South Birmingham Primaries - Stirchley/Raddlebarn/Tiverton

[bourns]

Just filled in my application form for my kid's reception place for September 2019, but realised as I submitted it that I'm not entirely without reservations about the school I put down as first choice - and that I would feel that way about any of them. Just wondering if anyone here goes into lots of the area schools for work or something and would know a bit more about anything concerning for each? Stirchley and Raddlebarn are equally close so we would almost certainly get our pick of either if we put one of these first. Tiverton is further afield but convenient for our commute. I thought after I visited them all my choice would become clear but it just didn't really. We also looked at Bournville but it's not very convenient to get to and in the last three years there's only been one year when we would have gotten in (outside catchment).

Raddlebarn - my concern is it was completely shambolic on open day, it was extremely poorly organised and made me wonder about how this affects the day-to-day there. I spoke to several parents who were really shocked. Admittedly I was too but I tried very hard to look past it as we really wanted to like this school. I also spoke to a few people who really liked it, two of whom are teachers elsewhere, so that seemed good!

Stirchley - single form entry so that is nice, obviously very organised and the children were impeccably behaved, but it did feel a bit sterile and a little too conservative for my comfort. Their results are great as they boasted in a very smart powerpoint presentation. A friend with a kid there told us the kids are tested very frequently and this set off my husband who didn't like the idea at all. However I'd have thrived in this sort of environment as a child, despite finding it very off-putting as an adult.

I can't tell which of these would suit my kid more as he's only small!

As for Tiverton, my big question is why was there hardly anyone even looking at it when I was there? What am I missing? I also don't know anyone else who considered it. Odd to compare with the other Outstanding school, Bournville which was swarmed on the open days. Not really sure how likely we'd be to get a place there given it's further away.

Tiverton often struggles for numbers because the overwhelming majority of the housing around there is student housing.

I know people with dc at Raddlebarn who like it as a school.

I don't know Stirchley so much. (Though I very much liked their display for the Remembrance of 100 yrs since the end of WWI..... )

Yes, BFG is right- Tiverton is an odd catchment, it's a small school and not many people with small children live close to it. I know people who've had children at Raddlebarn and Stirchley, and they've been happy enough, though I think Stirchley must have changed if they're boasting about results! Presumably Cotteridge and St Edwards are also close enough? (Though maybe you already ruled those two out?)

The children I've known go through Tiverton were v well looked after there... but that was fifteen years ago, and schools can obviously change a lot.

We thought about looking at Cotteridge but it's very inconvenient to our commute so decided against it, did hear great things though. We didn't want a religious school so didn't want St Edwards.

Tiverton is definitely an odd location. I just expected more interest there given that people seem to twist their lives in knots to get their kids into other Outstanding schools!