Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Local

Find conversations happening in your area in our local chat rooms.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Feeder State Schools for Grammar in WA14 area of Altricham

75 replies

mah24 · 07/01/2017 00:29

Hi All, we are moving to Alty WA14 area by end of the month. Looking for good State schools who can help my 2 daughters to prepare for the Grammar Schools (8 year and 6 year old)

Checked the admission office and were told that only school we can get the place for both girls is Broadheath Primary. Not sure how good is the school?

We are currently considering two properties for renting. One in Bowdon Vale area near Bollin School (Apparently no place for us at the moment). This property is bit dated and not our first preference. The reason we are considering this is due to closer to Bollin and some good grammar schools.

The second property is near Oldfield Brow Primary School (again no places). This property is very good and we loved it as home. Only concern is a out of catchment area of some good schools such as Bollin.

It is more closer to Broadheath PS as compared to the other though.

We are confused now. Not sure which property to choose and which one is better in long run. Any help/suggestions will be appreciated.

PS- we are non Christian so not sure will get any place in the Church schools if the demand is already so high?

Cheers

OP posts:

AtomHeart · 25/01/2017 13:02

Just bear in mind that kids from Stockport, Warrington, Manchester and Trafford are in competition for the Trafford grammars. Personally, unless my children were consistently in the top 10% in their class, I'd be looking at areas with the best comprehensives.

Buttwing · 25/01/2017 13:50

Atom I agree. If I knew what I knew now I wouldn't have moved to Trafford. I would have gone to Knutsford or Lymm. More for your money when buying a house and good secondary schools. Much better no pressure, but as we've started here we are a bit stuck plus dp loves it.

mandy214 · 25/01/2017 14:42

Actually Wellington gets better results than Knutsford or Lymm, even though (apparently) the top tranche locally has been creamed off by the grammars. But from a pressure of living local to the grammars is a whole different story - my friend lives in Knutsford and did put her DS in for the entrance exam but says she did not have a single playground conversation about it whereas here every playground conversation for months was about it

Buttwing · 25/01/2017 15:02

Mandy you're right but it's more about the whole passing/failing thing. I went into it very naively and didn't realise just how brutal it is.
Dd is at the catholic grammar and in this years intake 26 girls came as the only child from their primary school and girls are travelling from miles and miles away it must be so so tiring fir them.

mandy214 · 25/01/2017 17:43

I can't remember which way the digits are, its either 34 or 43 girls in the same position at AGGS - they even hold a day in the summer for the "singles" all to meet each other before the start of the first term.

And don't get me started on distance.....

Buttwing · 25/01/2017 19:43

Wow that's a lot but saying that it doesn't massively surprise me.
I'm pretty sure dd2 won't sit the exams as she struggles academically and even if she did pass I really don't think it would be the right environment for her. She's still young though so maybe things may click as she gets older.
I'm really hoping that north cestrian becomes as good as the rumours say it's going to be!

itsahen · 25/01/2017 23:07

Hooray for staying in Manchester and why most of the Manchester parents are not pro any plans for grammars. Some do go for it, but the majority escape the tutoring and pressure and enjoy a less stressful life and some brill comps with solid results.

AtomHeart · 29/01/2017 17:17

Where I am in Manchester, parents are obsessed about the Trafford Grammars. It is crazy! Most of the entrants do not pass though.

itsahen · 29/01/2017 19:42

Atom I think it depends which school you are at. I found that there was a lot of obsession about it for parents of 3-4 year olds but those who thought like that then moved to Trafford. By yr3/4 in our school those people have moved area or gone private. Lots do give it a go and I know several who got places at Trafford Grammars and then chose to go to schools like Parrswood/Priestnall/Chorlton etc. I have seen a greater obsession within certain RC schools wanting places at Ambrose and Loreto

opalfire · 22/02/2017 19:52

Might be too late for you OP but have you considered Well Green? DD is in Y9 at Aggs. That year about half of the DC in Well Green and about half in Stamford Park got into one of the Grammars (Alti/Sale/Loreto/)

mandy214 · 22/02/2017 22:01

I think the exams are completely different now than they were even 2 or 3 years ago.

Original poster

mah24 · 03/04/2017 18:43

Hi All, just a question. What do you think of Bollin after recent issues with the Headteacher.

