Dame Bradbury saffron Walden

[Joyfullove8]

Can anyone give me some feedback on same brands please. I'm looking at my son starting Sept 18. I loved the tour and the school ethos but I'm not sure how they measure progress now they feed into Steven perse school. I don't think my children will be going to the secondary feeder school as it's too far from home and I want to know how good the school is now for helping them to get into other schools? And any general feedback . Thanks

*dame Bradburys s

The school will certainly count in their favour should you wish to apply for the Purse (which is truly excellent). Other than that I don't think it will matter.

From what I know of it, it's a very good school with specialist teachers for a variety of subjects so your children will get a more balanced curriculum than in a state school.

Thank-you . That's the impression I got and why I liked them in the first instance. I'm just concerned that the purse is too far as it would be about 50 mins drive without traffic!!
Even dame bs is 37 mins according to Google .

Dame Bradbury is not a feeder for The Perse, just the Stephen Perse which is a totally different school.

The Perse is super academic and until this year Stephen Perse was girls only.

Whereabouts are you? Loads of kids get the train from Audley End and Bishops Stortford every day to Cambridge but it’s a long day for them and because kids commute in from a wide area friendships can be difficult when they are older and want to go out after school and weekends with their friends. We decided against The Perse although it is a fantastic school for that reason.

Don’t underestimate how important local friends are and also unless you are totally set on private there are amazing State Schools in Saffron Walden and Stortford if that’s where you are.

Thank-you. So helpful and interesting. Yes my fear is exactly that. I think that's why we are not going to choose Dane bs now. We are actually in dunmow and our local state school is the rodings. I think it will be a choice between this and at Margret's in Halstead as it's closer than dame bs. I'm not set on private school I'm just not sure about how my son will get on in s large class of 30. Its hard one also because our state secondary is not one i like personally but we are out of catchment to good secondary schools in bishops stortford. So our secondary options are based on aptitude tests , grammar schools or private schools (all of which require testing) I'm so adverse to children being under 'academic pressure's ' but ultimately they all are as unfortunately in our country we value maths English and science so much.
What have been your choices if you don't mind me asking?
Regards

Ok Have you looked at Felsted as that is nice and close to you?

Believe it or not some of the schools over by you are feeders to the Stortford schools and they are all great. There is also the opportunity to get in on music and sport aptitude. I took the leap of faith and withdrew my son from private into one in Year 8 and we have never looked back and now wonder why we wasted all that money. I do understand that your local secondary school might not be your first choice though. You will be in catchment for the Chelmsford schools as well and not all of them have the 11 plus as a requirement.

If you do not want academic pressure do not go near The Perse, it is very academic and competitive to get into.

He is still very young and also where you live there are lots of tiny village schools which offer a very gentle start! My youngest goes to one as the private schools at the time did not want him due to sen which he has now grown out of. He has 15 in his class with a fab teacher and TA and does all the same music, drama, sport etc that my eldest did in private prep. A lot nicer as the school does not put the children under pressure to be perfect like they did at the prep. Also be prepared to have to have a tutor for entrance exams if you go down the prep route as terms are short and they squeeze a lot in. Everyone has one and the tutors make a bloody mint from the preps and are booked up for the next year at least!

Just checked for you, Roding Primary is a feeder to the Boys High in Stortford and to Birchwood. Both brilliant schools and they will get a bus pass etc.

If I can help any more feel free to pm x

Is a move on the cards? you could move close to Hockerill as they allocate 1/3rd of their available place (only around 7) to those not at a feeder school. Even if you missed out then Boys high also allocate places to boys not at a feeder school so if you actually lived in Stortford you would have a great chance of a place a last yr the last place was 3600m.

Of course you could try for the language and music aptitude for Hockerill or music and sport for Boys High.

Also if you are Catholic by any chance look at St Joseph’s Primary in Stortford as they take children from all over the place and it feeds to St Mary’s in Stortford which I have only heard good things about plus kids get bussed in from a wide area x