Schools in Portsmouth/Southampton area?

[JustinMumsnot]

Looks like we may have to relocate in time for September and I will have secondary school places to find for DDs in Years 7, 9 and 12 (6th form). Anyone here from these areas who would like to recommend their school? Or warn against one? Looks like in-year places are going to be hard to find and of course we probably won't have an address to apply from till May at the latest. Am freaking out quietly here so words of wisdom would be warmly welcomed!

[TalkinPeace2]

Stick with the Hampshire Schools in between them and you won't go far wrong.

[JustinMumsnot]

The ones I like the sound of all seem to have waiting lists though. Trying to look on Rightmove etc for houses in catchment areas of schools that seem good but even being in catchment you could still wait months for a place at most of them.

[JustinMumsnot]

Also DD1 wants to do IB, which could mean commuting to the Isle of Wight.

[TalkinPeace2]

Hampshire is all comps so admissions are a LOT less stressy than some other counties.
I am a mile outside the catchment boundary of my kids school (4 miles from it).

TBH I'd say choose the area that most suits you and then look in a star shape.
What A's is your big one doing as the colleges have different emphasis?
And waiting lists are odd things - some move fast, others not at all.

Which three schools were at the top of your list and I'll rack my brains - Cory knows the area well also.

[Linoleic]

Thornden - excellent

[TalkinPeace2]

Thornden is indeed excellent. It is also full.
IB : Brockenhurst College do it. Wrong side of Soton for you though. And Why?
IOW - Hmmm. Not what I'd choose.

[JustinMumsnot]

Nowhere else to do IB though Talk. And she has her heart set on it.
We are going to have to tell them about the move on Sunday.

[JustinMumsnot]

Sorry, I hadn't seen that Brockenhurst offers German. I had thought it didn't which would have ruled it out. That is much better, thanks!

[TalkinPeace2]

HTH.
Have a look at the Brock Bus routes www.brock.ac.uk/student_life/travel/index.php and that sets a lot of your other options.
If the work is to the east of Soton, then the sunny M27 is the road to have access to.

[Ilovegeorgeclooney]

Don't commute to IW. Schools in meltdown there due to recent reorganisation and in the past 6 weeks two have gone into special measures. Oaklands is good and St Edmund's in Portsmouth city centre has gone fron special measures to Good in a year and is rapidly improving under a new HT. Springfield is also good. In Southampton St Anne's is great for girls. Bohunt is fab if you can get in as are Cams Hill and Thornden.Good luck!

[Waitingaround]

Wildern school in hedge end is great! In fact most are v good in Hampshire, would personally avoid Portsmouth and Southampton themselves though.

[guineapiglet]

Hi we moved out of county into Hampshire in August, with kids going into year 12 and 7 - it was quite hard to narrow it all down as there are good schools all over. You might want to start with 6th form college and work down if that makes sense, as most schools here are 11-16 so you need to think about looking at colleges ( like Brockenhurst) and lookat HS in the area, around there there are several, Ringwood etc. In the end, because of my husbands new job we ended up in Winchester, great 6th form and very good state HS. Hants CC admission team were utterly brilliant and helpful as well, might be worth speaking to them initially. Good luck with your move, I can empathise as I know how horribly stressful it is.

[EML100]

Portsmouth Grammar School does IB

[JustinMumsnot]

It does, but unfortunately it is not a state school, despite the name. Brock looks good though. I've been phoning schools to ask about waiting lists - I think the best strategy is as Guineapiglet suggests but there are various factors to take into account, one being nearness to a train station for DH and the fact that I am applying for jobs atm so don't know where I will end up working.

[2beornot]

Hi. Just marking my place really. I could probably let you know good ones if you know vaguely where you'll be!

[TalkinPeace2]

Southampton's school results are hamstrung by the fact that 10% of Southampton children go to Hampshire schools - creating a vicious circle of poor results. That and Southampton does not have a Secondary school in the centre!

Portsmouth's schools are hamstrung by geography (dire transport links between the land areas) and history (ex navy families without the gumption to move away)

If Brock is one of your limiting factors, see what bus routes there are to it from OUTSIDE the Forest - so save a small fortune on house prices. Do not worry about the long bus journey - friends kids who do it love it.

Train station links - TBH Parkway is the big commuter one with ginormous car parks so then your limit is along the M27.

Good luck with your search, as unlike many counties you do not have ANY selection tests to worry about. Phew.

[tallergirl]

It is true that several of the secondary schools on the iow have gone into special measures and I would not recommend for your younger kids. However the sixth form centre at the Isle of Wight college is doing brilliantly indeed better A level results than broc. My friends daughter attended and loved it, very small class sizes.

[JustinMumsnot]

Gah - gets more and more complicated. Brock have told me today that they are not running IB this year (12-13) and won't know until March if they have numbers to run it in 2013-2014. IoW has dropped it too as have Alton and Havant.

[JustinMumsnot]

Now looking at Barton Peverill and Bay House for 6th form if Brock drop IB and she has to do A-levels. But no good looking at Bay House for younger ones as waiting list too long say admissions peeps. Similar for Wildern and Thornden. In fact there are only two kinds of schools available - good ones you can't get into and bad ones you wouldn't want to. Anyone know Purbrook Park? - had a dire Ofsted last year but looks like it has started to pull itself together.

[Waitingaround]

How about Wyvern in Fair Oak or Swanmore? Both are good schools and might not have such a waiting list. Barton Peverill or Peter Symonds would be the 6th forms.

[out2lunch]

Both my dcs went to wyvern in fair oak and Barton peveril - very happy with both of them

[kingaelfred]

Although Portsmouth Grammar is independent it has lots of scholarships and bursaries, inc one 100% for the right candidates from a state school. Worth investigating. St Vincents in Gosport used to do IB, not sure if they still do though! Bus service from SO32 for Gosport or Portsmouth Grammar meaning siblings could attend Swanmore College of Technology. Doesn't fill from catchment so places available and a new head working wonders! Wildern and Wyvern also do able from this postcode plus a bus services to Kings in Winchester if you can get them up on time! Great A level results at Peter Symonds, Winchester which is also accessible by bus.

[Levine714]

Is Swanmore college good school?

[eatyourveg]

Hedge End gives you Wildern and then you could go onto Peter Symonds, its also got a train station and the M27 for Portsmouth. Brockenhurst seems too out of the way imo as you 'd have to go through or around So'ton - in the rush hour