers are like that, i did get a lot of support off some of them ... although most of them have left the school now, the school is clearly being run into the ground as about 20 teachers have left the school for one reason or another, so they must be doing something wrong. A lot of the students, parents and teachers are quite snobbish and I remember being humiliated in the junior school for saying photo without pronouncing the t. Overall I think the school is going very much downhill and something will have to change if they want people to carry on going to the school.
I really know nothing of Hull Collegiate or Pocklington except I used to play them in sport and a lot of the students there did seem more stuck up and snobbish than us but to be honest that may have just been one of the schools as I honestly do not remember which was which. I hope this helps you to make an informed decision. i.e avoid Hymers like the plague, they may get good grades but that is mainly from parents and kids pushing not all of the teachers

Speaking from personal experience as I did go to hymers and left about 15 years ago, I would avoid that stuck up hole like the plague. If you want your children to be turn into little sheltered middle class snobs then by all means go for it. Here's my story - I passed the entrance exam and entered directly into the senior school. I was a very creative child always more interested in drama the arts and writing, I found the more academic classes boring and I played about a lot.. Instead of the teachers helping me they scapegoated me because I would not adhere to the stiff conservative dictatorship, I was just labelled as a problem child and was routinely bullied by the teachers in front of the whole class and made to feel worthless. I was also smacked by one of the teachers and also witnessed other pupils being manhandled. After loosing nearly all confidence I left the school and went on to become a self made multi millionaire in London, lets face it looking back many of these parents were horrendous snobs even though a lot of them I wouldn't personally class as 'rich' (it is hull for goodness sake, if you have a house with more then 4 bedrooms and a range rover you're classed as wealthy)... So depending on how you would like your children to be raised choose wisely. If you want a little drone, middle class sheltered snob send them to hymers!

No way is my DD3 going into Year 7. She will go to Pock. Still tempted by Hymers for DS4. He's sporty so it would be great for him and his rugby. It's a shame cos Collegiate Prep did my kids proud but the Senior school has some lazy-arsed teachers and lamentable pastoral care. And shit exam results.

Collegiate Prep is fantastic. The Senior school failed my 2 oldest kids - don't touch it.

Cazzy glad to hear the Collegiate is doing well by your DD. You hear so many different things. As you say it's about best fit for the child and it seems to me in some ways a leap into the unkown at great cost.

DD1 is at Collegiate now and DD2 will go for Year 7 ( neither of them went to/is at the prep school). DD1 has some great teachers there and is doing very well. Obv have no experience of the prep school but their state primary certainly let them down in terms of science as I felt DD1 was very behind when she started- the prep school children seemed very more advanced in science teaching.

It was my impression that Hymers senior school is very hard to get into unless your child already goes to the prep part or has been to Froebel house, or it certainly was when DD1 was going through the admissions process (she is not that academic so we didn't enter her for Hymers but she had a friend that was very academic and was on Hymers waiting list for long while (til June) until she got a place. Hymers is good for sporty youngsters though- my DD2 hates swimming, so it was an easy choice to make this time round, also school bus from outside our house vs two public buses into and out of town, leaving at 7.30 made the choice easy too. At the end of the days though, you have to choose whichever school is right for your child- good luck!

Thanks SpecialT good to hear from someone with direct experience of two of the schools. I'm glad to hear things have worked out well for your DC. I have to say I was talking to someone who goes into schools and they say there is a bit of an exodus from the Collegiate at the moment but I do appreciate these things go in cycles. We are definitely leaning towards Hymers at the moment.

My children both went to collegiate prep for a while, it was the biggest mistake we ever made. My son would cry every morning saying he didn't want to go and my daughter was happy but bored. She was made to sit next to the naughty kids and help them with their maths! The discipline was appalling and the children were not taught any manners at all and would barge past you through a doorway. The staff really didn't want to put in any extra hours at all. I moved both of them to Hymers and what a difference! The teaching is superb and the discipline and manners of the children is amazing. The staff genuinely like the pupils and want to be there, and give up so much time after school and at weekends to support activities. The sport at Hymers is fantastic too. The children are confident not arrogant and the general ethos is that they will succeed, and they do, whereas at collegiate it is all about rewarding the naughty kids and overlooking the bright well behaved ones. There is no question about which school is better. I have to say though that hymers play pock at sports and pock does also have a nice atmosphere and great facilities.

I do hear very good things about sport at Pocklington and liked the vibe when I went round. The downsides are it is significantly more expensive than the other two and Saturdays. Also the very long summer holiday which I'm not sure can be juggled with working. Sorry musing out loud.

RoseV I wonder if you felt Hymers still felt more like a boys school? This is a comment I've had from a friend whose daughter attends.

I hope my niece will go to pocklington. I know the school (and the head) well and it's a great place.
My DC plays sport against Hymers often and I have never been impressed whenever I have gone and watched her (and had a nosy!) hard to be specific... I just do 't like the atmosphere.

