Would you send child to an outstanding Ark academy or go private?

[sailtrain]

Hi all

Looking for advice please. We have an outstanding Ark academy secondary school on our doorstep. Big on discipline and behaviour is very good. I’m impressed by it. I, myself went to a crappy state comprehensive and this is nothing like it. No fights and disruption on a daily basis here. But 40% FSM and they are dealing with kids with fairly low academic starting points. GCSE grades are average for a state comprehensive.

Our other option is two lovely private schools, perfect in most ways but one a 30 minute coach away, the other a 50 minute coach away, plus the burden of fees. The one which is a 50 minute coach away is significantly cheaper. I like the private schools a lot but it will be a constant burden for us. We are comfortable but not super rich.

What would you do?

No to Ark Academies. Horrible places.

What is the progress 8 score at the arc academy?

I have kids in a strict comprehensive, and I like it a lot. They feel safe and well looked after. It has 30% of children on free school meals - this comes with lots of extra funding and the school feels much better resourced than primary.

Why not try it for a couple of years - can you switch later if you need to?

Is it Ark Soane in Acton?

I went to comprehensive school, rough area. Told I'd amount to nothing because of my postcode. Now own my own vets practice. My cousin went to private school and has no academic awards to show for it. I think from experience if the family home and child want to work hard and strive for a better future, they will thrive wherever they are.

It would very much depend on what the private schools were like, but personally my instinct would be to dodge the Ark Academy if at all possible.

Our catchment school isn't an Ark but is run along similar high control lines. We'll be moving soon to avoid it for our DD. The kids are well behaved, but when we visited recently it just seemed utterly soulless and joyless and the students we spoke to were very subdued and seemed actively scared of staff. Such a contrast to a couple of others we've seen, where the children were falling over themselves to chat to us and tell us about their school.

Not sure what the curriculum offer is at Ark; but at the academy near us it's also very narrow, with options chosen in Year 8. It's obviously a means of optimising results, but to us feels cynical and stifling.

Wouldn’t send my rescue cat to an ark school…

Is ark the really full-on “eyes front” no talking between lessons academy chain? If so hell would freeze over before I’d send my child there. IMO there’s good discipline and there’s inappropriate military style regimentation.

Thank you for all your comments. I actually really like the Ark school. I went to a ‘nurturing’ secondary school and kids got away with murder. Constant disruption, ‘having a laugh’ to the point no one could learn and teachers were bargaining with and coaxing these kids to behave when really they needed to be put in their place. We have an alternative state school option like this and I would send DS there as an absolute last resort. It’s a big reason why we were considering private in the first place! To avoid such places. So the Ark school is refreshing for me actually. It’s more that I worry DS might miss out on extra-curricular opportunities and public speaking/critical thinking/cultural opportunities; also the confidence a private education often brings…

@KewpieQp this is exactly what I feel like. Yes it’s a good idea to try it for a few years and perhaps switch down the line.

My son is at a "strict" school. He is really happy and he was one of the "chatty" ones at his primary school constantly being told to stop talking. Go for it and worst case you can change your mind at a later date.

If its the one in Wembley then please pm me!

Thanks for sharing @roses2

It’s Ark Pioneer in Barnet, if anyone has any personal experience

I dint know Ark but my son went to a school that got a bit strict/military but it actually got better. It was safer. Less sexual assaults, less fights, much much less disruption. When he started nearly every class had a violent episode but that stopped. It did oracy as a subject, there was music and drama and art and sports so not just English, maths and science.

Can you look at the provision for extra curricular and for the subjects tgat do t count in progress 8 as they give a good feel for a school. Also see if drama are t putting on a Christmas show you can go to
.

Your priority is to provide the environment where your child will most flourish.

So think about what your child needs, will they cope better in a large or small environment? Do they need the confidence boosting of extra-curriculars? Are they settled with a good friendship group?

Is one school more sporty than another? More stem-focused? More arty? Better music provision? What are your child's latent talents.

My DS is a maths head, he loves science and engineering. We chose the school that would best foster those talents.

Are Ark Academies one of those schools where lunches are eaten in silence? I wouldn’t send my kid to a school like that if they were anxious or were scatty and likely to forget to remain silent.

It looks like dinner is eaten in small groups with staff and conversation from the behaviour policy.

Ark and spend the money you save on tutors.

With that choice, I'd go for the Ark.

Not so much because of the financial sacrifice though - families can be just as happy in small houses having cheap holidays.

But principally because that much time sitting in a coach/bus is not good. It isn't healthy for the child, it makes their day very long, it means they're exhausted before they even start homework, and it gives little spare time for family life, rest, and extra-curricular activities. Plus their friends will live quite some distance away.

There's a free school near you with excellent discipline, a good social mix, a reputation for getting the best from children academically. And this would give your child time to relax, to see friends, to develop some skills outside of school whether music, sport, art or something else, and to maybe have a Saturday job in a few years, which helps them mature more than any school!

You'd have more time together as a family (and these are such important years to be around for each other).
And you'd be able to afford to give your child some more financial support through university or a house deposit or whatever seems widest.

Thank you @Meadowfinch
Son is also very interested in STEM and it’s well catered for at the Ark.

@Frowningprovidence
Totally agree, these military style schools work and kids can feel safe and relaxed to learn. We will check out if they have a drama play to attend. It will be useful to see the kids in action. Thank you for your help.

@HowDoYouSolveAProblemLikeMyRear
Thank you so much for this reply. I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, that’s my greatest worry, that DS will be sitting on a coach for 50 minutes every day and just hate it, plus be completely exhausted and fed up once home. The school half an hour away also has many mandatory after school clubs which make for a very long day. We are very close as a family right now and I’m nervous that the private school life will take over and not give us family time.

I have a daughter in year seven at Ark Pioneer. So far so good. The curriculum is broad and the support for SEN superb. The discipline is given too much weight - friends in other local schools report similar. She does get stressed by the idea of getting a check - punishment - for not doing something but that focuses her on doing the thing she’s meant to do. It isn’t soulless. My only complaint would be that there is little fun at lunch as it’s mainly standing around in the playground or going to the library, but I’m not sure what to expect beyond that. It’s inclusive and supportive and I’ve been really impressed so far

If you are talking about Ark Soane Academy School I don't recommend it. This school is very toxic who don't care about your child's well being or mental health. This school only cares about it's reputation. It's all an act to impress others and to trick them into this school. A lot of good kids left this school including Japanese kids. In this school headteacher openly admitted that they favour kids in this school and not every kids get treated fairly. This school can go as far as picking your own child's GCSE's without caring about what parent have to say. This school has no respect for parents and very good at manipulating & blackmailing. Teachers in this school are free to change rules whenever they fell like and abuse their powers. The food is cold and discusting. My child had stomach ache every time after school and you are not allowed to bring packed lunch. After long years of mental torture I have made a decision and changed my child's school. My child's is so happy now, glowing finally can breath and now can choose her own GCSE's.

Is your child a high, middle or low achiever? You need to see how his cohort achieve in the different schools.

I’d chose the state as I think 30-50 mins each way on a coach is too far. I’d start at the state and see how your child goes. They will also have local friends whereas the private schools will have DC scattered all over.

Most secondary schools in Barnet are good. I'm assuming the school that you didn't like is TTA? Are you out of catchment for everything else?

I would move house. I would seek to move close to a state secondary school with much higher % DC getting GCSEs.

I’d not choose a school 50 mins each way.

Year old thread. OP will have chosen a school by now