Is Kingsdale Foundation school as amazing as everyone makes out??

We turned down an offer day place at Kingsdale for our eldest DC (which would have meant all our DC got in) as, ultimately, we didn't think it was the best school for any of them.

This is practically heresy in some local circles, and I don't think it's a bad school at all, just there is an inherent smuggery among local parents whose children get a place that their children are somehow better than other local children that left a somewhat bitter taste in my mouth.

Just to add, kingsdale was out second choice and if we were offered it now we would probably decline also based on being happy with our current school

We applied for kingsdale too but our place on the waiting list is in the 200s.

My daughter is also year 7 and at a Harris academy now which has been great and she's made lovely friends

I have heard mixed reviews about kingsdale. I don't see anything special about it personally though compared to other schools. It all depends on the child as each school suits each child differently.

I would say as long as you are happy with your daughters school and she is doing well, don't worry about it.

DD is there on a full music scholarship and we are very, very happy with it.

Lockdown provision was brilliant, extra-curricular and music better than we hoped, academic provision way exceeding what I expected for DD (SEN).

It's not a school that would suit everyone, and it is big (although it doesn't feel too big). I'm impressed that they picked up on something DD is very good at (not music or performance related) and have now offered her extra classes after school to encourage her. Teachers and tutor all seemed to have understood her and strengths and weaknesses (despite so much time spent in lockdown or isolating last year) and feedback in reports and parents evening was constructive and sensible.

Haven't heard from the HT since his speech at the open day (which probably puts as many parents off as it encourages).

Ah, Kingsdale. Friends of mine with kids there are mostly very happy with it. I think their provision for lockdown was very good in terms of remote lessons from what I heard. It is VERY big. I get the feeling it's a bit more whizzy than the girls' school my children are at (local but not a Harris) and offers an exciting number of options - things like economics and politics at GCSE which are rare elsewhere. Trips seem good too.

When I looked at all the data in terms of how it would suit my children, 'prior high attaining' children made better progress at our local comp (which has no scholarships or any way of gaming the intake), but there are more high ability children at Kingsdale - so results look better but progress worse.

DD2 quite fancied it but her half scholarship wasn't quite good enough to get her in. I was relieved as I think she's better off at the more local option, although it doesn't have the same shiny aura and she would like to have felt like she'd 'won' her place rather than just got in because she's a sibling at the local school!

Some of the local Harris's here have a fab reputation and offer really exciting stuff, and others are less like that so I think it would depend on which one, for me. Pros and cons, but it didn't excite me.

Friend hated her time as a teacher there. Did not warm to the headmaster.

I know several children who attend or attended Kingsdale.
It's nothing special to be honest. No better or worse than other schools in the area.
I am totally baffled why parents send their children there when they live miles away (see the amount who commute by train) and think the lottery system is terrible because those miles from home pupils can take places from kids who live next door and just want to go to a 'local' school.

It maybe depends on which Harris Academy but I think they both have a similar take no prisoners vibe. (And that will be right for some kids and not so great for others.) (NB I've only gone on tours of the school and talked to parents but not at any great length so thats really just based on a very superficial reputation of teh schools)