Secondary School recommendations wanted Wetherby,Boston Spa, Ilkley

[camelia57a]

We have to relocate and are looking at secondary schools in the Leeds / Bradford area. Our children are very happy at their current schools where education is good and children seem to get on very well together and the behaviour of pupils is generally excellent.Wetherby and Boston Spa would be convenient for work but we have the impression that the schools may have problems with bullying and disruptive behaviour and below average attainment. Can anyone with local experience provide up to date information on these schools. We have good reports of Ilkley Grammar School but travelling distance to work from Ilkley is further than we really want.
We would be very grateful for any helpful advice.

[Donk]

Wetherby - had the best results in the authority - but also the best intake, and when I looked round I was not impressed.
Garforth Community College has a very good reputation.
Brigshaw is much improved recently - and all new buildings!
I liked the look of Temple Moor, although accommodation is a bit cramped.
And then of course there is Leeds Grammar and Leed Girls' High if you want to go private.....

[Loshad]

Have also known several children be badly bullied at Boston Spa, and the school was very reluctant to act . The bahaviour of the children on the school buses is dreadful too., as lots of children there are transported some considerable distance from other parts of Leeds.
Garforth is good, as are the independent schools - they are merging to provide co-ed 4-11, then teaching them seperatley from 11-16, but social/tutor group stuff together.
Brigshaw does have nice new buildings, doesn't seem to stop it's pupils buring it down though. Ilkley grammar is good (very well regarded by the locals), but it's a dire journey into leeds from there by car, ok on the train. Prince Henry's at Otley also has good reputation.
Tadcaster grammar is also a good state school is you want to be out that side of leeds.

[Loshad]

sorry - burning it down - doh

[wordgirl]

Both Boston Spa and Wetherby have had Ofsted inspections recently and both were rated satisfactory. I think in terms of results Wetherby does slightly better but there isn't a great deal in it really.

From my own experience I would say Boston Spa is better from a pastoral point of view - my DS1 did encounter a bit of bullying at the start of Y7 but I was impressed with the way it was dealt with and it was very swiftly nipped in the bud.

Obviously there is a disruptive element at both Wetherby and Boston Spa as both schools take children from the wider area. I think the behaviour on the buses is pretty dreadful but have no direct experience of that as we are within walking distance.

Wetherby is pretty run down - it really needs to be demolished and rebuilt but the school seem to have trouble getting money from the LEA.

Boston Spa has excellent facilities, including new science labs built last year and is also well equipped with regard to sport and drama etc.

Hope that helps a bit - it really is difficult to say which is the better school as they both have their strengths (and weaknesses!) You really need to actually look round the schools to get a feel for which you prefer.

Oh, and my children think Boston Spa is better than Wetherby because they don't get as much homework

[EmmyLou]

If you wanted to look further afield, King James's in Knaresborough is very good (head of French won Guardian Teacher of the Year) as is school at Tadcaster - and Boroughbridge are going for specialist performing arts status i think (English and Drama teacher is up for teacher of the year). Most of the kids from my village (few miles east of Wetherby) go to King James and Tadcaster and have heard lots of positives about both.

DD1 is at King James.

[littlemadam]

Ilkley Grammar is very good, it has excellent academic and sporting results and I know lots of kids that go there and they are very happy.

Where will you be based, the secondary school in Otley also has a good reputation, but I wouldn't recommend Lawnswood from what I've heard.

[camelia57a]

Thankyou so much to everyone who has replied to my cry for help on schools in Yorkshire. You can look at ofsted and league tables but there is nothing like local knowledge for helping to give a true picture of the situation. Best wishes to you all.

[camelia57a]

EmmyLou. Interested in what you had to say about children living near Wetherby going to St James's, Tadcaster or Boroughbridge. Is it difficult to get children into these schools?What is the situation re admissions and catchment areas where you are?

[wordgirl]

DS1 didn't get into Tadcaster last year! Even though we only live about four miles away we are in a different LEA plus his is a very high birth rate year. In other years he may have got in and sometimes children from even further afield get in.

[EmmyLou]

camelia - in our village, just over the North Yorks border (Tockwith - damn, hope I haven't outed myself but I don't think there are any other Mnetters here) there are rarely problems with getting children into King James's. Of the children in dd1's class last year (she's currently in yr7 at King James's) about 20 went to King James's, about 10 to Tadcaster and 2 to private schools in York.

Only very occasionally do children from our village not get in. But we are in the catchment for Tadcaster too, which is also a good school. There aren't many places you could live where the choice is between a very good state school and another very good state school.

[OttercumCoypu]

camelia i have answered your other thread

[OttercumCoypu]

ilkley is very good and getting better - new head- worth travelling imo

[OttercumCoypu]

prince henrys is good - lovely children

[vicksie]

Hi, I went to Boston Spa many many moons ago and was bullied and personally I hated it, but I have heard better things about it lately due to the new buildings etc
Wetherby was always considered rough when I was kid (sorry), garforth has improved over the years, Brigshaw - agree about the burning down
tad grammer, excellent school but hard to get into and don't know much about the others, but then I would only consider sending my kids to somewhere local due to traveling etc so it really is down to where you move to hth

[EmmyLou]

I don't think Tad Grammar is hard to get into if you live in the catchment area - despite the name its a comp, not a grammar so no 11 plus. Have also heard good things about Ilkley school but have heard that competition to get in there is quite fierce so I guess there is another secondary school there.

[vicksie]

I have heard (maybe playground gossip) that you have to be living in the area for at least two years before getting into tad grammer as so many people were doing the renting a place in tad just for the address, personally I don't see the fuss with schools and could not be bothered as long as the school is doing fine, that is where my kids will go.

[OttercumCoypu]

there is only one school in ilkley and it has 1600+ pupils...children travel a long way to get in!

[EmmyLou]

Update Camelia: just had a newsletter from King James's school saying that:

"The number of families buying houses in our catchment area has been extraordinary, probably contributing to the stability of house prices in Knaresborough, making it difficult to control our numbers. We are currently refusing admission to pupils moving into the area even if they are in our catchment, where the numbers in the year group would exceed 280, which is currently the case in Year 9 and Year 11.

However, please be assured that ALL pupils who apply to Year 7, who are in catchment and select King James's as their first choice, will be eligible for a place in September 2007 and September 2008. Our problems stem mainly from families moving into the area mid-year."