Hexham High Schools - info please???

[scottishmerlottish]

Hello

does anyone have experience of HEXHAM (nr Newcastle) High Schools which they would be willing to share / pm me about?

I am a prospective parent and have lots of Qu's about Haydon Bridge / Ridley Hall esp, but also about the other Hexham schools?

thank you,if you can.

[scottishmerlottish]

Anyone there?

[kesstrel]

My daughter is in Year 11 at QEHS in Hexham - what would you like to know?

[scottishmerlottish]

Oh, kestrel - thank you!

I am thinking of going to a village around the Bellingham area.

That would have fed into Haydon Bridge High.

I understand County have just decided that the nearest High is QEHS, so that is where free transport will be provided to.

Is it huge?
Is it good with kids with dyslexia/dyspraxia/social anxiety?

Need to dash to collect kids right now but will be back with more Qu's if possible - thank you

[kesstrel]

It is quite large, yes - 1300 students, of which 400 are in the sixth form, so since it is only years 9-13 that means 300 in each year group.

I don't really know about their SEN provision, but they do put a lot of emphasis on having a good pastoral system. What year would your DC be going in to?

[scottishmerlottish]

The first year.
what sort of ethos does it have?

do you know about other local schools too (ie HB or Ponteland?)
can you choose?

[scottishmerlottish]

sorry, another Qu has occurred to me -

if you don't live in Hexham itself but one of the surrounding villages, are you always missing out / an outsider, as it were ?

thanks.

[thatduck]

An ex hbhs student here if you have questions? BTW ridley is the Haydon bridge boarding house

[scottishmerlottish]

oh, thatduck thankyou!!!

I've been told that County Hall has just decided that Bellingham Middle will now feed into QEHS not HB?

I understand HB got a bad Ofsted and may go Academy?
Is that bad? (I'm in the Scottish system so very green about all this?)

how big is it?
What was your experience?
What is it like in terms of dyslexia / bullying ?

Did you go to Ridley? What was it like?
(esp for a kid who is very shy/ homesick?)

THANK YOU.X.

[thatduck]

It has just has a bad ofsted, there is a Facebook group "supporting Haydon bridge highschool" or something like that. I loved hadon bridge, I think there were about 800 in the school Inc 6th form. There were some amazing inspiring teachers.

The criteria for ridley Hall was always an 1+hr journey I.e. Kielder so I didn't stay but I believe those who did enjoyed it.

I felt there was always a great atmosphere, very little bullying and a fab ethos