Richmond Borough Schools Chat 9

[ChrisSquire2]

This thread follows on from Richmond Borough Schools Chat 8 starting February 2016.
News and opinions on all the changes to schools in Richmond borough.

See also:

Richmond Borough Schools Chat 7 starting May 2015

Links to earlier threads (1-6), starting in February 2011

For those interested in feeding back their thoughts on Turing moving to Whitton, there is now a great deal of information on their specific "moving" website, where you can also give feedback as to your thoughts on both the move in general and any specific concerns / questions. Deadline though is quite soon to give any feedback at 27th July. anewhomeforturinghouse.co.uk

Just seen on twitter that Tiffin sixth form is admitting girls from 2019. I guess they must realise that after 5 years in an all-boys school their students might want a bit of normality in their lives!

Interesting that Tiffin Boys has decided to admit girls. The admission requirements for Tiffin Girls 6th Form last September were basically at least 10 A but for the Boys it was much lower so perhaps they are hoping to boost their results with all the girls who only got 9 A!

Well, maybe as with Waldegrave, where they compete for pupils of the opposite sex, their gain is another school’s loss. Coombe Girls? Grey Court?

I wonder if they lose quite a lot of boys after GCSEs because so many of them are commuting a very long way to get there. My friend's husband teaches there and says some of them come from North and East London. Perhaps by the time they are 16 they realise that they could study nearer home without spoiling their chances of becoming dentists or accountants? I know of 2 boys who got into Tiffin 6th Form last September from Teddington - one of them is a bit of a genius who had turned it down the first time round at 11 as the football there wasn't good or some other well-rounded reason and the other is bright but wouldn't have got into Tiffin Girls! Both of them would have gone to Esher if they had got in there I think. I suspect it will become another option to take bright children away from local 6th forms in LB Richmond.

I’m hearing that Waldegrave has appointed a new head – any ideas who?

Borough primary schools top league tables

Waldegrave head is Elizabeth Tongue. Any idea what her background is?

She's a deputy head at Tolworth Girls School.

which is a Very Good Thing because they got their outstanding grade in 2017 whereas Waldegrave's last inspection was in 2007. Wonder if they'll come in before PN leaves.

There is no doubt that Waldegrave is a great school.
Based on Progress 8
When you compare Waldegrave to other schools with a similar KS2 intake it comes 8th out of 55 (2017 data). Now that is not bad, it is great actually. Tolworth Girls’ school have a less able intake (average the points score for all pupils at the end of KS2) and rank 5th out of 55 similar schools. Both of these schools are doing very well with the pupils they get. So Ms Tongue will have a handle on what it takes to lead a successful school.
When you start to scratch the surface, you start to see that some schools need a kick up the backside... Look at, Christ, they are 35 out of 55, while Richard Challoner in Kingston borough who have students of the same ability and are 5th out of 55; these schools are in the same group. Teddington is a shocking 49 out of 55 similar schools - the same group of similar schools as Waldegrave would you believe? Twickenham School is 50 out of 55 - but I expect there to be huge improvements in 2018 results. Look for yourself: www.gov.uk/school-performance-tables

Mrs Nunn’s message says she is going to be working part time in education - www.waldegrave.richmond.sch.uk/153/headteachers-welcome

• doing what I wonder?

I suspect she may get snapped up by an Academy Chain, unless she's had a good offer from the likes of the misnamed Achieving for Children.

Isn't she going to be running the Richmond West Schools Trust? I just assumed that's what it meant but maybe wrong.

Is the Richmond West Schools Trust still operating? I understood that a multi academy trust can only operate with an outstanding school as part of the group. Waldegrave has now left and all the others, including Teddington School, are Require Improvement.
I have heard that Teddington School is suffering from not having a permanent Head Teacher. At the moment, Kathy Pacey is only acting. I heard that John Wilkinson is refusing to leave even though he has been on sick leave since the day after Ofsted. The governors would like to appoint a permanent Head but cannot at the moment. I think he was on the highest salary of all the Borough Heads so it is draining the school financially until they can move to one Head.

Yes, still operating, but it's just Twickenham School and Hampton High. Waldegrave pulled out after Teddington's Ofsted and Teddington pulled out too ... www.rwst.co.uk/. We got a letter shortly after that happened to say Waldegrave would still be involved, but not joining the trust. I think that must be when Waldegrave decided not to give priority to Twickenham School students any more too, because I remember that being proposed and then it looks like it was quietly dropped.

There surely must be lots of multi academy trusts around the country that don't have an outstanding school as part of them.

priority for sixth form I mean

I heard that John Wilkinson's contract was to be paid up until the end of August. What a disaster, financially and educationally.

The school could have performed better. In the academy system with shrinking budgets there are enough new challenges - on top of this was a school improvement plan for two other schools and new sixth form. But it didn’t go into special measures and he had a good record previously.

I have heard he was appointed on the understanding he would move the school from good to outstanding. Teachers reported an immediate down turn in discipline when JW arrived. The previous Head had been a stickler for good behaviour and the school was safe and orderly. In comparison, JW was weak and avoided the students. He moved the Head's office from the prow of the ship overlooking the whole school to a side area, away from hurly burly.
He was paid significantly more than any other Head Teacher in the Borough and presumably is still being paid at this level. On top of everything else it is such a financial drain on the school. So sad, for a school that should be outstanding and will be outstanding in a few years time.

It didn’t take long to figure out that JW had no presence and no support for teaching staff re discipline. He hid himself away and access via email or in person was cut off whilst behaviour deteriorated. Teddington School are fortunate to have retained some of their excellent teachers despite this debacle and I hope they can start to move forward again from next month.

Just compiled some A-level results from school websites, out of interest. To be honest. It’s impossible to judge when you don’t know prior intake (though could guess) or class sizes. And how your child did is all that matters. But Richmond comprehensives do fine compared to national average or even average private schools.

National average 26.4% A-A, 53% A-B

Grey Court 32% A-A, 65%A-B
Orleans Park 30% A-A, 55% A-B
Waldegrave 43% A-A, 78% A-B
Teddington ‘over’ 20% A-A, 58% A-B

Privates (girls here)
LEH A-A 74.4%, A-B 95%
Surbiton 50% A-A, 86% A-B
St Catherine’s A-A 33%, A-B 69%

RUTC news

Yes, it would be interesting to know the GCSE results of those entering the school sixth forms. It's certainly not all the best students from their much larger year 7 cohorts - they retain some students who wouldn't thrive in a larger 6th form college and they take in some of those who private schools don't want any more as worried about them dragging down the statistics by not getting As for A-level. I think they seem to be doing a good job on the whole. Now that Waldegrave is not going to be covertly selecting by insisting that everyone does 4 subjects in the first year their performance may dip a little in 2 years time.

For completeness, here are Christ’s figures: 21% A-A, 52% A-B.

Not the strongest in the borough, but tracking national average just about. I’d be interested to hear experiences of their sixth form so far, as considering options. Thanks.

Also, if it isn’t obvious, that’s exam entries not average grade per student. You could have one student out of four bagging all the A/A*s and still make ‘average’ 25% of all grades.

Good luck with new 1-9 rated GCSEs this week.