There is possibility we may get admission in Bollin or Oldfield for one of daughters but I am confused which school should we go if offered the space.

Any advice based on current/future performance will be appreciated.

OP posts:

theknackster · 04/04/2017 15:14

The head that Trafford parachuted in to Bollin is the one from Tyntesfield, and as such if she stays at Bollin you would imagine it will be just fine.

Re: Oldfield Brow and this thread, about half the current Y6 passed one or more of the 11+ exams, I understand.

Original poster

mah24 · 04/04/2017 19:03

Thank you for the reply . If you have to choose only one out of two what would you choose ?

BTW Bollin's new ofsted report is out which made it a terrible school in almost all aspects.

OP posts:

theknackster · 05/04/2017 10:17

I don't know enough about Bollin PS to make that call, really...I've been happy with OBPS, if that's any help.

I'd definitely consider non-grammar secondary school fallback options and catchment areas, though - Wellington was back to

itsahen · 15/04/2017 09:46

The ofsted for Bollin is really shocking. I heard that only a couple of DC from there got into AGSG and AGSB which I thought was odd but having read the ofsted now I'm not sure. From what ofsted say the school has been cruising for some time and no strong leadership.

Original poster

mah24 · 17/04/2017 09:42

Hi itsahen- yes it is shocking but I think it should be better going forward and the report may have been biased.

Anyway, we still have a week to decide and I am still confused. Bollin has better sports and after school clubs which was one of the key reason for our preference and also better historical results.

Oldfield does not seems to have many clubs but better results recently.

Any input with parents whose children are currently in both schools , will be appreciated.

OP posts:

Eggster · 17/04/2017 19:52

Back on the grammars chat - what pees me off more than anything about the grammars is that kids from outside the catchment i.e. Trafford borough are offered places.

I know it's small numbers and I get the whole thing about super-selective but aside from that, why should local school places go to kids from outside the area? I can't put my kid up for a place in an outstanding secondary in another borough, as they wouldn't get a place due to being out of catchment, so why should 'our' kids lose places to kids from elsewhere then have to travel ling distances to other schools? Also the existence of the grammars clearly leaves a negative mark on the secondary schools in the borough, as many of them are not great. It's infuriating madness. A bit off topic, I know.

Robotwars · 17/04/2017 21:52

Also the existence of the grammars clearly leaves a negative mark on the secondary schools in the borough, as many of them are not great.

I'd disagree with this. As few local children achieve Grammar places, the rest go to other schools which are all Good and Outstanding.
I have 2 children in Sale High (Good with Outstanding Features) who are thriving and doing very well academically and socially (as they have local friends).

itsahen · 18/04/2017 09:59

Anyone can apply to any school and many DC go cross borders into Manchester etc. The Trafford secondary schools are fine as far as I know - but the whole grammar thing creates a horrible dynamic and competitiveness. I know people at Bollin but people are keeping their cards close to their chests: I suspect they are trying to work out what is going on themselves

Eggster · 18/04/2017 10:20

Anyone can apply to any school, but when you're out of catchment you are are at the bottom of the admissions list. It's fine to go out of the area if a specific school suits an individual child or for other good reasons, but it seems like many do because of poor options.

Also, if so few Trafford children achieve grammar places - am I the only one that thinks there's something wrong there? Like I said, I get and know very well how super-selectives work, I just think local schools should first and foremost serve local children.

itsahen · 18/04/2017 10:23

What percent of children at the SS grammars are from outside Trafford? I thought it was only tiny numbers

Eggster · 18/04/2017 10:44

The most recent data I can find is this, from a few years ago:

www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/number_of_non_trafford_pupils_en

Not insignificant. In some cases between a third and a quarter of the allocations.

itsahen · 18/04/2017 10:52

Yes Stretford I see - I guess as so close to Chorlton etc and AGSB is very high too!

zanuda · 26/05/2017 18:17

About getting kids ready for entrance exams. A friend of mine got both of her kids to grammar schools. What she did, she found very old textbooks, (those we used at school :) ). 10 min a day for 2 years she was making them doing all the problems, page by page. And last half a year before exams they were doing mock papers (everything from internet and from shops) if not every day them maybe 3 times a week.

Flip

1 2 3