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Secondary education

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Original poster

Shirley high croydon

56 replies

alisonmb7 · 30/04/2012 19:14

Hi, I was wondering if anyone can tell me what the entrance exam to Shirley high is like? And how competitive it is? Is it a series of exam papers... Verbal reasoning etc? My daughter is pretty bright, but hard to say really where she is on a national level.

I'm not massively keen on force feeding exams, I remember it from my youth, but am in that position that many people find themselves in where they want to do their best for their child.

I don't think I'm in the catchment for Shirley high and if get her in my son will follow automatically. Would she be happy in any other school? Probably, she's not inja great primary but she loves it, but I'm just looking for the big picture if anyone can supply it? Thank you!

OP posts:
Original poster
alisonmb7 · 05/05/2012 07:51

Thanks for this. I may call the school and find out how far away you can live and still get in without exam or siblings. although we want to move to the area I'd rather do it after my daughter goes to secondary, partially because we live so close to the primary our 'commute' is fab and partly because I'd like to move because I like the house, not because it is next door to the school! So complicated. If anyone knows how far they are from the school and got in I'd be grateful to know!

OP posts:
AngelEyes46 · 01/05/2012 21:10

A friend of mine's niece sat the test this year and initially didn't get in. However, the school 'phoned her a few weeks ago to ask her if she wanted to go on the waiting list - she was at that point number 8. She decided to come off it as her 1st choice school was a school in Bromley (which she had been given). She had been tutored and is quite bright. She didn't pass the test for Riddlesdown though which is a very science based test. Shirley high is now an academy so admissions may change.

Caoimhe · 01/05/2012 20:52

Well children from near Ashburton have got in in the past but for an up to date idea you'd need to ask the school or the Council.

Secondary schooling in Croydon is pretty nightmarish due to the ridiculous number of faith schools.

Original poster
alisonmb7 · 01/05/2012 19:24

Hello, Thanks for getting back to me. We're in East Croydon / woodside / addiscombe border, very near Davidson Primary School. Do you know where the catchment extends to? I guess I can get in touch with the council to find out, but I imagine it only reaches part of the way through Addiscombe.

Maybe I need to get her practising some exams!

OP posts:
Caoimhe · 01/05/2012 13:45

I live in the catchment for Shirley High so my ds did not have to sit the test but other parents told me that is VR and NVR. Considering the traffic on exam day I would say it is pretty competitive.

Most of my neighbours' children go there and they all speak very highly of it. The headmaster is very impressive! You have nothing to lose by giving the exam a go.

downtomylastcigarette · 01/05/2012 10:51

I can't give you up to date information but my daughter sat it six years ago. She is reasonably bright but did not pass, so if it is very important to you to get in I would definitely do some practice at least and probably tutoring. Does Shirley definitely say you are not in their catchment? They seem to work it out differently to every other school in the borough, but I remember either they or the council were able to tell us that we definitely weren't in.

I was very keen on my daughter going to Shirley but by the time my son came up for secondary I'd gone off them a bit and didn't bother having him sit the exam. One of the things that put me off was them charging a tenner to sit their test, which I thought was a cheek. However, I had a fallback position for him, an OK school that I knew he would get into. The situation seems tighter in Croydon at the moment.