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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Who was in the massive queue for Tiffins last night?

79 replies

deaddei · 13/10/2009 20:44

Brought Kingston practically to a standstill.
My dh was particularly infuriated by the children clutching verbal reasoning papers- why?
Dear God.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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CristinaTheAstonishing · 14/10/2009 15:32

I've made a kind of shortlist now. If he doesn't get in - he'll, hopefully, go to the local state school with many of his friends. It's a nice school and I really liked the children at the open evening. So if DS turns out like them in a few years' time, that would be good (polite, articulate, but still a child). I just feel I ought to be the responsible adult here and try and steer him towards better options, if at all possible, rather than settling for the most comfortable in the short-term. Both DH and I have had a good education but neither is particularly driven so I don't know why I#d expect DS to be naturally ambitious and competitive. It's so difficult, it makes you question your motives and values.

SomeGuy · 14/10/2009 15:37

I just emailed RGS Guildford, and they told me that they get 2.5 applicants per place.

Which is competitive, but not unduly so.

However their results are greatly superior to Tiffins - 82% As vs. 59%.

Is this ultra-selective policy really adding value? Tiffin are getting the best of the best in, but producing unastounding results IMO.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 14/10/2009 15:43

2.5 per place is very good, manageable, I suppose, but Guildford is too far for us. I'm very impressed with the results at Tiffin and they seem to compare v well nationally. It's also FREE and close to home.

ABetaDad · 14/10/2009 15:45

Cristna - interesting answers you give.

TBH you sound torn like a lot of parents I know (including me).

Even now DW thinks we should perhaps take DSs back to the South East to go to a top league table school but I am more sanguine. I did OK at a low ranking fee paying school and got to Oxford. Our DSs are at a much better school than I went to and I just think that in the grand scheme as long as a school is decent and kids get a chance to learn with good teachers then no amount of coaching or agonising will make a difference in the final analysis.

Still does not stop me ocassionally feeling like I might be failing the DSs not sending them to a top league table school. It is very difficult to swim against the accepted wisdom.

As others have said though top league table schools are only there because they are so selective - not necessarily because they do better with the material they get.

SomeGuy · 14/10/2009 16:01

. I'm very impressed with the results at Tiffin and they seem to compare v well nationally. It's also FREE and close to home.

Oh yes, I'm not criticising any decision to go there, I'm just wondering what causes the difference in outcomes.

As others have said though top league table schools are only there because they are so selective - not necessarily because they do better with the material they get.

I think if you are very selective, you really don't have to do that much to get outstanding resuts.

Equally if you are the poshest comprehensive in a posh area, it's also easy to look like a 'good' school. I went to such a school, I'm not convinced it was doing anything special.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 14/10/2009 17:33

"I'm just wondering what causes the difference in outcomes." The birch?

"I think if you are very selective, you really don't have to do that much to get outstanding resuts." I agree.

My DS would be quite happy coasting along at any school, he's bright but not v motivated, just a regular 9 year old. It's whether he'll want to do something further after that and his chances of getting into university. I want him too, I hope he'll get to want to as well. ATM he doesn't quite understand the need as he only wants to be a footballer. Asked what he'd do when he's 30 and would need to retire he said "just spend my money". Arrgh, not sure how he'd do in those reasoning tests.

Original poster

deaddei · 14/10/2009 17:39

Cristina- your son sounds like mine! Very bright but coasts.....just like me. Yet school delighted with him. Maybe it's a boy thing. He doesn't give a stuff where he goes...and I have the same attitude as you. Local state school- he'll be happy and in top stream.

OP posts:

CristinaTheAstonishing · 14/10/2009 17:41

Deaddei - that's exactly the same and I'm the coasting variety as well, if truth be told. I think we'd like each other

Original poster

deaddei · 14/10/2009 17:51

Are you in a North Kingston school?

OP posts:

CristinaTheAstonishing · 14/10/2009 18:02

No, Berrylands.

Original poster

deaddei · 14/10/2009 18:07

Ah, land of the mobile classroom!!! We are in NMalden. Is your state comp the mixed one?

OP posts:

CristinaTheAstonishing · 14/10/2009 18:14

We are at the other one. And yes. (Very cryptic.)

buy1get1free · 14/10/2009 19:23

Cristina The bail out I referred to is here :

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article5576175.ece

CristinaTheAstonishing · 14/10/2009 19:26

Oh dear, yes, I'd read and heard of it. I didn't know they were going to have a loan of sorts.

abra1d · 14/10/2009 19:30

The thing you need to know is WHICH A levels boys are taking at the schools. If one school has lots of boys taking maths, latin and science and has a score of 59%, that's much better, IMHO, than a school where they're scoring 70% but there are a lot of softer A level subjects. I don't know what the case is for these two schools.

buy1get1free · 14/10/2009 19:34

I would imagine the LEA weren't too pleased with having to dig deep into their pockets for the only non-fee paying senior school in Kingston I hear the residents who pay high council taxes weren't happy either - their kids have to travel a long way once they reach 11yo. If it happens again, there's a good chance they would become an independent school and start charging

AtheneNoctua · 14/10/2009 19:37

I imagine the LEA made a fair packet when the sold off all the grammars to become privates, hence creating this fierce competition to get into the only remaining grammar for miles around.

sarah293 · 14/10/2009 19:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

singersgirl · 14/10/2009 20:18

SomeGuy, that was my point exactly. On the subject of bright but not very motivated 9 year olds, I've discovered in the last few weeks with my bright but hitherto unmotivated 11 year old that being in an environment where academic attainment is really important has considerably upped his motivation.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 14/10/2009 20:45

buy1get1free - the residents weren't happy about paying for the Rose Theatre either, although this anger is more justified.

Singersgirl - how did the change come about? Did he move school recently?

AtheneNoctua - that must have been a very long time ago?

abra1d · 14/10/2009 20:57

AtheneNoctua, which LEA do you mean?

thedolly · 14/10/2009 21:03

So, to those of you that can be bothered looking -

Would you be happy sending your academic child here based on these results?

Or would you join the 'arms race' and aim for the the grammar that is currently 32nd place for A levels and 30th place for GCSEs (in the country)? Not quite as good as Tiffins I know, but not bad either.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 14/10/2009 21:10

I thought the results of the school in your link looked very good but I'm only just starting to get to grips with all this stuff.

Original poster

deaddei · 14/10/2009 21:45

I haven't looked at exam results for any of our secondary school choices- I'm not that interested. Obviously a school which creams off the top 140 boys in a 40 mile location will do exceptionally well, but there's more to school than the academic stuff.

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singersgirl · 14/10/2009 21:56

Cristina, he's just gone into Y7 in yet another selective school - from a lovely, 'outstanding' state primary, which gets good results. But the pace and environment is very different for him now.

Absolutely agree though about the exam results not really mattering. But having made a claim, I thought I'd see if I could substantiate it .

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