Chase Bridge in Twickenham/Whitton - anyone any experience?

[Mumwithason]

Hi - this is my first post on Mumsnet so thanks in advance to anyone who answers!

My son will start school next September and our nearest school in Chase Bridge. We're planning on sending him private for secondary school so just wondered if anyone had any experience or perspective on Chase Bridge? It seems like a friendly place and the children all seem happy, also the new buildings are amazing, but the Ofsted report (particular the comment on attainment for boys) worried me a bit. Do they push the more able children? Do many children go on to private (or grammar) secondary??

Many thanks!

[Pizzahutlover]

Near isleworth

[Pizzahutlover]

Im sorry notaclimbingframe horrid experience for you and your daughter know how it feels was bullied as a kid myself im glad chasebridge was the best thing you ever did to get your daughter out of the sotuation. Thinki know which school your talking about is it in central hounslow

[Notaclimbingframe]

Astounded at some of the messages on this thread based on misunderstanding. Here's a thought: forget OFSTEAD and school location. Look at the children in terms of their happiness in themselves, with each other as well as their academic opportunities. My daughter went to a school in Hounslow borough and she was bullied - it was racist. It took 2 years on waiting lists (for several other schools) then she was offered a place at Chase Bridge and it has been great, never looked back except to regret what happened in first school and that it took so long to be able to move. I can't tell you what it has meant - both emotionally for my daughter and in terms of her opportunities to enjoy learning and all the extra-curricular activities there are. At Chase Bridge there is a broad diversity in terms of background, race, religion, culture, colour and most important of all there is integration. She has made so many new friends and it doesn't matter to her what their background - they are just other girls and boys.

The reason I say that OFSTEAD is not the be all and end all is because her old school recently got the Outstanding rating - and prides itself on it's social and cultural harmony with no tolerance of any type of bullying. Rot - they did nothing for my daughter and when I informed them that she was leaving they apologised and admitted they didn't know how to tackle the situation. So she suffered despite all my efforts to try to alleviate the situation.
Thank goodness there are no delineation limits otherwise we wouldn't have been allowed to move schools, not only changing school but going to a school run by a different council.

Chase Bridge, like any school, will have it's detractors but if you've been through what we've been through as a family you realise it is not only the 'school' but the children and their parents that can make it the best days of a kid's life.

[muminlondon]

The academies and maintained schools in the borough have formed a professional development partnership called Education Richmond which includes an alliance of schools involved in school-based teacher training. So there may also be support that can be offered in addition to that of the sponsor school.

[muminlondon]

Ofsted notes that this will be a 'successful local school', i.e. a converter academy. Sutton council proposed this for one of their primaries but the sponsor school had only been rated 'good' not 'outstanding'.

You may find more information on projects in development and approved sponsors on the DfE website.

[Strix]

This thread sparked my interest in the Nelson Primary Ofsted report. It appears it is moving toward academy status.

Anyone know what local school might be applyng to sponsor it?

www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/102894

[Pizzahutlover]

Well i have visited both schools so can put what i think down and have looked at sats etc and i do know the area so whats the prob. Another mum on here confirms what im saying and did not even consider both schools as she wanted better schools for her child. Live locally myself so dont understand why my point dont count or is it because its negative. Schools go up and down and some stay good and some stay bad hope nelson goes up with new head.the value added for nelson is not good though and should be better and now can see some mummys are getting defensive so ill go now. Bye and good luck hope school goes up

[muminlondon]

pizzahutlover the head was due to retire. The school has had a good interim head for the last term and Ofsted has already noted improved staff morale, better teaching and more rapid progress by pupils. A new head has already been recruited and starts this term so it coud make a big difference.

[Pizzahutlover]

Inadequate which i think is 4 forgive me if im wrong then its a 3 :)

[Strix]

What is a number 4?

[Pizzahutlover]

Nelson primary has been given a number 4 by ofsted i think its now lower then satisfactory can imagion the poor parents that choose nelson when it was good to now find out their child is now going to a bad school thats not even satisfactory. Teachers looked depressed head had no confidence looked like he was hiding from us parents and teachers were using corridors to individually hear children read not soo good

[Pizzahutlover]

I would have choose a coe but have no chance of getting in as im from different religion. Would have gone for that though if i had a chance. I had a choice of nelson chase bridge heathfield chatworth hounslow town. Nelson i didnt like as was too overcrowed and teachers and children looked crammed when i went.liked chase bridge but felt chatworth was better as better results more mix and no need to catch a bus and hounslow town didnt bother with as felt it was no good chatworth is ranked number 7 in whole of hounslow coming behind belmont in chiswick which is very good its up at the top with all the chiswick schools even doing better then some and has good rep as well. Someschools are good some not so good. So yes someschools are doing very well in hounslow blue school is number 1 in hounslow doing great but theirs also spring grove who got outstanding recently and is number 3 this year in whole of hounslow and has great results so you find good and not so good schools everywhere depending on what the oarents looking at that is
.

