Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Flip

Original poster

BIshops' Blue Coat Chester

20 replies

muskoka · 19/07/2011 12:44

We are a family of four who are preparing to move to Chester. Our eldest daughter would be starting High School in Sept 2011. Does anyone out there know what reputation Bishops' has in the area? Do any of you have children there? Would be grateful of any feedback on secondary provision in Chester.
Thanks.

OP posts:

MrsMeow · 19/07/2011 18:47

I don't have personal knowledge but grew up in Chester and Bishops was definitely one of the most highly regarded secondary schools. This was 15 ish years ago, but I still hear good things about it. My aunt sent my two cousins there, even though they lived almost next to their catchment school and Bishops was a good two bus journeys away. I remember them wearing mint green blouses - wonder if the uniform is still the same?

Whereabouts in Chester are you hoping to move to?

Hopefully someone will be along to help more, but hth slightly.

Dragonwoman · 19/07/2011 21:55

Don't know about Bishops Blue Coat, but Upton High is very well regarded in the area. Christleton High also gets good results, but has a very middle class intake & doesn't 'add value' as much as some schools.

Original poster

muskoka · 19/07/2011 23:52

Thanks for taking the time to reply. All comments help us build a picture.
We are aiming to live near to the centre - Hough Green, Dee Banks or Handbridge.

Thanks again.

OP posts:

admission · 20/07/2011 18:20

Hough Green and Handbridge are south of the river and the natural school to attend from these areas is Queens Park. Getting across the river and through the centre of Chester can be a nightmare in the morning.

Bishops' Blue Coat would be the nearest school for Dee Banks area or possibly Christleton.

However you do need to know that Bishop's has a slightly peculiar admission criteria based on both faith and non-faith pupils. Many of their year groups are full, so I would definitely consider Queens Park as a possible school.

Original poster

muskoka · 20/07/2011 23:21

Dear Admission

Thanks for the update. We have checked with the Authority and Bishops currently has space for Y7. We just need to sort out where to live !

OP posts:

HarrietSchulenberg · 20/07/2011 23:27

Bishops Blue Coat has excellent reputation. Avoid Queens Park like the plague - incredibly poor. I've been in it recently and wouldn't send a dog there let alone a child. Feel desperately sorry for any child faced with that everyday.
Bishop Heber in Malpas is one of the best in Cheshire if your DD can do a fairly long bus ride. Lots of children from Chester go there although the catchment is more south Cheshire.
Heard mixed reports about Christleton but more good than bad.

Original poster

muskoka · 21/07/2011 12:34

Hi Harriet

Thanks for your reply. Do have children or children of friends who go there?

Also, re primary schools any feedback on Overleigh St Mary or other city based primary schools would be gratefully received. Especially, the ones people think we should avoid.

bye for now.

OP posts:

Dragonwoman · 21/07/2011 21:17

Have to say I haven't heard good things about Queens Park High either ......

admission · 21/07/2011 23:07

Harriet,
I think you are doing Queens Park a mis-service.
I would suggest that Muskoka goes and has a look if they want to, though if there is a space at Bishops then I would be tempted to take it now, as it will probably not be there shortly.
Bishop Heber is a long way from Chester and is full in year 7 for September.

brambleschooks · 21/07/2011 23:28

Christleton schools are both excellent, waverton primary also v good. I think christleton high has the edge on bishops. Would prefer christleton to upton.
Oberleigh st Mary v well spoken of - love handbridge, great 'feel' to it.
Posting on phone, pedants back away!

HarrietSchulenberg · 25/07/2011 00:43

Bit late picking this up again - I am not doing Queens Park a disservice. I have been there during school hours in a work capacity and have seen one young person treated abysmally by a member of staff, plus a whole class treated with contempt and spoken to sarcastically by a different teacher. Obviously I have not seen the entire school, but I think that seeing as what I saw was on two different occasions I can't imagine that they were both rare occurances. I can't elaborate more as I would give myself away, but from what I've seen of that school there is not a chance in hell that I would send one of my children there.

