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Original poster

Would you let your child go to this school?

30 replies

MrsSnape · 11/12/2008 10:17

For years I have been saying I'd NEVER allow my kids to go to our catchment school. Its right in the middle of one of the worse council estates in the city (not that I'm against council estates, I live on one myself but lets be honest, these schools don't exactly produce the best results).

Anyway I have since heard good things about the school, ofsted report was decent, the pass rate seems to be rising (up to 21%, not great but not the worst in the city), it's supposed to have excellent extra curriculum facilities, clubs, courses etc...

And I'm starting to wonder if it's pure snobbery not to consider it

Here is the school's website:

www.sirhenrycooper.hull.sch.uk

There are no other schools around here. I'm going to put 3 out of catchment schools down on the form but this one is our catchment school so if the other 3 fail, would you let your kids go to this school?

OP posts:
nkf · 02/01/2009 17:09

No.

badgermonkey · 02/01/2009 17:02

I'm sure a bright kid could do well anywhere, but having known people who taught there and hearing the stories they tell, there is no way I would send a kid of mine there! How about an East Riding school - it could be worth trying Cottingham?

undervalued · 02/01/2009 16:50

Thankfully there is more to a school than an OFSTED report NewTeacher. If your child is bright and motivated they will do well in any school. The school has lots going on re attendance and support - according to the newsletters.
Go in, look around and get a feel for the place. I have taught in a similar school for years and love it. I worked at a high achieving school before - just wasn't for me.

UnfortunatelyMe · 02/01/2009 12:57

I would go to the school and have a look MrsSnape.
You could start your ds there and have him sitting on waiting lists for the other schools and see how it goes. Your son may get in the 5th of the pupils that are pulling their finger out and achieving. They may also be putting the children forward into other PRACTICAL things, that will be more use for them than exam results?
My local school is 22% and the others are grammar or church. DD1 did pass the 11plus but thats not to say she will get a place, so we too will be left with the 22% school as the other 3 I have put on the list are out of catchment.
The kids Ive saw on the bus travelling too and from school all seem to behave well REGARDLESS of what uniform they have on. And often the kid from the school with 22% look a damn sight smarter than the grammar.

NewTeacher · 11/12/2008 10:55

TBH if you can get your child into a diferent school I would try that in the first instance.

The pass rate for GCSE's in this school including Maths & English is only 19% which is really low and this knd of statistic is usual in cases where there is a lot of absenteeism and the kids are generally not well behaved.

I'm a secondary school teacher and would not work in a school like this. Their ofsted report is mainly 3's with a few 4's in important aspects like the students learning so this is very poor.

Try and get a better school...The results speak alot more than the ofsted report and the results are very weak..

HTH.