Schools in newton abbot v Bude

[Jem1709]

We currently live in newton abbot but also have a place in Bude where we spend weekends. Thinking about moving to Bude permanently and looking at St Petrocs. Bude primary hasn't fared well in ofsted and out of catchment for Stratton. Does anybody have any views on St Petrocs? If we decide to stay in newton abbot we are looking at stover (if we can't get DS into either canada hill or st michaels - both of which have outstanding ofsted, although we may decide not to apply if we visit and don't like them). So thinking about stover as a backup or possibly as a first choice. We have visited and it seems nice.
Any constructive thoughts on either? I don't want to hear how great blundells, exeter school etc or any of the other prep schools are that aren't local to me. I don't have time in the day to spend hours on the school run so can only consider the schools in close proximity to us.

But I'm not prepared to send DS to a ropey school just because we are in it's catchment. So the only alternative is to go private. And stover is the closest prep school. I may be criticised for not being prepared to spend 3 hours of my day on the school run . I'm sure many parents would. But I won't

I understand that completely. I have done the same. I will repeat, Stover prep is excellent.

Why do places like Stover and St Petrocs call themselves Prep schools,they really arent,they are private primary schools and that is how they should be judged,to compare them with real prep schools is laughable.

Also Jem, from experience, as I live pretty well where you do ( and God forbid I am a teacher too,so I know the game better than many), if you do choose a state school , even if you do get into a decent one, you will have to be prepared to private tutor your DC for any grammar school. You may well have to bite the bullet and private tutor anyway (depends on your DC's ability) even for a mediocre grammar school like Torquay. Anyone who disagrees that Torquay is not mediocre is also being less than truthful does not come into the league of super selective, only into the league of pretender. Anyone who tries to say otherwise is simply not being honest with you. I would also agree with a previous poster that S. Devon is a better option than Cornwall.

Remember too, that for all the nay sayers here, it was Stover that Roy Pike wanted to take over as a satalite grammar. So he obviously considered it the best of the local "private rubbish" to hear some here talk.. He didnt want Trinity. He didnt want St. Margarets. He didnt want any other. No mean back handed compliment.

Btw, look up the accounts of the schools before you decide. Stover is in profit and not likely to fail. Several others are not so lucky and may go the way of St. Margarets last year.

Why do you need to tutor?

The state schools will not prepare DC well enough to pass the 11+. I think it is very well known by most parents in NA that if you want your DC to pass the 11+ you have to be prepared to tutor to within an inch of their lives or go private to have any chance of passing. I have many friends who have had their DC tutored since they were 4/5 years old all for this one exam. I have known some who have sent their private and still done additional tutoring to ensure grammar school places. Its the way of life around here.

That is completely untrue and just mischievous scaremongering. State schools can and do 'prepare' children well enough to pass the 11+ (in terms of English and Maths, obviously they don't teach VR but VR is only one component of the exam here). Both my DDs passed the 11+ for both TGGS (and as it turned out the other Torbay grammars which surprised us a bit since we didn't realise they were results sharing) and Colyton (DD2 got her offer email today). Neither was tutored. Both went to a state primary school. Most of DD1's classmates were not tutored. Two of DD2's school friends have also been offered GS places neither was tutored.

Really.I know several from strong state schools round here who didn't tutor at all.

Looking at the syllabus it's hardly rocket science.If your kids are in a good or above school I fail to see why you'd need to tutor.

Xposted Herc

VR is just like following a puzzle book which most bright kids could do themselves.

Retro Exactly. Kids definitely benefit from a couple of practice sessions for timing and normalising exam conditions (so it's not all scary and unexpected on the actual day) but that's it. Tutoring from 4 years old? It's laughable. It doesn't happen. It wouldn't work.

Retro My kids have never had a problem with VR but I think it's fair to say that being shown a few samples on the familiarisation days isn't an unreasonable expectation. Anything other than that is overkill/waste of time.

