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Original poster

Abingdon vs Reading Blue Coat

27 replies

Edelweiss78 · 20/01/2015 01:43

Hello, would really appreciate your advice as I am not sure which school to choose. Basically my DS2 has got a place in Abingdon and very likely would get a place in Reading Blue Coat School. My DS1 is already at Reading Blue Coat and I live just a couple of minutes away from the school. So those factors are in favour of the latter. However, I have read so many good reviews about Abingdon and academically it is much stronger than Blue Coat , so I am getting inclined towards Abingdon. And I was thinking about moving my DS1 there , I have already asked Abingdon about 13+ exam for him. But at the same time the perspective of them spending 2+ hours every day on a school bus really puts me off. I am really struggling and constantly changing my mind , whether to leave them locally at Blue Coat and for A levels apply somewhere else or move them now to Abingdon.ConfusedWould really appreciate any advise re school choice. Many thanks in advance.Flowers

OP posts:
lastnightiwenttomanderley · 20/01/2015 02:12

Just reread your very close to RBC.
Trek to Abingdon would be pretty significant (esp depending which side of the river you are!) and I'd be concerned about DS social life if so far from school. I went to a grammar with wide catchment and it did annoy me.

If you haven't any long term plans to move then maybe stick.with RBC. Good students will always do well wherever they are and, let's be honest, we're not comparing sink schools here! Just keep an eye on DS and make sure they don't get complacent.

lastnightiwenttomanderley · 20/01/2015 02:08

Morning! DH used to teach at Blue Coat and now I'm working with Abingdon through my work (though admittedly not in a teaching capacity. Their new science block will be gorgeous though!)

Personally, I would say Abingdon, given free choice. They will naturally be more academic as RBC will always suffer due to proximity of Reading Boys. DH also had concerns about the pressure put on staff in some departments to mark relatively softly - good for short term confidence but possibly unhelpful long term. At the end of the day though, still a very good school.

Given you already have DS1 there though, and are presumably happy with how things are going, this complicates matters. It's a reasonable distance between the two, though I know one of the SMT at RBC lives in Abingdon and commutes every day. Which is closest?

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