[Strix]

I think this thread is quite interesting. We live fairly close to this school and I put both of my kids on a bus into Twickenham to go to their respective CoE schools. Didn't consider chase bridge or nelson primary. I turned my nose up at their league tables and actively sought Coe schools in the Richmond borough... Because as everyone knows Richmond tops the league tables every year.

Never even crossed my mind to look at Hounslow. Although I do know the the Blue School (CoE) is excellent.

Also, I want to reiterate that I only know one child who went to Chase Bridge so my comments about it being "small minded" might be a bit unfair.

[Pizzahutlover]

Well ill drop it now but do feel that people should check their facts before saying it as someone may just come along and prove them wrong leaving them looking silly glad my child did not go their if this is the way parents from twickenham look at children from hounslow anyway got my point across and dont have anything else to say but dont feel you should be talking to me like that as im not the one in the wrong and im only defending and correcting what has been said. Last postnow and dont feel anyones got anything else to say as their more interested in better twickenham and richmond schools

[keepsmiling12345]

pizzahutlover may I politely suggest you drop it? You have made your point a number of times. I didn't read Nennypops' post to mean the same as you have inferred but, in any case, you have made it clear you disagree with what you think she/he said. And now you are starting to bring up whether children are black or white or have foreign parents or whatever...I just don't see the relevance. Somewhere in this post someone asked for opinions about Chase Bridge and other schools; surely it is more helpful to allow others to respond to that question?

I don't have children attending Chase Bridge but have heard good things of it from two friends.

[Pizzahutlover]

Look at marshgates primary schools website their is pictures on their home page and there is a boy and other children on their that are clearly not white but are asian afrian etc

[Pizzahutlover]

I choose a hounslow school over two richmond schools maybe three i know it sounds crazy but thats the reality and thats bcause the hounslow school was doing better but also suited my child more then the three richmond schools that my child would have got in to easily. Just because the school is in richmond does not mean its great because i rejected three in richmond as i either did not like it or felt it was not right for my child. And their are also a mix in richmond also not all white people look at marshgate they got good results look at their ofsted its says that their is a mixed community there some spanish french etc so mixed so doesnt add up what your saying know alot about hounslow and richmond schools so know their is also a mix in the schools in twickenham and richmond

[Pizzahutlover]

Regarding army base children have no interest in that but will not have people saying anything thats clearly incorrect about hounslow children as my kids are born in hounslow and are going to school here as well. Hounslow is 4th out of 150 leas i think for value added between key stage 1 and 2 which is really good and shows that the teachers work hard with the children at school in hounslow schools

[Pizzahutlover]

Thanks strix thats good to know and shows their is allot of potential of the children from hounslow.nenny pops its what u said that i didnt like. It does not make sense what you have said as chatworth and chasebridge are alittle more than one mile apart. Chatworth is on the border of whitton and takes children from hounslow and not twickenham as catchments have been set up not to take them in 2011. Chase bridge is in twickenham and takes very few children from hounslow. Chatworth gets higher results then chase bridge so nothing to do with the mix taken from hounslow as this school is doing better. This is my point here nothing to do with league tables but you did mention league tables first. And chatworth students do do tution as i have seen this with my own eyes so nothing to do with it

[Strix]

I obviously meant hire, not higher.

(I didn't go to Chase Bridge)

[Strix]

I don't think the fact that Chase Bridge is oversubscribed says much of anything about it really. It is well known that there are not enough places in the Richmond Borough and all of the schools are oversubscribed.

Regarding the typical education level of Hounslow, I am no expert but I do know that a high proportion of the kids who get into Tiffin (boys and girls) come from Hounslow. And they don't get there through mediocre academic performance.

The better schools do tend to be in the wealthier pockets of Twickenham. But, that is because that is also where a strong tutor culture flourishes. The schools with the higher league tables have the same level of teachers / facilities / curriculumn. The difference is what happens outside of school. So if you focus on higher league tables, you will find a culture of parents who are dedicated to education and probably either tutor themselves or higher tutors.

[Gumps]

Chase Bridge is definitely one of those on the up schools. Going back a few years it was one of the schools in Richmond Borough that people didn't want but now I believe it's over subscribed.
I do think round here is nuts for schools. Comparing nationally all the schools are pretty great but because there are some fantastic schools in the Borough the level of comparison is skewed iyswim.

[AndyMurraysBalls]

Mmmmm. I think I'm quite glad that I moved out of the area......

[MrsDavidBowie]

And punctuation would make your posts more coherent.