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Original poster

Holy Trinity Guildford

24 replies

AlisonLL · 20/06/2016 11:18

hi,
My son got a place in Holy Trinity school, and his infant school was not from Pewley down. That means he will lose all his friends from RY. Holy Trinity was an outstanding school, but got a 'need to improve' result in the last few years? I had a visit in the daytime by school pupils, looked good. A parent told me a child they knew was bullied there before.
Now I'm quite worried if it's worth to go there as it's a bit far from my home and my little one will go to school next year. i need to decide if i send little one to pewley down or boxgrove.
Any ideas?thanks

OP posts:
mummytime · 20/06/2016 12:46

The Ofsted has improved to Good. It has a new head.
You have 2 children? The older has got HT?
If that is correct. Do you live close to Boxgrove? Have you visited it? Do you like it as a school?

If you are worried about HT then accept the place and get yourself on the waiting list for schools you prefer, if there are any. You have until January if you are applying for a Reception places in 2017.

In my experience: some children love Holy Trinity and really do see it as the best place ever; some hate it and are miserable (and the school hasn't accepted this); and the rest see it as just a school and have an average experience. Sometimes the school doesn't recognise SN, no worse than lots of schools, but it does sell itself as special- which leads to extra resentment.
Bullying can happens, is sometimes dealt with effectively, sometimes isn't, sometimes children with SN are labelled as bullies rather than their behaviour supported.

It's not a bad school. And does make the best use of its fabulous location, and offers a lot of after school clubs.

Namehanger · 20/06/2016 18:19

I have had two at HT, didn't rate the past Headmaster but really like Clare, she taught both mine in Year 6.

It is big, there are some great teachers and some not so good as you would expect. I have a very challenging DS1 but Clare really 'got' him and he did well in her class. That gives me hope that the slightly dysfunctional attitude towards SEN has changed.

Hopefully someone else with more recent experience will come along.

On another tack it is great for kids to be around the corner from their friends, it makes yours and your kids life so much easier. Unless there is really a great reason to drive across town and do the horrendous park near school and hope you don't get a parking ticket. Boxgrove is a good school and your kids will meet the same sort of kids etc..

mummytime · 20/06/2016 19:49

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Namehanger · 21/06/2016 08:16

Agree with Mummytime that SENCO provision at HT is severely lacking.

TuttiFrutti · 21/06/2016 09:25

I have a dc at Holy Trinity and can't speak highly enough of it. My dc is extremely happy there and loves the lessons.

No personal experience of bullying there, but I know of one girl who was bullied last year and the school dealt with it very well. Bullying is not widespread at all - in fact I would say less common than in other schools. There is a happy atmosphere and most pupils and staff get on well.

No personal experience of SENCO provision.

mummytime · 21/06/2016 14:19

Wow my first deletion! Now did the SENCO herself complain?

Original poster
AlisonLL · 22/06/2016 10:03

thanks for your message. yes, we do live closer to Boxgrove. but it looks like it's difficult to get a place there. to be honest, i'm thinking to get my son accept HT place, but i might apply for boxgrove for my little one next year. i hate travelling everyday to town centre, but that means i'll have to travel three years between these two schools.

OP posts:
mummytime · 22/06/2016 10:08

You can go on the waiting list for Boxgrove, and with 3 form entry you might get a place. Have you considered St Thomas's? Catholic but lots of people like it (and not everyone is Catholic).
If you do have 2 DC at different schools, you may be able to sort out lift shares. HT also starts pretty early, and has lots of free after school clubs as well as the paid for group.
The biggest advantage HT has over Boxgrove is the use of the outdoors; outdoor classrooms, and time spent on the downs.

Original poster
AlisonLL · 22/06/2016 10:42

thanks mummytime. I asked Boxgrove and i was told their waiting list is farily long. i did think to put him in the waiting list in boxgrove, but that means my son will face another transit between schools:(
by the way, what's SENCO?

OP posts:
mummytime · 22/06/2016 10:46

But where you are on the waiting list depends on the admission criteria not when you ask to go on. So if you live next door you can go straight to the top.
A SENCO is the person in charge of co-ordinating special needs provision in a school (Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator), every school has one.