My kids are only in a Satisfactory school and even I am starting to chill re a lot of it having got a bit more informed.Several kids have gone from our school.

Which kind of begs the question re the need of spending thousands a year on private education when you could go to any state school and spend far less(or do it yourself) if needs be on a bit of tutoring to cover any gaps in curriculum not covered.

If your dc are in a Good or above state school you're laughing.

To be fair, not everyone gets in, obviously, there are limited spaces - but to imply that you have to tutor exhaustively to stand any chance is blatantly untrue.

Like many I'm happy with the alternative(there are several good options)so not getting a place isn't crucial for us.Largely doing this because one of mine wants to- a lot!.

Retro My DS didn't want to do the 11+, wanted to go to the same school as his mates, and he is perfectly happy, and doing well, at the comp for which our primary is a feeder. The girls are a lot more driven than he is and they both made it perfectly clear where they wanted to go - but neither of them wanted nor needed tutoring. Nor would they have had the time what with all the extra curricular stuff they do.

I am not going to enter into any debate with you herc, retro or whoever it is joining you now (or are you changing names?). I would just put the question as this is MN and many threads have been about GS and tutoring, do I sound in tune with the more usual comments or those made by the posters referenced here?

I am only speaking as I find things. Others are so keen to bad mouth one school. I wonder why again? They have no apparent experince of that school or they would have said before now ( now watch one of them try and claim it - but I would say, why didnt you say before when it would have been valid?)

I have to say I think there does seem to be a "hate campaign" against this school being run here. Or at least a turn people off campaign. I(ts not justified and it doesnt help those like Jem or myself even.

I find it hard to work out why it is only when Stover School is mentioned that some people come out to play. Any other school and they say nothing. I recall last year being for a short time involved in a similar debate where some individuals were claiming the virtues of a school which shortly afterwards closed down ( and I said it was going to happen but was poo'd here!). I have the same feeling that this is going a similar way.

I do wonder why. I have seen this happen several times. Funny too how they are always here together.

All I can think is someone really has it in for Stover School and want to do anything and everything they can to make bad publicity

That is a situation I do not like.

Please remember, my DC and many like them are in Stover. What you are trying to say about me or my kids is not nice.

We all pay our money ( some of us more money than others) and we all take a choice. I know when I was looking at school I wanted other parents and people who knew the schools to tell me about them not those who clearly have an axe to grind ( but wont state quite what it is or why) and just want to make rude and snobbish comments.

I am sorry Jem, I am going to leave this debate now. If you want to know about Stover, PM me. Otherwise, good luck. As you know there arent many schools in Newton Abbott. If you have a ropey state one in your area, your choices are very limited. But I will say it again, there is nothing wrong with Stover, it just seems to have some determined to give it bad press.

Yes my dd is adamant she doesn't want to go.

Most state primary schools round here have successful applicants don't they.When we visited the school they said many don't tutor which is why they have those taster days.

Tbf if kids go to a strong primary and need years of tutoring from the age if 4 on top maybe they shouldn't be there.

There are many {upils in Torquay grammarschool who should not be there- hecnce I called it mediocre and hence it does not get the kind of results one would except of a good grammar school. That speaks for itself.

Methinks, you are all protesting too much.

Why shouldn't they be there, hmmm?

But why shouldn't they be there? That's the bit I don't understand.

As to the results - I posted a link to them already. Apparently they are a tissue of lies, all the results are inflated except Stover's which have been deflated by some nefarious person or persons with an axe to grind against the school and an ability to fiddle with official results.

Too many parents claim their children are not tutored when they have been. I beginning to think some posters here are a giant wind up.

Beware to all readers.

It always looks good to post alink, especially one toCornwall (Cornish Guardian or Times?) Not sure because it didnt work. Besides,thats not even the local rag.

But it does look good to those who dont bother to continue.

I think the intent behind all this is hinting at being a bit nasty. Not sure what is going on here
Its gone well off topic.