Is Newstead Wood as good as it looks?

[Fossie]

Just been to the open morning for this Grammar school. Had to queue to get in the school gate as so many wanted to look round. Sounds amazing and in top ten for state schools in UK (they claim). Anyone know the school or are at the school to give me the low down. It would be a 25 minute drive to get there at least and I would appreciate knowing whether there is a downside to the school. Obviously DD would need to pass the entrance test so not a given at all anyway. Thanks.

I went there, and I would recommend it if your daughter is a very high flyer.

Quite a few people from ds' primary go there, and they are all VERY happy at the school. One of them said something quite interesting: she had expected it to be tougher, more competitive etc, than in fact it was.
If it is a 25 minute drive from you, what's the public transport/school bus situation? Would your dd be able to get there without a lift? I really would look into that.

Many thanks. How can you tell if your daughter is a high-flyer? I am a former maths teacher and have started looking at doing a little extra with her at home and with Bond NVR and RV papers and she seems good at all but the RV papers. She is in a state school and I get the feeling she is doing well in the class but at the very top.. I don't know. If you can pass the entrance paper to get in would you consider that to be enough confirmation?

Have looked and there is a bus though she would need to get to it to catch it for a shortly after 7 in the morning and that seems a little excessive.

Sorry, forgot to add that DD has just started year 5 not 6.

I have a daughter in Year 8 at Newstead and she absolutely loves it! It has exceeded my expectations too. I, like many others, thought there would be too much emphasis on academic achievement. As the girls who go there are very bright,obviously the standard is very high and the girls are really challenged. However there are so many opportunities for fun and from my experience the Teachers are great. The School really does nuture independent learning and personal growth. Everything the Head and the pupils said at the Open day this year is true!

My youngest is sitting the entrance exam next month and I would be delighted if she got in too. To answer the above question; Newstead is BETTER than it looks/sounds!

Can I ask how the catchement allocation works? I have looked at the website and it says they take pupils from a 9 mile radius in order of results of tests. We are in Beckenham with (also) a year 5 daughter who is brightish so am seriously looking at Newstead for Sept 2012.

Also i am assuming she would take entrance test this time next year - if i was to get tutoring when should i be looking at that??

(scary new world this!)