My nephew is at pock school and has been very happy there. The sports facilities are fab - esp cricket. He has done well in exams and has lots of opportunities to develop outside of the school.
It is in a lovely little town too. From my experience it isn't all rich farmers children - although there are some of those... It is a mix of all sorts. If I could afford it I would be happy sending my DDs there, but alas it will never happen unless our lotto numbers come up!
Don't know the other schools though.

Helloooooo. Half-term bump.

Evening bump.

Bumping a year on as we left DS in his state primary last year so now we're back in the same place. All views welcome.

Thanks for coming back Toffee. Lots of bells going off.

AsuitableG if don't mind sending me a PM I would be discreet with any info shared.

I am marking my place here as do know some things about Hymers but would out myself a bit if someone I knew came on here and found this thread. Will pm you if you would like though

Hi, we have changed school already as it was a total waste of money and a lot of heart ache. Yes it appears it may be a 'marmite' school and ok if your musical.I agree with elainereese in so far as it is run purely as a business and also strongly agree with Indith re the Head ! Unfortunately I dont think you truly know a school until you become part of it and had someone tried to tell me all the unacceptable things that occurred during our time there, well, I just wouldnt have believed it.

However, I have heard excellent reports of Pocklington.

Good luck as it is a tough decision and I wish you all the best

Hi toffee. Thanks for the honesty of your opinion. Are you looking to move your DC? Seems Collegiate is a 'marmite' school - love or loathe.

I would put Collegiate at bottom of list but would be better if you just forgot it existed.

All my children have been privately educated since the age of four but only my youngest at Collegiate ......worst thing I ever did ,but ok if you want dictatorship, atrocious pastoral care, lack of common courtesy from the establishment,teachers who think shouting is the way to instill knowledge.

Avoid at all costs if you want a happy stress free child .

glitters - excellent name

Glad you have fond memories. Thanks for the current view on Hymers too. Sounds like your parents got it right for both of you.

I am a former Hull High student which was the school that merged with Hull Grammer to form Hull Collegiate. I was there from 1995 to 2002 so a good while ago but loved it there.

I can't speak for the standard of education now but it was excellent, as was Hull Grammer. The building also has an amazing history with the Billiard scandel etc...

My very much younger brother now attends Hymers and loves it but, when I was at school, I too heard some really hideous things about the school, one particular thing regarding the school's involvement in a legal dispute between two families.

It is an excellent school academically but I found its morals very disturbed, much more worried about its reputation than the wellbeing of its students. From what my brother says, it is still very much a boys' school that happens to take girls.

I think you need to stop thinking about it as a 'ten year' plan. Pick the school that's right for right now. You can change your mind later and switch at appropriate points if that's the right thing later on.

Good luck for Open Day

Blimey it's a nightmare when you realise it's 10 years & how much money! We're not after a DC with a superior attitude.

The travelling is a consideration and strangely the school bus routes/timings mean we could have extra 45mins in bed if went with Pock. Really don't know how anyone juggles working with the extra long summers hols.

Point taken collegiate about public forum. Not good about your acquaintance. Wondering though also what made them move from collegiate for 6th form? Pocklington also seems to lose some at 6th form to Hymers for more choice of subjects.

Pock open morning this Sat - the research goes on.

Hi toughdecisions - have to be careful because this is a public forum, but I've heard some pretty bad things about Hymers, especially from an acquaintance who had a girl at Collegiate then went to Hymers for 6th form. He was nearly crying and said that he was regretting sending her there as the school had knocked her confidence. We go to the gym at David Lloyd and there's a Hymers family who arrive at the same time - their girl always looks my daughter up and down snootily and it took me ages to work out that she (other girl) wasn't sneering at my actual daughter but at the Collegiate uniform! Nice. Not....

I have friends at Pock - the class sizes are small and it's great for sport. One friend's boy did very well (not particularly bright) and got 2As and a B at A level, but the younger, very clever one, is currently duffing out - but only because he isn't working very hard at all. I think the only way you will find out about what a school is really like is to keep visiting and asking lots of questions. Good luck!

well Pocklington is the name of a town where Pocklington School is, so that'll be why that is!

From the schools you're looking at, I guess you're Hull or not far outside it? And obviously the political bit of me wants to say stop looking at these schools at all, but I sort of see why you might be. However - I'll just say I remember getting the school bus from Cottingham in my sixth form when my family moved and I stayed at same school halfway between York and HUll, and there were a lot of Pocklington kids on it - and I used to feel really sorry for the ones who came all the way from Hull, coming home so late and leaving so early in the morning 6 days a week for 7 years.

Also they were rather entitled and used to say things like 'so it is like, really common at your school', which didn't endear me much, but even so I did pity them their commute, and I would factor that in if you're nearer Hull than Pock.