Original poster
AlisonLL · 22/06/2016 11:25

we are not that close to Boxgrove. i filled in a form last year and recently i asked them what's the status and said we were the 8th... that's why we decided to apply for HT because my son faced to enter year 3 this September.
About the problem you mentioned about the parking ticket, it is a big issue.

OP posts:
mummytime · 22/06/2016 11:57

Well the best thing is to get him into HT (and on waiting lists of schools you prefer). You then have a term before you have to decide which school to apply for your little one. You will be in the school and have much more idea about the school - and a change of head does change a lot of things, my nightmare scenario is applying for a school just about to get a new head as you can't be sure you will end up with the "same" school in a couple of years.

HTPD is usually pretty open about you visiting and seeing around the school too (just do it before Christmas is in full swing).

I drive to GA from close to HT and it takes 10/15 minutes to get there, and only a little longer to get back. After school if you are coming down the Epsom road, as long as you get along the road before St Peter's finishes it isn't that long. And you may well be able to arrange lift shares etc.

Namehanger · 23/06/2016 20:51

Well done mummytime - impressed by your SENCO deletion!

SENCO means special needs co-ordinator in charge of the schools provision. Obviously if you have no need of it then not a problem. In her favour my sons year was a shocker of special needs requirements, but really the way it was dealt with was terrible.

Namehanger · 23/06/2016 20:54

Alison, to be honest the parking attendants rarely come up to the school but they do sometimes and you might get a ticket.

For all my negative comments it is a pretty good school and hopefully under better leadership now.

mummytime · 24/06/2016 06:58

Lots of parents do a drive by pick up. So children wait by the top of the path next to the school, and are then herded back into school when the staff monitoring go back into school. Or some parents park in the road at the bottom. An alternative is to park on Pewley Hill (3hr parking bays), and walk down to the school by the path next to the field.

GreenTreeGreenPea · 03/07/2016 15:35

Any further details on non-Sen issues?
I looked before and felt there wasn't the academic focus I saw in other schools. It felt a bit wishy washy and hyped up. Perfect for some kids but not my quiet dd who wants calm and structure. This was under the old head though. Knowing how the curriculum and assessment expectations have ramped up at primary a lot more academic rigour is needed to meet the standards, I'm assuming the school have met this to get good. With their catchment it shouldn't be the same pressure though.

Are these judgements now very outdated?

mummytime · 04/07/2016 11:19

I don't know how it has changed.
But it got Good under the old head.
The new head was a prodigy of the old one.

A visit or present parents might be able to comment more.

Namehanger · 05/07/2016 08:40

'Good' probably because of the amount tutoring for private schools that went on. Probably 2/5th in both my boys years.

2 and 3 got into the RGS in my boy's years. 1 to GHS in one year that I know about. Loads to Tormead.

mummytime · 05/07/2016 11:16

That was always the case, more girls are going private (but then I've heard that houses close to the school have only been offered King's).
There used to be 7 ish to RGS, but even Lanesborough struggles to get boys in now.

Original poster
AlisonLL · 12/07/2016 09:23

I'm frustrating again now. I got an offer from Boxgrove in the last minute after we accepted Holy Trinity and told myself this one is good. now i face to choose a school again. Why can't they just let us know a bit earlier:(

OP posts:
Original poster
AlisonLL · 12/07/2016 09:34

GreenTreeGreenPea, you said you felt the school is not very academic focused, what kind of skills the they try to train their pupils?
Boxgrove does have advantages to us, it's closer and my little one can go there as well next year, and they have their own swimming pool. Life seems a lot easier. but it looks Holy trinity is more active and they have loads school ran after school clubs and free, as all the mummies said they had many outdoors activities. but it's far and i don't want my little one to go pewley down later.

OP posts:
mummytime · 12/07/2016 21:34

If you don't want your little one to go to Pewley (which was the better school) then I'd take Boxgrove.
They are different but both pretty good schools.

Original poster
AlisonLL · 13/07/2016 09:55

i just turned down boxgrove:(, because they don't have any after school club place, any day. sad.

OP posts:
Namehanger · 13/07/2016 18:28

That is one good thing about HT, they did not put any limits on after school care. It is very flexible.

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