Waldegrave (Twickenham) vs. the Green School (Isleworth)?

[Strix]

DD is perfectly capable of high academic performance. But given the choice would prefer to avoid it for an easy life. She is very good at math, and does pretty well in other subjects -- when and if the spirit moves her.

We are debating (flip flopping actually) whether to put Waldegrave (which we probably live too far to get into) or The Green School first on the Richmond borough CAF.

Any views / suggestions / experience?

Also, I fear (perhaps irrationally) that we could miss the green school by not putting it first.

DD Prefers Waldegrave for the sole reason that most of her friends will go there. Nothing else really matters to her.

[MLP]

We are also looking at Waldegrave as in the catchment area (it's on the Richmond website so you can get a sense from that but obviously varies year to year). We are too far from Green (it's in Hounslow council area) but it also seens to be great.

We have friends at both school and no complaints from either. Results are good at both - slightly better at Waldegrave. We went to the Waldegrave open day and liked it.

I don't think you will make a mistake with either to be honest. And if you are out if the Waldegrave area then the decision will effectively be made for you.

As previous poster said, you won't be penalised for the order in the application.

[Strix]

Thanks. We are right on the border for Waldegrave according to last years first preference maps on the Richmond Council website. No idea of course how that will change with Sir Richard Reynalds and Turing House intake. So, really, anything could happen.

For the Green School we will qualify for a category 1 foundation place (Anglican church goer) so we are all but guaranteed that offer.

So, if you are near Waldegrave Area B, do you mind if I ask your opinion of Christ's, which is also on our list?

[MLP]

Not sure on Christ's to be honest. It seems to have improved and gets a lot of kids from the likes of Queen's school in Kew. However, results seem a lot better at Waldegrave. If I had a choice between Green School and Christ's I would go for Green School. Part of that is also driven by DD's preference for all girls' school.

Have you thought about Twyford or is that too far away from you? It's a CoE school, which might suit you as an Anglican Church goer. It has a great reputation.

[Strix]

Hadn't even heard of Twyford before I read it in your post below. But I don't think we could get enough points in the foundation category to not be subject to the distance criteria and we would lose that one (we live in Whitton).

so Christ is on our list, but not very hig on it. Waldegrave, green school, and Orleans Park all rank higher.

Jeez.... This is stressful.

Oh then there is Turing.... I kind of like that one. Pity about not knowing the location.

[Shootingatpigeons]

strix last year was a relatively small cohort so some roads made it into Waldegrave catchment that didn't the year before (previously it had got to the point of making it down to half way down Heath Road in that direction with furthest offer in Clifden) Next year is the start of the pupil bulge, quite a few extra coming out of primaries, 146 I think. St RR this year filled up (actually didn't fill up) with non Catholics from Hampton without places, but that will presumably change if Twickenham catchments shrink, plus last year the judicial review may have deterred Catholics who did have other choices outside the borough. Turing may change things though, a lot of people like the sound of that one and the latest newsletter on the site hints a site being in the pipeline..... I hope that helps.

[aboardersmum]

Know two people with dad's at green school, both happy with it , but one comment was that because it had a large catchment friends lived a long way away. Seemed to be quite a few from Chiswick.
Worth putting St RR on list as well if you are trying to avoid TA

[aboardersmum]

That,s supposed to be dd's not dads!

[Strix]

Right, here is my list.... All comments welcome!

1. Waldegrave
2. Green School
3. Twyford C of E High School
4. Orleans Park
5. Grey Court
6. Christ's

I think it will end at the Green School. But I have six spaces to fill so I filled them. If we get Waldegrave DD will be delighted. But I think it's unlikely (unless Turing sucks in a lot of otherwise would be Wadegrave girls). And if Turing doesn't suck them in then we may well get Turing.

[MLP]

I like the order. Have you looked at the school catchment area maps on the Richmond council website? Hopefully you get one of your top two choices but if you don't then I think you will be too far away from the likes of Grey Court.

The Turing admissions point is reasonably close to Whitton so maybe that will work out - I would definitely also apply there, even with the uncertainty re location. I don't know which primary school is your local but Stanley and Trafalgar apparently account for a lot of the applications to Turing.

Good luck.

[aboardersmum]

Which would you prefer out of Twickenham Academy, Turing or St RR. If you don't get any of the above. You need to have a dead cert back up. Are you closer to twickenham academy or Turing . If both are undersubcribed and you don't get any from your list you will get the closer. If Turing is fully subscribed and TA isn't if you don't get your choice you will get TA .
Waldegrave, favorite 50/50 chance good to have first. Green good backup for number 2. Twyford probibly not a cat in hells chance, Orleans unlikely but you never know. Maybe Turing and St RR will be very popular. Grey court I would say no chance. Christs no chance unless RPA has got very popular.
If you would accept Turing put it in number 6 or you could end up with Twickenham or RPA. That's not down or RPA just its a long journey

[Strix]

Thanks for the feedback.

uring is running a separate application process this year. I am unclear why. But the application is on their website and not aon the CAF. I like Turing and have applied there. We should get an offer from the CAF and separately get an offer (or not) from Turing. Turing probably comes in after Twyford for me.

I realise Grey Court is very unlikely. But I have six spaces to fill so might as well write something down.