Bishop Heber has gained an additional class for Year 7 due to the large number of applications and successful appeals. It is a long bus journey but lots of children from Chester make that trip each day so it's not unusual. It's worth contacting the school to see if space is available.

However, Bishops Bluecoat would probably be your best choice - I've never heard anything bad about it. But, like admission said, you really need to see these schools to make your mind up properly.

Don't have much feedback on Chester primaries though have been in Cherry Grove and Oldfield, both of which I would be happy to send my own children too.

oliandjoesmum · 03/08/2011 13:12

I have children at 3 different schools in Chester, all very complicated why!!. Overleigh is good (great if kids sporty) but prefer Belgrave. Be warned, both very hard to get in to and have massive waiting lists in some years. Eldest at Upton Westlea - don't be put off by appearances, is by far the best school any of my children go to, cannot praise it highly enough.
Eldest going to senior school next year, am also considering Bishops although we live south of the river so would be very interested to here more views. Although I do know parents who are very happy with Queen's Park I know my son, and he will get led astray there. Not keen at all on Catholic high, Upton apparantly (told this by Family Support Worker) is bit of a dumping ground for kids excluded from another local school. Christleton looks great, but again, very difficult to get in to if your children don't go to a feeder school, and it is extremely 'middle class'. My son has aspergers and a Level 4 statement so pastoral support/ SEN provision very importatnt to me. Family Support Worker works across all Chester High Schools and said Bishops is the best for this kind of thing, closely followed by Christelton. Hope that helps.....

admission · 03/08/2011 16:24

Olieandjoesmum,
I would love to see the head teacher of Upton's face if you said to her that her school is a bit of dumping ground for kids excluded from another local school. It would be a picture!
You should go to all the Chester secondary schools and see for yourself, when they have the open days in the Autumn Term, which school would suit your son best, because personally i would say that the family support worker's version of schools is not one that I would recognise.

oliandjoesmum · 06/08/2011 10:12

Totally agree, am now going to stop listening to other peoples opinions and go look at them all again, and make the decision that is best for my son. Panicking because we got it wrong three times for him primary before we hit on the school that is perfect for him (Westlea) and I am loathe to make the same mistake again. Now been told by neighbour who is a teacher and has taught at Bishops not to send him there!! If I keep on listening to other people's opinions I will never make a decision!

pranma · 07/08/2011 17:07

My dd teaches at Bishop Heber and regards it so highly that she plans to send her own dc there one day.

oliandjoesmum · 08/08/2011 10:14

That is lovely to here. The problem with opinions is they are always based on that person's personal view on what the most valuable thing is for their child. For mine it is pastoral care, emotional support, a good SENCO and effective discipline policies. He is super super bright, I think he would thrive anywhere from an academic standpoint, but without the afforementioned things he will always be exluded so unable to access an education.
As I said, will be off to do the rounds again inSeptember and then decide. I am not a neurotic mother, just that because of his disability his school life so far has been very difficult

mrscoleridge · 23/08/2011 18:45

I have two daughters at Bishops' and and am a teacher myself and have been pleased with the school. I have heard that support/senco is very good and the behaviour/attitudes of pupils also good.

Original poster

muskoka · 25/08/2011 10:16

Dear mrscoleridge

Glad to hear that you are pleased so far with Bishops'. My daughter's first day is fast approaching. Really hoping she enjoys it.
bye for now

OP posts:

oliandjoesmum · 17/10/2011 16:17

Sorry to ressurect, but I would love to know if your daughter has been happy at Bishop's. My deadline to complete the application is looming and very torn between Christleton and Bishop's........

Original poster

muskoka · 30/10/2011 23:24

Hi
Only just checked to see if anything had been added. My daughter is enjoying Bishops'. She finds all the teachers approachable, which I think is good. Fear is not good. Has met a good bunch of children, as far as I know. (It is so different at Secondary school, not the same amount of contact as primary.) So, generally all ok. We are new to the area so there is still a bit of missing what was familiar.

bye for now.

OP posts:

Flip