Grammar School ( Westcliff high , Southend High) or Thorpe Hall

[Seasidestoryhere]

Hello mums,
I am looking for advice regarding secondary schools for my DS. He passed the 11+ this week and as we are in catchment he will be offered place at one of the local grammar schools.

We were pleasantly surprised but I imagine his make of 315 will place him in the lower end of the school. We did think that he would go to Thorpe Hall and are now undecided , please help !

His mark of 315

315 is an excellent incatchment mark for SHSB. IC cut off for WHSB was higher than 303 last year, so 315 doesn't look quite so good but your DD has done very well. Congratulations on having a choice of such great schools. Try and got to both the HTs evenings and then decide where seems the best fit.

Thank you for your reply @PerspicaciaTick, we will go along. My only worry is that he will find it difficult to keep up when he gets there especially when you consider the very bright boys from out of catchment. On the other hand there probably won't be any boys at Thorpe Hall who passed the 11+ so he might not fit in there academically either.

I think that SHSB has a reputation for being a little more sporty and relaxed whereas WHSB a little more elitist and intense. I think it depends on what sort of character he is.

I know people with DSs at both who really enjoy their schools but to warn you both give out a ton of homework.

Thank you @BrigitsBigKnickers, he is not sporty at all and not the type of boy who follows a football team etc. He's not afraid of hard so I think he will be expecting lots of homework. He does have to work hard though, not a genius by any means.

We didn't send him for tutoring as I felt although it might help him pass, I know of children who struggle when they get there. We did past papers and used a verbal reasoning books but that was it.

I was surprised when passed and friends who children attend the local independent schools didn't, even though in some cases they have attended tutoring since year 3 or 4. My DS is at a state school

Most of them will go to Thorpe Hall now which was our original intention as our catchment state secondary school has a poor reputation.

My DS has just started at SHSB and isn't at all sporty. He is loving all the other clubs and activities (which are a huge part of school life) and the induction process has been great.

I had one son at Westcliff High and another at Southend High, and I would say they are both good schools. Of the two, I would choose Westcliff, because ds1 was happier there than ds2 was at Southend.

My impression was that Southend was better for sport - but I could be wrong about that, and anyway, it was a few years ago.

That you both , was there any particular reason why your son was unhappy at Southend ?
I am a little concerned that because my son's mark is 315 is towards the lower end that school will pay more attention to the top sets , my well be wrong in my assumption.

Apologies, all the mistakes
Thank you both 😊

I would have thought that if your son passed without tutoring he should be fine keeping up.
And regarding your concern about out of catchment peers, that's a small proportion (and they might have been heavily tutored).

I wouldn’t worry about 315 being low-your son passed without formal tutoring, he will be fine at either.

Which is easier for you to get to logistically?

I would avoid Thorpe Hall, but that’s for other reasons!

I think if he got 315 with no tutoring then you have nothing to worry about. I don't know many kids who don't get tutored for the grammars in Southend.

My friends son isn't sporty and originally wanted to go to WHSB but as he was out of catchment didn't quite have a high enough mark ( think he got around 335) He got a place a SHSB and seems to be really enjoying it so I don't think the sporty thing matters so much.

Thank you, that is very helpful advice.
@Letseatgrandma , can I ask why would you avoid Thorpe Hall ? It's hard to get an honest opinion in the area ?

@BrigitsBigKnickers, The children of friends who attend local independent school definitely all tutor. I'm sure the vast majority of state school parents don't, it makes me wonder what the benefit of private education is at primary level is.

All the kids I know who have been at state primaries who passed the 11+ have been tutored. It's a pretty big business in Southend with 4 grammar schools not to mention the others in Chelmsford and Colchester.

@BrigitsBigKnickers , possibly at the ' better' schools this may be the case. Many of the parents at my son's school don't have the means.
Most will go on to the catchment senior which is a failing school by all accounts. That's why we were considering Thorpe Hall .

Either grammar is better than THS. 315 is a solid IC score. Your son will likely have better academic results from the grammar.

Rightly or wrongly I would consider THS after their safeguarding incident a few years ago.

@brentwoodbaby, have I missed something.
I have received a few raised eyebrows when I mentioned Thorpe Hall but that was more to do with the acidemic level of the school , I think .

Academic level

@Seasidestoryhere - ds1 was in the bottom third of the 11+ results, and did well at Westcliff - he was there until the middle of year 9 when we moved to Scotland. We certainly felt that all the sets were considered equally important.

Ds2 was less happy at Southend, because he was bullied - he liked the school and was doing well there academically, but maybe they could have done more about the bullying. We would have pushed for more action on it, if we hadn’t moved.

Both of them went on to do well at their new school, and I’m sure WHSB and SHSB were good for them.

Thank you @SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius,
That is very helpful, I'm so pleased that it worked out for your sons. We are leaning towards Westcliff I think.