Royal Grammar School (High Wycombe) and Adams' Grammar School

[odeliaho]

I applied both schools for my ds for 2014. The results are not coming out yet. As topic, any comments please.

[difficultpickle]

I live near RGS and I've never heard of Adams' GS. Where is it?

[LittleSiouxieSue]

Adams GS is Newport in Shropshire. RGS is Bucks. Can't see how you can get RGS if you are not a Bucks resident. How dies Adams work? Both board though I think.

[LittleSiouxieSue]

Ok. Adams will take from anywhere. You must have a preference OP. Assume you have looked around both. Most people unlikely to know both I would think.

[Labro]

I'm not sure what you are asking.
If you have applied for both these schools via their 11 + testing then put them both on the CAF then surely you won't know which one you have been allocated until offers day in March next year?
Or, are you asking for opinions of the schools?
Or that your ds took 11+ at these schools and haven't given you the results? (In which case you need to contact the schools)

[LittleSiouxieSue]

Bucks has a County wide system not a school based system. The school allocations are not yet known I think. You can apply from outside Bucks but catchment areas are enforced so being in Bucks, in the right catchment area,is the key. Adams seems to take applicants from anywhere and is not in an 11+ authority so is different. Bucks ask for Grammar preferences and Secondary modern preferences and allocate according to stated criteria and obviously 11+ test outcome. You cannot compare the systems of admission as they are totally different. OP - You should know the timetable for both and if you do not, Bucks CC has it on their web site. Very odd for a Bucks resident to only put down one Grammar school on the form so my guess is that this is about boarding. In bucks you always put down more than one choice of each type of school as some are over subscribed so you need a back up.

[odeliaho]

Oh, I need to clarify that my ds is looking for a boarding school in the UK. He is from overseas and looking for some state boarding schools. He already did entrance exam for both and interviewed. Anybody know they are good? Anything about these schools if you know please.

[difficultpickle]

RGS is selective and has a good reputation locally. It's boarding provision is very small though. If I were overseas and looking for a boarding school it wouldn't be on my list at all. I doubt that there are many full boarders there. Some years they get so few applicants for boarding places that they convert some of those into day places.

Obviously you have visited and I assume you have asked how many boarders are full and what they do at weekends. They don't have Saturday school and the weekly boarders can go back to school on Monday morning rather than Sunday evening. I would be concerned at what provision is made for the full boarders in terms of weekend activities.

[difficultpickle]

Forgot to add they have 1370 pupils of which only 70 are boarders. I don't know what percentage of those boarders are full rather than weekly but I'm sure you would have checked that before applying.

[LittleSiouxieSue]

RGS is a brilliant school. I am concerned that you do not seem to know what the timescales are regarding applications to RGS and the Bucks system. I gather from the school's web site that they take 10 boarders each year and they do not have to be catchment boys but must score the required mark in the 11+ tests. You presumably now know your son has exceeded this mark. They list their priority for admissions in the admissions policy statement on their web site. Have you checked that you satisfy these requirements? There are passport requirements and residency requirements. They say they now have more applicants than places and they give priority to forces families. At no point does it mention interviews so not sure what this was. They must stick to their published admissions policy. Bucks informs parents of placement in schools on 3 March 2014, so you have a long wait. Have you considered independent schools as well as these state schools? You probably need back up choices.

[odeliaho]

Thank you for all info. Yes, I think I know the school admissions procedures. There are 70-boarder places and 30% are overseas (fully board). My ds is applying year 9 and did entrance exam earlier. Ds was interviewed by the head of boarding. And was told that the result would be coming out this month.
Know that RGS got an Osfed outstanding award in boarding last year. The award is reliable ?

[difficultpickle]

So 30 full time boarders out of 1370 pupils? That's such a tiny proportion. Is there no way you could send him to a school where there is a better proportion of boarders (ie 50% or more)? Do they have a full programme of activities for the weekend or is it just a case of making use of school facilities?

