secondary schools - love and avoid?

[mumnosGOLDisbest]

I'm thinking of moving house in the next few years to avoid dcs going to the local school. DH thinks i'm being a snob. i am only going on what i remember as a kid so things have probably changed.

If you've got teens, what schools are good and noty so. back in the olden days (90s) Hallcross, macauleys, hayfield were good, rosso comp, balby carr, danum and armthorpe were best avoided. Are things much different?

assuming someone is out there in the void tjat is domny local mn

[mumnosGOLDisbest]

sorry for the typos im on my phone.

[mumnosGOLDisbest]

Maybe I need to move to a better MN area! There's noone here :(

[Maiflower]

Hello

I live in Tickhill and my daughter is off to secondary 2013. The local feeder school is Sir Thomas Warton to which I have had mixed reviews. Some say its brilliant and has been raised from practically nothing over the past 5 years, others seem to hang on to old reputations. School teachers rate highly but im concerned as historically its not been so great so could it slip back!

However Hayfield I hear nothing but good in all areas. Macaulays also has great feedback and you have a good chance of acceptance if you are of the Catholic faith.

Im lost so if anyone can add anything im sure we will both appreciate. I dont think you are a snob, you just want whats best for your child :O)

[putthehamsterbackinitscage]

Bit out of date....

But

in terms of results - hungerhill, hayfield, Macauley are usually best

Ridgewood has improved massively but not as good if you look at eBacc or 5 good gcse incl English and maths

Then you get Danum, Hall Cross, Armthorpe etc in next tier ....

At the other extreme you get Hatfield, Mexborough etc

Donny schools seem to fall into good results, average and awful.... But that doesn't mean the best results = best school fit any given child....

You need to visit the schools and find out about the whole picture...

Hungerhill doesn't have a 6th form but is known to be good at working with ASD etc and gets good results at gcse

Macauley has a good rep but is a catholic school so that may or may not be what you want....

Also journey time etc - do you live near a school or its bus route as Donny public transport tends to work as spokes into central hub so a different school could mean 2 buses or needing a lift to school ....

[CoffeeGoneColdAgain1]

My son is at Balby Carr, it has come on in leaps and bounds in the last few years. He really enjoys school. Although I do agree that Maculey probably has the best rep, I wasn't happy the distance DS would have to travel to get there and back!
I went to Hall Cross before it became 2 seperate sites (many moons ago), almost a third of DS primary class went to H/c tho, and out of those 10 6 want to now be back with their friends at Balby Carr as even after 14 months they still miss them dreadfully!

[TheDinnerWitch]

I can only go on my personal experience. I went to Hall Cross in the early 00's and I thought it was terrible :-( I encountered so much bullying (not just me, lots of people) and the threat of violence was always lurking! Much much better at the Upper School site, it's just the Lower School site really that I'm talking about. Mind you, it's an academy now, so maybe it's changed!

I'd say Hayfield and Macauley are the best!

[emzybump]

I moved to Doncaster 3 months ago and sent my eldest 2 to Hall Cross as my younger sister goes there and has never had a problem, my 2 are in lower school at the moment and say its pretty bad for bullying and the teachers don't really seem all that interested in....anything ??
Its out of our catchment area but had no experience of other schools or know anyone local to ask... my eldest is moving to upper school in june so hoping she will get on better there.