League table question.

[FiveHoursSleep]

Would you be happy sending your academically able child to a large mixed comprehensive with the following results for 2011:
Exam entries graded A* and A 32.41%
Proportion of pupils within each school gaining five A* to C grades, including English and maths. 72.26%
This is good for our area, and seems good nationally, but I just wondered what other parents thought?

Yes of course! What more do you want?

Those results demonstrate to me that the school can help the really able to achieve and also do pretty well with the majority.

Thanks. I know stats are only one factor and the school has a good reputation. But some people I know are quite anti it because it's so large ( 2000 kids). It's our closest high school and will be our 'worst case' scenario.

I have known parents choose the other Comps in this town because they see DCs as too big (at 2000 ish). However it handles is large size very well, and ensures no child falls through the cracks. Because of its large size it can offer a wide range of courses: from Latin and Mandarin, to Sports Leadership or day release at college.
You need to look at the school, and ask questions.

I know one parent who didn't in the end go to look at DCs school, and sent her school to one other local school, saying she didn't want her daughter to be bullied. Her daughter was bullied at the smaller school (predictable as she really doesn't match the kind of girls who go there) and has since transferred to DCs school, but she isn't doing as well as if she'd gone there from the start as she has learnt to be a victim. Hopefully the school will help her soon.

That's your worst case scenario?

Sorry, I'm not trying to be insulting when I say that. It is a good area for schools, and we moved here especially because of that.
There is a school that might suit DD slightly better a little further away, as it has science and performing arts as 'specialities'; our closest is 'languages', which our kids will suck at if they take after me!
We are also having a crack at a grammar school and super selective place as DH is a grammar school product, but there are only 5 places for about 600 applicants so it's a long shot.
So yes, we will put 2 or 3 schools down before this one, but this is the one we will probably end up at.

They sound like pretty good stats for a non selective school.

Have you visited the schools? I wouldn't judge a school by its specialism. My DCs school has better music facilities than a local music specialist for example.