Chesterton Community College vs Impington Village College

[lucylike77]

Hi,
We are looking to move within Cambridge and would like to consider secondary school catchment when looking for houses. We initially were planning to move towards CCC catchment but now are a bit unsure. Our DS is very bright but struggles with his learning and his confidence. We are in the process of getting him accessed for any learning difficulties. He is very artsy and likes the 'other' subjects like History or Science. We've heard that CCC is very academic and focused on grades we are a bit worried that there might be too much pressure. Has anyone got experience how CCC deals with children with learning difficulties and support for children that are not academic? Do they just fall by the wayside and have to muddle along? How does IVC fare in that respect? Do they stream by ability? I have heard they are more focused on arts and the 'other' subjects so was wondering if it was more suitable. Any advice would be much appreciated.

We have lots of friends with children at IVC and have always heard good things about it.

A couple of years ago CCC got rid of a lot of their TAs so support seemed to drop for any kind of extra need.

I’m intrigued by the idea there are no TAs at Chesterton. At secondary level it must mean zero children with additional needs on register as even very minor needs require occasional TA input. Oh hang on I know 2 children there and one has a TA all the time

@mastertomsmum

I’m intrigued by the idea there are no TAs at Chesterton. At secondary level it must mean zero children with additional needs on register as even very minor needs require occasional TA input. Oh hang on I know 2 children there and one has a TA all the time

Good thing nobody said there are no TAs at Chesterton then huh?

My kids have both been through CCC - one is still there - and it has been absolutely fine and hasn't felt like high pressure. They do seem to do a lot of tests but to be honest these become completely routine to the kids and they take them in their stride. My DC are fairly bright but nothing startling - and both have a few problems with sustained concentration and attention - and CCC has been good for them. Oldest DC will have the grades for Hills Rd but has chosen IVC for 6th form as he likes the ethos better. In short, IVC might be a gentler experience but both would probably be fine and CCC isn't some kind of heartless hothouse only for geniuses.

Thank you for the info. We will try and go to the Open Evening for both schools in September to get a feel for it but it's always good to hear from people that have experience :-)