Calling Winchester mums!

[Ouchy]

Hello,

I am looking for some advice about schools in the area. We will be moving in the next year or two with two mid-primary age children. We are not sure of which are the most highly regarded primaries (ofsted outstanding only tells me so much and I'd be equally happy with good rated schools as long as the leadership and ethos was appealing).

We don't know how likely we are to be able to get our children into the more popular primaries as I'm guessing they may be full/high in demand. We do know which two secondary catchments we'll be aiming for, but not sure which are the nicest neighbourhoods within those catchments.

There's no real rush as we're talking a 1 to 2 year timescale to research and prepare (including area visits).

Any advice, opinions or reality checks would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance
(I will phone the LEA too but I always find fellow mums are the best source of information!)

Western is very good!

St F’s and St B’s are considered ‘the best’ but all the primaries are fine! Stanmore has had some staff issues recently so I wouldn’t be keen on that, although by the time you Iive here that could have all changed again. Western I agree is lovely, you just need to look past the slightly run down buildings. Westgate offers lots of extra stuff like French and Chinese.

Thank you!

I agree Western, Westgate and St Bede are all excellent. St Faith’s does not appeal to me personally. I also know people who use the village schools and are very happy with them.

People in some other areas of the country would bite your hand off for any of the 3 secondary schools.

Westgate is an 'all through' school now which you may or may not like the idea of.

Thank you all. 🙂 Yes Teentimestwo, the secondaries are a major draw for us.

Weeke is a great school. I've also heard good things about Westgate.

Also have a look at surrounding schools. Owlesbury and West Meon Primaries are amazing and Perins in Alresford (very expensive for houses though) is a fantastic secondary - lots of children from Winchester go there.
If it doesn't have to be Winchester, have a look at Alton which has amazing schools both at Primary and Secondary. You get a bit more house for your money in Alton and it's the first stop on the train into London so plenty of seats if you are commuting.

please stay clear of westgate secondary, coming from someone on the inside. their bullying cover up is horrendous.

Oh no @dolphin50 what happened?

Cheriton Primary has just been graded ‘outstanding ‘ by ofsted.

I was a pupil there about 5 years ago and I wouldn't go to school because of the bullying I received there. It was brutal, physical and mental. The school never fined my mum for my lack of attendance as they told her they refused to do anything about the bullying and just wanted me to attend. It was all covered up as they didn't want themselves to get a bad name. I have heard similar stories from others in recent years. You'd think this would have happened in an inner city rough school but not in a school called amazing. A lot of schools that say they don't have a bullying issue, cover it up as the ones who acknowledge it, have systems in place to discipline rather than pretend it doesn't happen whilst it does

From what I've heard, I'd avoid Westgate, too.

Kings is considered 'the strongest' of the three comps, but be aware, they stream, and to the best of my knowledge, a bit oddly, in that if you're in 1A for Maths, you're automatically in the top set for MFL... someone will hopefully be along soon to confirm or correct that. But I know it's very much public knowledge if you're top- or bottom stream.

It also feels quite grammar school-like, and can be a bit tribal, encompassing as the catchment does, posh Winchester, leafy villages and a large council estate (Stanmore).

Henry Beaufort is the weaker of the three (tho, as @Teen says, is amazing compared to many comps, nationwide). Used to have issues with a more transient army-kid population.

Another possible school is Thornden, in Chandlers Ford, feels very much like a comp, flexible setting etc, very MC intake, great results.

You can't go far wrong around Winchester, tho, WG not withstanding.

Thanks for your further responses and the inside information. I did wonder about the pastoral side at the secondaries.

Cheriton school has recently been rated as Ofsted outstanding, but is losing many children to Alresford and Ropley as there seem to be problems there with discipline and SEN provisions.

Someone said Westgate are getting good GCSE results because they are making their KS3 stage shorter and teaching GCSEs over three years. Not sure what to make of that.

RHT I think many schools are doing this for at least some GCSEs.

My DD2's school (nearby town to Winchester) is now starting the science syllabus at the start of y9 which is a change from when DD1 did GCSEs. English seems more 'GCSE like' too, though they haven't started the set texts.

I don't think I'd be all that happy with picking options in y8 though, many kids will only be 12, it seems too early to be choosing.