Knutsford Academy

[Torea79]

Hi there, Does anyone have any info/opinions on Knutsford Academy please? We're thinking of moving to Mobberley/Knutsford but online searches are turning up conflicting views on it - some people seem to think it's quite poor and the Ofsted info seems to suggest that performance is getting worse, whilst I've seen a few posters who seem to really rate it!

Any views gratefully received!

[smokepole]

As no one else has posted ,I thought I might despite living 270 miles away. I know the school and its background (because my brother has lived in knutsford for over 20 years).

The school whatever its called has always been a 'poor' school .In the 1980s apparently! the school became a "safe Haven" for Trafford's 11 Plus failures. The downsides to that as well as the bullying, was a sub standard of expectation of academic standards from the teachers . This of course gave the school a terrible reputation and as Knutsford and Cheshire became richer,the parents who might have used the school took flight and started using Trafford's Grammar schools or private schools instead. The consequences to this is that over time Knutsford High (Academy) has become a "Modern" School in the fully Comprehensive (Cheshire East).

Knutsford Academy does not represent anything about Knutsford or its prosperity .The top 25% of high ability pupils of Knutsford and surrounding areas are mostly in Private or grammar schools. This is almost similar to the Kent System by consequence ...

There are better schools available locally, Wilmslow High/ Holmes Chapel and Lymm High are much better and have more children from the local community than Knutsford.

[NoTimeLikeThePast]

I have lived in Knutsford for 40 years and attended Knutsford Comprehensive before it became an Academy, as did my wife. My two sons (both near the top of their respective years academically) are current pupils, and many of the brightest and best from their very highly rated primary school also attend.

The second hand information from the individual 270 miles away and who has no knowledge other than that obtained by anecdote from their brother (who presumably didn't attend and therefore is relying upon dinner party chit-chat) is just that, second hand.

Of course there is a significant percentage of the population of Knutsford who send their children to private schools but that is true of almost any area as wealthy as Knutsford.

The Academy has had a huge amount of money invested, is promoting extensive use of and education in IT (yes, programming not how to use applications) and has an excellent pastoral care system.

The staff have, for the last 10 years at least, been highly motivated and dedicated and it is worth noting that some staff only recently retired were my teachers in the late seventies and early eighties.

Yes, pupils from other areas are bused in, but that is because the state schools in their own areas cannot compete with Knutsford Academy.

And finally I would point out that not only did I have a private education in Worcestershire to the age of fourteen before attending the school, but we could easily afford to send our boys to almost any private school.

My comments come from genuine experience of both systems of education and personal experience of the school.

[RCheshire]

Good to see such a positive experience

[smokepole]

It must have been a culture shock for you then going to a "newly created" Comprehensive school (1974) with mainly Modern pupils in your year!.

Did they have the "Knutsford Certificate Course " when you were there ,It put kids out in to the community making cups of Tea for old people ,mending fences . A close friend of my brothers was deemed "Thick" and put on that course in 1985. He was not allowed to take any exams , even CSEs. He is now a DR in Maths. I say that because you are "praising" the very teachers who thought he was "dum" and not capable of anything but making tea.

I take it you must have heard some of the "dinner party" talk to be acknowledging what the "Educated" classes think about the Academy.

The "Studio" sounds like something they would do in Kent at a modern school , to tell pupils hey you don't need an academic pathway!.

However, I must admit the standard of behaviour has improved from the school , therefore meaning mcoll's now let two pupils in rather than one at a time. I also hear Booths now only need one extra Security Guard rather than two at 3.25pm HA HA HA !