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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

English vs Welsh education

85 replies

BillandBen12345 · 13/01/2018 07:18

I have put this in education but am posting here for traffic. Hubby says it is U to not move for fear that the schooling is not so great and that I have no evidence of this...

We are considering moving to Swansea. My children are currently in Ofsted outstanding schools in England, yr 5 and yr 7. The school in wales that we would send them to is Estyn Excellent. However, I am told the education in Wales is not as good as England and that the children will leave school with a sub standard education. Is there any truth to this? Does anyone have any evidence either way that can help me make this tough decision? Tia.

OP posts:
MassDebate · 13/01/2018 07:30

Seriously?! You have been told that?! Of course, all schools in Wales are shit and all people who go to them destined for a life of poverty Hmm

It's absolute codswallop. HTH

LittleMyLikesSnuffkin · 13/01/2018 07:38

Who’s told you this? I’m genuinely interested not being arsey.

singingdetective · 13/01/2018 08:07

WTF??!

This thread is going to go well...

TittyGolightly · 13/01/2018 08:09

However, I am told the education in Wales is not as good as England and that the children will leave school with a sub standard education.

It’s true. We loved being oppressed so much by the much-better-than-us English that we’ve carried it on even when we don’t need to.

YAB so U.

Lolimax · 13/01/2018 08:12

Yup this thread is going to go so well. I’ll tell my DD who is a 3rd year Mental Health Nursing student in Cardiff uni, oh and DS who is off to Trinity St. David’s in September.
Please OP don’t be so patronising.

ThisMorningWentBadly · 13/01/2018 08:13

Which school are you looking at?

limon · 13/01/2018 08:15

There are some differences in Welsh medium and English medium education.from what I understand.

Personally I wouldn't interrupt my childs educatuon at all unless it was really necessary because I moved schools a lot and it.was disruptuve. But no Wales isn't sun standard.

Slitherout · 13/01/2018 08:15

Yes, I'm in Wales and my DD goes to a mud hut school and they get two GCSE options, Colouring and Fighting. Hmm

Education in Wales is just the same as England, some awful schools, some amazing schools, some in between. When we moved to Wales, the school we moved DD to was 100 times better than the ones in our previous area and their attitude to education was better than I'd experienced before but I'm not going to infer that means Welsh education generally is better tho.

MrTumbleForPM · 13/01/2018 08:16

I worked on 2 schools in Swansea. One was on the middle of a council estate and one in a very middle class area. What both had in common was an excellent staff who helped the pupils achieve above and beyond their own expectations. One of the schools had a high percentage of A Level leavers going on to Oxford/Cambridge Uni’s.
Welsh education is not substandard, to be honest schools here are generally in a better state of repair that their English counterparts and are in no way a ‘poor cousin’.
Please don’t worry.

TittyGolightly · 13/01/2018 08:16

they get two GCSE options, Colouring and Fighting

😂😂😂😂

ASilhouetteAndNothingMore · 13/01/2018 08:17

I live in Wales and my children have been bilingual since nursery, even though they go to an English medium school. How about your children? Hmm

I was educated in Wales, went to Uni in both Wales and England. I now work in healthcare, and most of the doctors I work with are Welsh. I don't think getting in to study medicine is considered sub standard? HmmConfused

silvousplaitmerci · 13/01/2018 08:18

Wow OP.

I'm not even Welsh and I'm offended at your ignorance 😂😂😂😂😂

MrTumbleForPM · 13/01/2018 08:18

Gah, have just seen my spelling mistakes! Luckily I didn’t teach English Smile
Need more coffee!

Berthatydfil · 13/01/2018 08:20

You’ve posted this twice and I’ll copy my response here.
I’m assuming that you are genuine and not trying to wind up the welsh members on a Saturday morning.

Also I’ve got one dc studying medicine in England and one currently holding offers from several universities.

Giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming you aren’t an anti welsh troll I’m sure that there are many people who would find what you have said totally offensive and vehemently disagree.
Who “told you” this fact about the sub standard Welsh education system? What evidence did they provide to back it up?
If this were true there would be no welsh students being admitted to oxbridge or Russel group unis, no welsh educated doctors lawyers accountants dentists pharmacists etc.
It’s a totally ridiculous thing to say with no evidence or grounding.
Yes welsh education is different, and is getting more different with respect to ks4 and post 16. Yes there’s no grammar schools, yes there’s compulsory welsh. Yes there are poor schools but there are outstanding schools too. But those differences are not necessarily bad or give lower standards it’s just different.

Chose your schools carefully - with the age your children are I wouldn’t delay moving if you are going to do it.

Minestheoneinthegreen · 13/01/2018 08:30

Please don't move to Wales. You are fucking irritating enough where you are.

Original poster
BillandBen12345 · 13/01/2018 08:31

Firstly, 5 am sorry to have offended anyone, that was certainly not my intention.

The people who have put the fear in me are the ones who want us to stay in England- which I know speaks for itself but as a mother it has got under my skin. With such a big move I am sure people can understand that my thinking is more emotionally than sensibly driven iyswim.

I have no experience of anything other than the English education, I have nothing to base my decision on, hence the reason I have asked on here. I know that mumsnetters are good at sharing their experiences. I am genuinely asking for advice to put the scaremongering of my friends and family to bed.

Thank you to those who have already shared their views and experience.x

OP posts:
Creambun2 · 13/01/2018 08:32

Many secondary schools in Wales are very poor. I would look seriously at future secondary options when considering where to live.

Original poster
BillandBen12345 · 13/01/2018 08:37

Schools we are looking at are Bishopston comp and Olchfa.

OP posts:
Slitherout · 13/01/2018 08:41

Understandable to be nervy if people are trying to make you doubt the choice so you won't move, the best thing you can do is research schooling in Wales and in that particular school to put your mind at rest. Join the local FB groups, go for a holiday there etc.

Just in my experience, which will be just as subjective, I'd say I've not found the education system as pushy here, more concerned with children's welfare and getting the best out of them rather than hot housing them to get a better grade than the ones I saw in England which may be part of the 'substandard' fear. I prefer that approach but not everyone will. Think the schools are easily just as good and Welsh government do an awful lot for education here, I don't think you have anything to worry about but best to look into it for yourself not be swayed by other people's motives.

Creambun2 · 13/01/2018 08:42

I can tell you from experience that schools in ne wales are shit and many parents are forced to send private in Chester or move to the wirral.

Slitherout · 13/01/2018 08:45

Creambun, we're literally talking about the other end of the country here.

donajimena · 13/01/2018 08:47

My children go to a fabulous school. With fabulous outcomes. We also get to live in Wales which is just beautiful !
(For balance there are lots of places in England and Scotland I wish I was lucky enough to be able to spend more time in);

cricketqueen · 13/01/2018 08:49

I mean you really are asking that and don't see how it might be offensive to Welsh people? I'm English and went to a Welsh uni and ended up staying here, the schooling in Wales varies as it does in England. If the rating is excellent then the school is very good. My dd will be going to a Welsh school and I know that it is better rated than the school in England that I went to. If you do move please don't move with the view that England is better than Wales because the Welsh really won't like that, understandably.

TittyGolightly · 13/01/2018 08:58

If the rating is excellent then the school is very good.

Only if what Estyn are measuring is what is important to you.

DesignedForLife · 13/01/2018 09:04

I live in Wales and know teenagers going off to top universitys all around the UK, if that's anything to go by.

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