Is it worth trying for a place at Redland Green School?

[Brainwracked]

We are moving to the Bristol area and can't decide between Redland Green and Backwell Schools. Is it worth makig the effort to get our DD into Redland Green? We would have to pay through the nose to rent a house within 700 metres of the school and although we would love to live there, chances are we wouldn't get a place at the school anyway since we won't be moving until March or April. I think Backwell School is good for performing arts, which is DD's main interest, but we worry about becoming isolated in a small community and having to commute a lot to Bristol. Can anyone share experience of this?

This wasn't a thread about anything other than someone asking where they should send their child to school, I didn't recommend that the OP come and live near me and wouldn't have been offended if someone had mentioned the fact that there is a prison and known paedophiles, as shown on TV, because it's true. AS I said there are a variety of nice and not so nice all over Bristol, just that Easton and St.Pauls whose children could have gone to Cotham school does have certain frightening social problems. Apparently that's unfair or unkind to point that out. However it's okay to talk poverty but send your children to a private school, single sex....good with the principles and not so at sticking to them.

And apparently it's okay to call someone racist and prejudiced but not a liar.

Excellent post, aarghmyeyesmyeyes.

PosieParker: 'there are places which are home to more frightening problems where you wouldn't want to raise a family'.

NB news flash: lots of people - including, shock horror, middle class professionals - can't afford to live in Redland, Clifton, Bishopston etc. Hell, we can't even afford to live in South Bristol. So there are lots of us who don't have a huge amount of choice about which leafy suburb we raise our families in, but are finding that some of the areas you scorn are actually nice, friendly inclusive places.

Doesn't sound to me like the OP is the sort of person who can't afford to choose where she lives. Sounds to me like Posie is just offering an outsider some insider knowledge of the area, in the same way as thousands of Mners have done before. I remember when I moved to this area, asking Bristolians their opinion of various areas, wanting to know where the more family orientated areas were. Nowt wrong with that imo.

You are all picking on the OP because she wrongly used one word (and apologised for it) and picking on Posie for trying to assist the OP. Have you noticed the OP has been absent from the debate for some time? She is probably making plans to live in Scotland now!

Two things:

*posie^ - give it a rest and stop stirring.

With reference to HooNose's comment, I still take offence. OP did use the phrase 'rougher ethnics' and then apologised because of the reaction. Not because of the dodginess of her views. If she is a racist bigot, she should have the courage of her convictions, not moderate her language to be more socially acceptable.

I don't object to pulling OP up on racist or bigoted views.

My objection is those people who are sneering at someone who might just have the flexibility to choose a "nicer" (whatever that may mean - it is a subjective word after all) place to live.

This discussion has been fascinating because I've learned about social issues in Bristol from you people who live with them. Although my original concern was to ask for suggestions about schools, I feel grateful to PosieParker and indeed the rest of you for thrashing out the subject, which has been a crash course for me regarding both knowledge of city life and my position on the subject. Our DD may go to Backwell but my heart will be in Bristol.

Queen, have a coke and a smile.

lets just hope little precious doesn't come in to contact with any nasty "ethnics" in Backwell then.

Ignorance is never an excuse for racism.

actually I'm livid that you think there are children out there who are not worthy of going to the same school as your child grrrrrr

Ninja....Did you seriously just blindly send your child to any old school without a single thought?

Argh....can you point me to the racist bit? And I'm pretty sure threatening me on this forum is erm well illegal.

thought not.

Argh....you can't live that close to me as all of the schools around my way are white middle class schools...

@ "Fuck you. Thing is, I've seen your pics. I'll recognise you, but you have no way of recognising me."

Is this Mumsnet?

Hoo....Do you think racist when you read this thread? (except for the OP?) because aside from a couple of Riven's and Obama's posts I really cannot see the racist element.

Meh.

Time for a namechange.

I'll still be avoiding posie and her ilk on the street, though

Fucking hell, actually I am arsed off with the constant tip toeing around issues. There are places I'd rather live and places I'd rather not, I don't see why I'm not allowed to say that...we're all different. I would imagine MNers living in Stapleton don't want to be called racist or their schools but noone picks up on that. Just if you say that there are social problems.

MN and it's double standards, of course you have to be poor but happy with your lot, much better to moan about being poor than to admit you've come into money. Much better to send your dcs private than look for a really good state school because apparently that means you have shitty motives.

Argh.... the audacity. You have just threatened me and you think people are going to join in your fun and laugh, what are you the school bully?

I sent him to the only one we were in the catchment area for.
Unless you have the means to move there is only an illusion of choice.
I get involved with the school (secondary) and take an interest in his education.
I hate the ghetto-isation of schools and don't think it does any good for our society.

And for the record, most people on my street work their arses off and pay through the nose for houses they can just about afford to get into nice schools...so surely you shouldn't be anywhere near my street.

ha haaa.

I bullied no-one. Did you by the very fact that you were somehow better than them? cos that's exactly what you're doing here by claiming that your little darlings will not be subjected to the 'rougher' elements of society.

I'm off.

See ya!

Not from you Posie no. I saw this, as I think you did, more as a question of where Brainwracked thought her children would fit in socially but even that seems to be being attacked here.

I am astonished that wanting your children to fit in with their environment is so frowned upon here. I thought it was what dictated the school choices of most parents throughout the country.

Why would I want my children subjected to the rougher elements? They are my children not soldiers. Who wants that?

Perhaps tonight you should take you dcs out on the streets and give them an education on rough....there's a fabulous outreach project in Easton that takes hot meals to prostitutes, or the Wild Goose that feeds the homeless, they'd love some help.