Oldfield Brow Primary

[vicwas82]

Any views? We're moving to the area and have been offered a place here. I grew up in Hale but I'm not that clued up on local primary schools now. It has an outstanding Ofsted report, but it is in apparently in a socially mixed area. The thing I'm concerned about is whether my son will fit in and whether the fact that lots of kids (acc. to Ofsted report) start out with below average attainment - the school seems to remedy this and raise the standards, but if your child already is average or above and has a family who value education/help at home etc, will he be ignored? Will they still push him? We are no.1 on the waiting lists for Bollin and Stamford Park - any views on these as comparison schools? Also, does anyone know which secondary schools children from here tend to go on to? Many thanks

Sweeping statement as I don't know any children who go there, but just from a "perception" point of view, I'd think Bollin would be classed as the best of those schools, Stamford Park 2nd and Oldfield Brow 3rd. I do know children at both SP and the Bollin and parents are v happy.

Secondary - it depends on where you live at the time of applying for secondary schools, there aren't any "feeder" type schools. Depending on catchment / success in entrance exams / religious background, Altrincham Boys / Sale Grammar / St Ambrose / Wellington / Altrincham College of Arts / Ashton on Mersey.

Thanks for that info, very helpful!

Accept and go and look at all 3. A friend of mine chose Bollin over Stamford. The highest achieving is actually Bowden CofE ... They all have the advantage of pushy middle class parents and lots of tutoring going on for grammar schools. I have heard that the CofE is great for academic children but not otherwise ... Bollin has wrap round care etc

If it's outstanding it should mean that they push the top children too. A mixed catchment has advantages. You may find that it's really great

Would have to disagree with that, the church school is a great school whether the child is academic or not. They are obviously very proud of their results but the ethos is definitely on every individual child irrespective of Oxbridge potential!!

I have no first hand knowledge of BCofE but have passed on what a couple of people who have kids there have said. One said it was great for their 1st DC but wrong for their second, who was less studious. Another just said it was highly academic with lots if homework, a daily reading book etc Some prefer schools with little home work and more extra curricular time.

I have first hand experience and whilst there is homework and they really do push reading, there is lots of extra curricular activity going on. I dont think it was included in the OPs choices though so we're going off topic now

bit late for the OP I guess, but for any others in future:

I've got two at Oldfield Brow, both in juniors now. Intake is indeed a 'social mix', but the kids are all lovely and look after each other irrespective of background. My eldest is quite academic, my youngest less so - the school definitely push the elder and improve the younger, so I'd say they get the balance right.

Head is a star, and the teachers are very motivated and very good. The on-site after school club is a bonus. The school is doubling in size (this year it's got 2 reception classes etc), so it will be interesting to see how it changes! At the moment it is very 'personal', all the kids know all the others.