[odeliaho]

Yes, they do have programmes for full time boarders and weekly boarders after school/during weekends. Actually, it's not 30 full time boarders, it's even less, 30%, ie. only 21 students. Nevertheless, the school has a boarding team to look after the students and would not leave them behind. Why you feel small group is not good? I wonder, it's not easy to obtain an Osfed outstanding award. So, I think the boarding facilities and provision should meet and/or even over the boarding standard.
My ds where he is now studying, it also provides weekly boarding for students. Whole school about 1000 students but the boarders' figure only 2 digits (less than 100 or even less). They runs the boarding house well. Students are happy. So I believe the boarding house size is not a matter of my concern but the quality :)

[LittleSiouxieSue]

Did not realise you were not an 11+ applicant so normal 11+ procedure does not apply. I think that just 21 full boarders aged between 11 and 18 is likely to lead to a degree of loneliness. Just not enough friends around. Has the school confirmed it has space in year 9 for next September? Do you know how many other year 9 boys want a place? If it is Ofsted outstanding for boarding, you will have no worries but I just get the impression you have not visited the schools. If not, I think you should so you can judge for yourself.

[odeliaho]

Agreed that they may not have enough friends around in boarding. However, they meet day school boys as well ! The difference is they are not living together only. Message from boarding school that a few places are offered for overseas.
LittleSiouxieSue, you are right. I did not visit both schools. Only saw their photos by google image searches and google map searches, hence, got some idea of the schools' environment.

[difficultpickle]

I just think that such a small percentage of boarders makes it hard to offer a variety of activities. Looking at what they list it is pretty much confined to school facilities. How can you make a decision about which school when you haven't visited? I assume someone must have accompanied your ds to do the entrance exams so didn't you make arrangements for them to do the visits and give you info?

[odeliaho]

Actually, I don't insist to visit schools before decision, because my situation is not allowed me to fly to UK to visit the schools anytime. I would rather obtain opinion from other sources, such as parents' comments (eg, from this forum), school ranking, school agent's comments, open exam's results, consider the location of the school, visiting school website, etc. Actually, I lived near High Wycombe when I was young, I know the environment there.
I did the same for my elder dd (didn't visit the school before decision). Now she is studying at another boarding school in southern England. She is fine and happy there.
The entrance exam was took in my country. The head of boarding flied to our country to interview students and held the exam :)

[difficultpickle]

As someone who is currently doing the rounds of boarding schools I'm surprised that you haven't got someone you trust to travel and see the school. I live near HW and have done all my life but I have no clue what it is like to go to board at RGS and I wouldn't without talking to pupils there.

Ds is at a school that is one third of the size of RGS and more boarders than RGS. Yes they have activities and there are boarding personnel, facilities etc but it is nothing like any of the boarding schools we have visited in terms of breadth and interests for boarders.

[odeliaho]

We got both schools' offer. We selected RGSHW finally.
Want to know more about this school. Anyone know? Browsed school website and other related posts of this school but still eager to find out more :)

[Honestyisbest]

RGSHW is not ideal as a boarder. I wouldn't even consider if. Too few boarders as a percentage of total pupils.
I am a big fan of boarding so it's not that. You really can't beat visiting the schools, it's a big decision for the crucial teenage years....

[odeliaho]

Honestyisbest,
Thank you for your advice. As from what you said, do you know what kind of kids/family would choose boarding at RGSHW? Are they no choice? Or some other reasons? Really want to know. Thank you.

[odeliaho]

For myself, no other/better choice in Buck or other county. As DS is an overseas student.

[Honestyisbest]

I'm guessing it comes down to fees. I've really no idea why people choose it for boarding.

[odeliaho]

Yes, it's one of my concern. Otherwise, I would choose independent school

[oshgosh]

Have pm'd you.

[Mumsmet]

@odeliaho Which country are you from, please? I just wondered where the head of boarding visited to interview your DS. Thanks