CANTERBURY - SECONDARY SCHOOLS

[CityChildminder]

Hi, I'm looking at moving to Canterbury. Have been offered a housing assocation exchange from London.
I have a ds (year 7) and am interested to know about the state secondarys in the area. I've had a look on the Ofsted site and it looks as though only the independant/grammer schools have decent results. Nearest state appears to be Chaucer Technology College which has a bad Ofsted.
I also have a dd (year 2) so am interested to hear about primarys also but more concerned about secondary atm due to the grammer issue in Kent which obviously divides the children a little more than in other areas!
Thanks.

hopeful bump - need to make a decision tomorrow!

hopeful bump

Yes the Simon Langton schools (grammar) are excellent but I don't know much about the others, as too much has changed since I lived in Canterbury as a teenager. St Peters Methodist primary used to be well thought of, but you'd have to look at its report to get an up to date view.
Bumping for you.

Canterbury is a lovely place to live however.

The selective state schools in Canterbury - the Langtons and Barton Court are all oversubscribed, and I'm not sure how you go about getting into them for year 8. Ring the LEA - they'll be able to tell you.

Chaucer has (I think) a satisfactory, not a bad OFSTED, and has a very active grammar stream.

There are also two Church schools - one CofE, one RC if they are of any use to you.

I am an "expert' on Canterbury secondaries - feel free to ask more. Don;t kow anything about the primaries, though.

Thanks so much for your replies.
Is Chaucer okay then? Had a quick look over results and thought they were not too good but will have another look at Ofsted.
How about the Archbishops School and Canterbury High? Does anyone know anything about either.
Many Thanks.

Both the Chaucer and Cnaterbury High have very mixed intakes - not surprising really because Canterbury and the surrounding area are very socially diverse. And they suffer because the "top" 23% are creamed off the the grammars. My dd has friends at the Chaucer, and they are doing well, but behaviour is not brilliant. However, the kids are happy, and if you're coming from London, I suspect that you are used to far worse!. Canterbury High is similar - but is good for performing arts and music. And it has amazing sports facilities. Archbishops is C of E - and hard to get into - but once again - an OK average sort of school. If your ds is clever, i would see if he could get into one of the grammars - Langton Boys is thought of as the best - it's very traditional and likes square pegs to fit into its square holes - if you see what I mean.

And remember that the grammar school think skews the results of the non selective schools - without the top 23% they are bound to get less As and A*s

Thanks Seeker, much appreciated

Hi im moving to canterbury in a few months with my 11 year old son who will be starting a secondary school there it wont be grammer. Can anyone advise me a good friendly secondary school please ? Any advice will be real helpful many thanks

Hi can anyone advise me on a good friendly secondary school in canterbury please ? Not grammer schools. I am moving to canterbury in a few months and my 11 year old son will be starting secondary school but i do not know the good friendly ones so any advise will be a real help many thanks