What do you think of this school?

Topic based learning…..horrendous. I even think that for primary, but realistically it sounds ridiculous for secondary. I just can’t see how true mastery can be aimed for in complex areas without specialisation. It sounds like it can’t really be done, which is why they are offering only a very limited curriculum with a few subjects.
Who is teaching these topics? There can’t be many teachers able to teach all of science, English, maths , history etc from yr7-11 for the least to the most able.

I would not choose this school, but appreciate everyone has different views.

Technically one of you can visit the school if you're double jabbed.

I wouldn't pick the free school

The small year group means that if there's a social problem with one student, you can never escape them.

Secondly what if the GCSEs don't suit your child ? My son is dyslexic and struggled with MFL so was happy to drop German for GCSE. None of my kids picked art, 2 chose geography over history.

My kids went/go to an 8 form entry school and there are lots of alternative qualifications if GCSEs don't suit. They have a Work Related Learning department for those who choose that path. Year 6 to 7 is a bigger step up at a big school for practical reasons like more people waking down corridors between lessons but there's lots or choice and opportunity that comes through size and they get used to it quickly.

Wow those FAQs learning expeditions wtaf so lessons then?

I would dispute that the GCSEs they insist everyone does would open up all A level options. Not easy to do geography or music or tech A level without ks4 input.

And that about appeals...wow. just wow. Great Ofsted eh but the SEN comments make me think they don't want any student who won't do what they ask. University is not for everyone, it really isn't.

Just had a quick look at the Gov tables for this school. Much higher number than average for SN, which isn't surprising (25% vs average school has 10%), only 8 teachers in 2018/9 but I think they'd have had year 7 and year 8. No inspection yet.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves yes I just read the SEN bit and it sounded like they only want children who can keep up with what they do and the way they do it. If you can't then its just tough.

*mold

The website gives me even stronger sink or swim vibes - if you fit the mood I imagine you’d do well. But the mood feels even more rigid after reading that.

That website!!! Crew leaders, learning 'expeditions', and that's a pretty damning statement on appeals ( we see any parent trying to use the appeals process to bias this fair and correct process as being totally unfair to the school, ...Therefore we will protect our school and admissions policy as rigorously as possible and as a Trust, and we are willing to use all legal avenues possible to do this, including the High Court. )

Reading up about the school - their answer about appeals here would have me running: xptrust.org/faq/

Not sure how they can claim ‘Above all, compassion’ whilst also implying they will take any successful appeal (because the panel deemed it more detrimental to the child than the school) through the high courts.

Personally, I don't agree with so-called "free schools but, aside from that, some of these schools have had quite a rocky ride and some have closed down.

As you are not able to visit, I would stick with the other school - though I agree with no school uniform and what sounds like much more flexible and interactive teaching. The travel time and distance would put me off - OK in the summer but not great on a freezing winter morning.

Where will she feel valued OP? How is her self esteem? The trouble with tons of choice is that if you FEEL like you're bad at everything it doesn't really matter whether you are offered RE, French or even music (unless you're already gifted at music before your start Secondary. No one starting music lessons in Y7 will be GCSE music standard).

Sorry op I didn't see your update. I still think it's not great. Small year group may seem to suit but such limited choice would not be good for a student with SEN IMO. No good would have come from forcing my ds1 who has learning issues to take history GCSE and an art qualification of any kind.

Hayfield

Ah unfortunately I cant give you any up to date information on Hayfield but it was great when I went there in the 90s (I realise that is of no significance at all)

If these are the two XP schools in Doncaster which is the alternative larger school?

V small year group is a no. As is limited GCSE options (clearly the two are linked). What if you aren't good at art? And where is drama, tech, PE, comp science, geog, RE? Like @Stringbeing my DC were delighted to give up disliked subjects for ye 10. Not all the same subjectd either tho they were united in disliking art 😂
Topic based is bobbins I promise. how does it even work?

Long long commute. I see the appeal of no uniform but otherwise it's a no from me. What appeals to you op?

What facilities does the larger school have to support your DD? I was very much going to suggest that the small one sounds terrible, but your update changes that substantially for me.

However, a few years is a long time and children change a lot in that time. I would be worried that a child with additional needs would be better with a wide range of options which suit them at 14. DS has SpLD and so a school which offering a number of BTECs, Cambridge Nationals etc was good for him as it reduced the number of exams he needed to take in Yr11 (although he took none in the end as he is now in yr12).

Don't even get me started on the education system in this country and how it's geared to one type of child. My DS2 is this type of child. He is really no cleverer than ds1 but on paper he is far cleverer, which in turn has affected his confidence, happiness etc. Ds1 lacks confidence, has low self esteem and I personally blame the education system since Reception for this. He 'failed' his Y1 phonics test and he really felt it even though those was of no importance to me and we never went on about it. Things like that all the time for 13 years of your life. I would have jumped at the opportunity of a school like this for him OP. Well done for finding it!

Sounds perfect for my highly anxious ASD DS who realistically isn't going to get many / any GCSE's. Not so great otherwise.

[quote Aroundtheworldin80moves]@trumpisagit it looks like its not a GCSE but a VRQ Lv2 in Art techniques, whatever that is.[/quote]
So if Art isn't a GCSE that means they only do 7 GCSEs.

The free school sounds good to me (ex primary teacher now lecture at an RG university)
Things I'd be concerned about:
The commute, it's long and could be quite exhausting
The stability of the school. Lots of free schools run out of steam and end up being taken over by academies. How long has this one been going? How does it deal with the budget shortfall caused by having 5 fewer pupils per class than capacity? Who runs it? They obviously have a clear vision for the type of education they want, but do they have any experience of running schools?
If you feel those things are acceptable, it's then down to how well you think the school will suit your child