Spelthorne secondary schools

[Champagnecharleyismyname]

Please can anyone share experiences of spelthorne secondaries, DD is yr 5 and we are just starting to go to the open evenings.

[Champagnecharleyismyname]

Anyone?

[Evageorge]

I don't know the schools specifically, but if you are going to open evenings, and not sure which school is best for DD, the website //www.how-to-choose-a-school.org works hard to be impartial.

[Champagnecharleyismyname]

Thanks for the web site, I will have a look. I am looking at ofsted and exam results and also the open evenings. I would also like the opinions of people who's children attend any of the spelthorne schools.

I only know a couple of parents who have children of secondary school age.

I am looking at Bishop Wand, Sunbury Manor, Thamesmead and St Paul's.

[ColdFusion]

It depends where you live. The Sunbury ones are fine.

Avoid Thomas Knyvett

Thamesmead has a decent reputation.

Matthew Arnold fairly average.

The only one worth travelling for is Thamesmead, and to run away from in TK.

If you are in catchment for the others, you might as well go there.

[Champagnecharleyismyname]

Thanks cold fusion, Thamesmead a favourite but we are not on the catchment so not sure we will get in. We went to bishop wand open evening but again it is a church school so don't reckon our chances.

I suppose I am best just choosing the ones we want and hoping for the best. How many can you put down on the application?

[HilaryM]

Is thamesmead massively oversubscribed? Presumably it's always worth putting it top in case there's a bulge class etc. you get 6 options.

[RandomMess]

Put down them down in the order your genuinely want just in case of bulge classes provided you put in the ones that you would get into in as well so you do end up with a school place somewhere!

[ChippyMinton]

Go and look, open evenings and daytime tours, and make up your own mind.

TKC is not to everyone's taste, but is improving rapidly thanks to its links with Howard of Effingham, is a small school and does very well with pupils at each end of the attainment level. What happens to the kids in the middle, I am not sure.

Thamesmead is a popular choice for arts-leaning children. The new Yr 7 definately took out-of-catchment, although maybe from the waiting list. Or there are some arts-based places too.

Matthew Arnold has a new head this year, so watch this space - it will probably improve.

Bishop Wand is popular, and the sports facilities are good. Check the surrey admissions booklet to see how many got in under the non-faith category.

St Pauls is rapidly moving in the right direction, and the head is fantastic.

Also look at Magna Carta in Egham. You don't have to apply only to schools in Spelthorne, by the way. And you can apply across the borders too.

You get six preferences on the form. Put the schools down in the order you would like them. The schools are not told where you ranked them, and can only apply the admissions criteria.

[Champagnecharleyismyname]

Thank you chippyminton, your post is exactly the info I need, do you have a view on Sunbury Manor?

I am doing the open evenings this year, DD is only Yr 5 so will do them again next year.

I hadn't thought of Magna Carta, I am not sure how practical the logistics would be.

[ColdFusion]

ISTR that Thamesmead reserves some places for students with musical ability.

I live within spitting distance of Magna Carta - my children don't go there.

[ChippyMinton]

Don't know about SM - most families I know either opt for a church school (RC or CofE) or Thamesmead.

I have DC in yr7, so went through this last year, and doing it again this for for my yr6 DC, and again next year (although now we have a sibling link, it's considerably less stressful).

I think it's important to get up to date information about the schools rather than rely on opinions formed when schools were not doing so well. Many of the Ofsteds are old, new heads have turned schools around, and the general trend is upwards. Certainly, the picture is very different from 3 or even 2 years ago. Compare GCSE results for A*-C including Maths and English, across the schools and going back a few years and it's clear which schools are rapidly improving.

In the end though, it's gut feel about what would suit your child.

[ChippyMinton]

Surrey school allocations 2013 shows numbers offered under each criterion on offers day. Waiting lists did move though, and Thamesmead should be able to tell you the final distance they went out to.

[Champagnecharleyismyname]

Thank you ChippyMinton, you have been great!!