Twickenham Academy I am avoiding like the plague. My DD will not go there. If we do not get into any of the schools we are applying to and we are given TA, I will appeal, and I will not send my DD there in the mean time. I don't know what we would do. Home school? Move to Kent? Blow up the school? (just kidding) I think TA is making good improvements. But they take time and won't happen by next year. I have a 2 year old. Perhaps it will be ok for him, but not for DD in 2014.

[aboardersmum]

That's OK then, just didn't want you to make an error.

It going to be chaos though. I,m guessing all the Trafalgar kids and lots from Archdeacon will get Twickenham Academy (because the dont get Orleans) and Turing then will turn down TA. So TA could end up half empty

[Timetorelax]

Hi Strix. Did you go to any open evenings? There was lots of positive feedback about Twickenham Academy's Open Evening this year, both from people I know who we're there, and here on Mumsnet. Maybe it would have been worth a look around.

I'm slightly amused that you put Twyford as third choice when you hadn't even heard of it a few posts back, but I guess if you're just filling up slots you can afford to be reckless .

[Timetorelax]

Aboardersmum, the cohort is much bigger this year, and gets even bigger in future years so the extra places are needed.

Schools will only fill if they're good though. TA are due for an Ofsted so as long as that is positive there's no reason why it shouldn't fill. Their new building is fabulous. They might attract a few away from Hampton Academy too, because their recent Ofsted wasn't great.

[Strix]

Yes, I guess it is a bit funny that I discover a school in the 11th hour which then gets slot number three.

My dislike for TA has more to do with the children who attend than it does with how the school is run. I will be very surprised if I meet an Archdeacon parent who gets TA and is happy about it. I know of two families from Archdeacon who got TA last year. Both opted to pay for private. TA is our closest school so I ride the bus with those kids, and their behaviour is pretty disrespectful, and so is their (lack of) knowledge of the English language. They can put on an all singing all dancing dog and pony show at the open house... But my children are not going to school with the kids who go there now.

They do have some good plans but they need to be much further along to compete with the likes of Waldegrave and Orleans Park.

[Shootingatpigeons]

a boarders mum not quite the reality

I share Strix's about Twickenham Academy. It would not have been for my DDs, sat in front of a computer scheme for hours on end, and one of OFSTEDs biggest criticism's of Hampton was the workshops that made the approach sound more engaging. However I have not spoken to current parents about their DCs actual experience and that is obviously key. As with RPA it isn't the cohorts actually getting the improving results that prospective parents need to hear from as the cohorts who have experienced the new regimes from the start, sadly not seeing the same ringing endorsements that you hear from RPA from parents from HA or TA. Hampton's poor Ofsted (and it was pretty dire) was as much to do with a cultural issue with part of the cohort as the approach but it wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement.

However Twickenham Academy would actually have been over subscribed at initial allocations (and Hampton was) if the Council hadn't decided to split the parents who did not get any of their preferences in Hampton between TA, the nearest school with spare capacity and St RR , and not everyone was exactly happy..........

Next year there will be 146 ish additional pupils coming out of borough primaries, 5 additional classes, and there really isn't enough spare capacity at this end of the borough to leave TA half empty even with Turing and St RR (and if Catholics start signing up to St RR instead of Gumley Gunnersbury etc etc it will not be able to take pressure off the situation). The reality is that many parents don't have a choice ...........

[celiamolestrangler]

There might be a Green School for Boys by the time your DS is 11 - would have an admissions policy similar to Christ's from the look of it.

[Timetorelax]

There are plenty of nice kids at TA Strix. Maybe they just don't get your bus.

Waldegrave has a few horrors. Most schools do, don't they?

[Strix]

Yes, I'm sure there are some nice kids there too. But I can't control which one my DD will choose to hang out with.

Oh and what is with "a learning school". Seriously? As opposed to what other kind?

I wish it was a lovely school as it is quite close. And in a few years it might be. But not in time for DD.

Yes, I'm aware of the plan for the Green School for Boys. That would be great. :-).

[Strix]

Oh, and I agree that Waldegrave girls are not perfect.

Aren't TA and HA run by the same company?

I do hope that TA improves in the near future because a good senior school would do so much for the needed regeneration in Whitton. And I think it will, but more time is needed.

[Timetorelax]

Yes, more time, but also a little more support from the Whitton community. Support can be as simple as restraint from public criticism. Whitton is a great place to live, lots of family sized homes, and thriving high street. It deserves a great local school. The new building at TA is attracting a lot of interest so it could be the catalyst it needs. Hope so.

[Timetorelax]

Oh, and "A Learning School" is a translation of Kunskappskolan, which is the Swedish company that sponsors it (and HA as you say). A better translation would have been "Knowledge School", or perhaps a completely new strapline tailored to a local audience. I agree it doesn't work very well as it is.

[celiamolestrangler]

No room on your list but isn't The Heathland School near Whitton too? It's 'outstanding' and gets the same sort of results as Orleans Park.

[celiamolestrangler]

It seems to be the most popular school in Hounslow though - 1.2 miles cut-off, 362 first preference applications. Beats all the Richmond schools for popularity. Maybe that's why Twickenham Academy is undersubscribed, if it's in between Heathland and Orleans Park?