At a school open evening tonight, Headmaster said

I think I know which school this is. My High School used to play them at netball. We would often win (but not always).May well still play them at netball for all I know!

If this is the school (co-ed) I think, the headmaster is excellent so who knows what went through his head when he made the comment.
The extracurricular drama is very strong and enthusiastically done but unlike art and pe (which are popular and well taught at GCSE and A level) does seem to have a much lower profile than it should as an academic subject. Music appears very strong because of lots of very talented children but the academic teaching for GCSE is lacklustre, certainly not at the level you would hope for. I think (perhaps not surprisingly? generally there is some lazy academic teaching but on the whole there is excellence and inspiring teachers as well plus a strong emphasis on participation in extracurricular activities including the House ones. Overall it gives a very good chance of an all round emphasis on education but for drama and music probably more extracurricular and mixing with other talented DCs.

Maybe he meant 'Mumsnet' as a generic term for all online parenting sites?

Poole or Parkstone Grammar Schools?

I think drama is very much seen as an extra, with the focus at KS4 on traditional academic subjects - there's no DT to speak of either for example.

Oh I RTFT and I still don't know which school this is! Gutted.

I'd definitely name and shame the school for saying something so silly!

"Don't listen to parents, they're all talking crap, we're fantastic!"

Eviltwins : you comprehend my point exactly

Even a top grammar can only do so much with students who for whatever reason can't/wont put the work in - and grammar school students are only kids after all, with home problems, teenage angst...
What makes the school special is the music, the house events, the brilliant drama productions...

To conclude from one open evening that the teachers are coasting strikes me as rather rash... I couldn't be happier with the school, but each to their own

The school is, however, by no means an exam factory, it is very relaxed and has an abundance of extracurricular stuff going on.
It can afford to be.
If it has A grade pupils coming in the door, it can coast for 7 years and produce A grades.

To be fair I think there are several ways to feel rewarded by teaching... One is bringing on disadvantaged kids and giving them opportunities they never knew existed, but there's also teaching a group of true high flyers and getting them to stretch their intellect. This particular school has been very proactive in trying to widen access, including work with local primary schools and changing the nature of the test, but at the end of the day it chooses the top 120 of those who take the test, in pursuit of high academic standards.

The school is, however, by no means an exam factory, it is very relaxed and has an abundance of extracurricular stuff going on.

Looking at the DFE entries for PGS :
less than 1% of the whole school on FSM,
only 3 in a cohort without English as first language, (4% of pupils in LEA)
only 1 with any sort of SEN (5% of pupils in LEA)
no disadvantaged pupils at all (16.5% of pupils in the LEA)
wow, that must be enthralling to teach

I personally know lots of teachers who would not want to work in such a school. I know teachers who have turned down being personally offered jobs at top schools.
Some teachers prefer teaching more deprived students or even in the inner city.

Teachers would prefer to work at a school marking top grade work . This is hugely more benefical than spending half their time managing behaviour.
If you say so.

I belive the school in question is over 400 years old and is always in the top 5 state schools in the country.

They don't need to do a selling job unlike EvilTwins . A bit like you don't need to sell a Ferrari , but you do a Fiat.

The school does not to care about the gossip goung on this site. The results and reputation of the school are not influenced by the snide remarks about the teaching standards !.

I am sure the truth is no matter who much EvilTwins or other teachers on here will deny it, Teachers would prefer to work at a school marking top grade work . This is hugely more benefical than spending half their time managing behaviour.

Sorry, I didn't read the thread properly. I see you'd already posted the school.

I think a number of the K school's threads went missing in the same way the QE threads seem to. neither school is anywhere near me, but the only thing I know about either of them is that they appear to have something to hide. Which is not great as a first impression.

Mintyy
I think after the debacle of the bowlderised Queen Etheburga's thread
(which is almost more damaging with the removed posts than the original version - of which I have a copy)
schools might be a tad more wary about jumping in with their size 12's

The immediate shutting down of any online discussion by K school that I think Rafa is referring to is one of the most off-putting things about it.

Has the muppet of a head never heard of the "Streisand Effect" ??

He deserves all the ridicule he'll get

I'd belief mn over ofsted tbh.

anyone can put in a show for scheduled tours etc

harder to "fake it" permanently.