[Champagnecharleyismyname]

The allocations list makes for interesting reading and the couple of open evenings have been great, and two more next week. I feel much more informed now.

[helenh56]

ColdFusion I'm not sure I would be so quick to write off Thomas Knyvett. They are an improving school and this year matched Thamesmead as far as results go. They are definitely going to be a school to look at. They are small and tailor the curriculum to meet the needs of their students. By being small they know all of their students well and the staff student relationships are very strong. I would say they are worth a look. This school is now linked with The Howard of Effingham, an outstanding school and they share some teachers across the two schools.

Sunbury Manor - this school seems to be struggling to maintain a very average level of results.

St Paul's seems to be slowly rising.

Matthew Arnold are again at the very average end and their results aren't great. They seem to pull in the boys with their footballing links.

Thamesmead is a good school and they do well. I wonder with the competition to get in whether they should be doing better than they are though. They are above average, but then so they should be.

Bishop Wand - This school has been down to the average mark and again seems to be slowly on the up.

It is also worth having a look at the DFE performance tables www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance which will give an idea of how schools compare results wise.

There is nothing like going to visit the school though. Some schools I looked at seemed great on paper, but when I visited I knew they weren't going to be the right place to send my child.

[HilaryM]

Does anyone know much about Magna Carta in Egham?

[Janacek]

I have a friend with 2 ds at Thamesmead and are happy and doing v well.She says pastoral care is excellent.

[exasperatedemma]

Bishop wand used to be good when my day was there- he left 2 yrs ago, but I know of several parents who have pulled their kids out of there because of bullying issues that don't get dealt with by the school. They have no pastoral care in place, just focused on results and it seems that the bullies are untouchable! Despite being a faith school, you wouldn't know it as its not apparent, neither is the fact that its a sports school- the head even admitted that they just went for that to get extra funding but they don't take any notice of it and lots of talent is being ignored.

One parent who's child was being bullied for 2 years and ignored, got nothing done until they asked to see their records and threatened them with legal action. All they did was move the bully to another class where she did the same to another girl for a long time. Bully still there and the poor girl had to move school.

Their approach seems to be one of burying their heads in the sand and not tackling conflict between pupils. They have no student support, counsellors or anything co help the pupils who might need it.

The head is very ambitious but not at all caring.

Steer clear.

[MonieSimonie]

Just wondered what school u went for in the end? Am in same sitch this year for DD. This thread was really useful so thanks everyone!

[ChippyMinton]

Hi, happy to help if I can

[MonieSimonie]

Thanks ?? Thamesmead and SM are the front runners. It feels like momentous decision!

[ChippyMinton]

Same as my advice last year: understand the admission criteria and how well you meet them (feeder schools, distance etc); book a daytime tour as well as the open evenings; keep an open mind; look at what else is out there, across Borough boundaries; consider what the journey will be like; ask around for views; look at this years gcse results; extra-curricular strengths etc.

Good luck, and don't be swayed by what friends are saying - IME folk play their cards very close to their chests, and there are some surprising outcomes on allocation day.

[Champagnecharleyismyname]

Ooh how funny, I was just looking for more advice. I am still undecided about choice. The open evenings are early October so I will have another look. I went to Thamesmead and Sunbury Manor last year and liked both with probably Sunbury Manor more.

I will take a good look at Bishop Wand as they have had a new Head this year but we are not church goers so I am not to sure on our chances there, saying that they did take 27 on just proximity.

[ChippyMinton]

It's Groundhog Day in Spelthorne
3rd and last time for me, but we have sibling link now so it's less of a concern.

I'm told that M.Arnold is in special measures

[IreallyLikeCrisps]

Just in case anyone wants more recent info on Spelthorne secondary schools. Thomas Knyvett has pretty much always been awful and still is! A black girl was attacked outside yesterday, the attackers mum egged her daughter and some other girls on.

The attackers were white and it appears that this particular incident was a racist attack.

Fighting is rife there, by all accounts.

If your children are in the top sets, keep their heads down and don't accidentally antagonise the nasty kids, they should be fine.