@auldhippy
Wrote this on a post in another thread re Secondaries!Primaries are much easier in Brighton as so many are very good... Stanford Infants is amazing, has a liked junior school, and living around that area/catchment outs you in a great neighbourhood with 2 big parks ( Dyke rd and Preston) and in the catchment for Varndean/Stringer.
Sorry, but I don't recognise this version of Varndean at all! They're the leading state school in Science in the county, their pastoral care is OUTSTANDING, their free enrichment programme offers the students 80 lunchtime and after school activities, the new head is very impressive and they are transparent and open in everything they do.
My kids are extremely happy there and have transformed from kids who were bored at school to kids who are genuinely excited to go into school each day.
If anything Stringer is the school with the behaviour and drugs problems.
I work with the schools in East Sussex -
Academically & behaviour wise - Varndean, Blatch, Stringer are the best, in that order.
Kings is new and untested.
Hove Park, improving but the weaker of the Hove schools - I find their buildings a bit grim and depressing...
Cardinal Newman is HUGE - Catholic, mixed results. Their pupils don't have a good rep on behaviour. Biggest high school in Europe so that will always be a factor and yes, RE does colour everything they do as you would expect from a church school.
PACA, BACA - struggle on academics, better on sports. BACA known for behaviour issues amongst kids.
Longhill - poor academically, 'rough' by reputation - good for sports/dance.
If school is important then you need to think re catchments. If you live in Portslade you'll prob get PACA and I wouldn't want my kids there. Go the otherside to Peacehaven and you'll get Longhill, my kids wouldn't have lasted 5. mins there!
The catchments are on the council website, and there are a few areas where your choice would be Varndean, Stringer, Newman. And you;d be unlikely to be given Newman of you're not religious.
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Add message | Report | Message poster | Quote | See alllogsonlogsoff Sat 02-Oct-21 13:10:17
@KobaniDaughters hope that helps!
What I will say is that ALL of the teachers I work with, regardless of school, seem hardworking, dedicated, passionate about their schools and determined make the best of what they have.
Add message | Report | Message poster | Quote | See alllogsonlogsoff Sat 02-Oct-21 13:13:05
And as for academics - these schools are state comprehensives, not grammars or academically selective schools. Their results will reflect the fact that they welcome ALL children regardless of their backgrounds and ability. Good pastoral care is really what you should be looking for once you know a school is al least 'good' according to OFSTED. None of the Brighton & Hove secondaries are 'Outstanding" on paper, but in reality a few probably are.