Rochester Independent College vs St Edmund's Canterbury

[mistressdipdop]

Please help! I have a DS who is at Canterbury and is struggling with his classes. He has just achieved under 50% for all his last block tests. I have recently learnt that there are 23 pupils in his math class and I am having a meeting with Head. I have looked around Rochester and they have 7 - 12 pupils in each class and good results. DS is very happy but is happiness enough? Should I be looking to send him where he will get some good GCSEs which will set him up nicely for whatever he wants to do? I am very confused as I do not know what is best. I thought that paying would get him a good education but it would seem that we are going to have to get him a tutor. Has anyone out there got experience of both or one of these schools? I would really appreciate your comments. I did have a little whinge about this earlier but am still none the wiser - sorry.

How old is he?

St Eds has a long day so if you need to tutor on top then that's not going to be easy. How old is he? Would it not be worth paying tutors and keeping him at home for a while?

He is 13 and not terribly academic (obviously!) The home tutor thing wouldn't work as I am out quite a bit with my work. Its one of those things that keeps me awake as you think that you have made the right choice for your child and his results just don't improve. He also is just not interested and tells me the teachers don't fire him up - other than the science and food tech teachers.

I'm confused are you currently at St Edmunds or Kings Canterbury? St Edmunds is not as academic as Kings and has a reputation for not being terribly academic "nice children who cant pass the Kent test" go there. We used to know lots of children in the prep none were very academic and it is/was considered a rather gentle school with OK results.

Just a thought what about Kent College opposite St Edmunds? Although having said that I've heard in the last few years its become more selective than it was 7-8 years ago when we knew quite a few children moving to its prep. Other schools in your area Kings Rochester; we know a couple who have dropped out of Kings Canterbury couldn't cope with the academic pressure and gone there and really thrived or Sutton Valance very similar to St Edmunds friends with children there are very pleased with it. Ashford now mixed although might be quite selective now.

He is at St Edmunds. We looked at Kent College and we were not sure. Haven't looked at Ashford though but have friends who are happy with it. We considered Steiner but think that he is too old for such a radical change of teaching style. Sutton Valence is a bit too far for us to travel and he would have to board which we can't afford. It is such a mine field!

I wouldn't panic and label him as not academic on the basis of one set of end of term tests. Are school worried about it? At my sons' school, pretty much everyone scores below the school median in the end of year exams but emerged at the end of year 11 with nothing but A* and A grades in GCSE. Perhaps 50% now means much harder work from him later.

I honestly wouldn't move him if he's happy where he is. If you are concerned about his GCSE haul, Steiner is an odd choice, no?

Do you supervise his homework?

Perry Court the Steiner school near Canterbury has a very poor reputation I can find you at least 20 people who would advise you not to touch it with a barge pole.
Where do you live Rochester isn't exactly up the road form Canterbury and if you've considered Ashford Sutton Valence is only the next junction of the M20? Kent College is definitely more pushy than St Edmonds. What about St Lawrence good train links from Canterbury.
Having said all of this I think agree with Mrs J at least give it another couple of terms.

Its a pretty constant grade that he gets. I do supervise him during homework and we read together every night. Interesting view on the Steiner. Rochester is OK for travel as he can jump on a train. We have a parents meeting coming up and hopefully the teachers can put my mind at rest. Encouraging words from MrsJAlfredPruFrock, it seems we will have to focus a little more on our tests next time! I will talk to DH about giving it another couple of terms. Thanks

Isn't Gads Hill up that way?

I have a child who is not interested in academics. He is performing way below his abilities but for now is still in top sets. I can see that changing as he gets older. I decided to promote and strengthen his one talent - music - could you do the same? Is he particularly sporty, artistic or creative? You can lead a horse to water. I'm sure it's not the fault of St Edmunds. Does he display any SLD symptoms, poor concentration, or is he rather quirky? It may be he has a mild form of ADD which is affecting his studies.

St Edmunds is IMHO not for the quirky very conventional Kent parents quirkiness is not in my experience a Kent thing. Music at St Ed not now as good as kent College, not bustingly sporty either again unlike Kent college don't know much about art; a couple of children got art scholarships from DS prep probably not as good as Kings Canterbury. Have you looked at Kings Rochester? Don't know where it is in relation to the station. Or what about church state school almost next door (cant remember what its called) we used to know lots there and used to hear really good things about it.

Colleger - I think that's very sensible advice re helping them to focus on their thing (not so easy though if they've not yet found their thing).

Pupils who perform way below their ability at GCSE often soar at A level, so I wouldn't write anyone off even on the basis of a mediocre performance at GCSE. They will just need to be sensible about how and when to apply for university (I think a gap year application with A level results in hand is better if there's been an underperformance).

I have had dc's at Kings, Canterbury, Kent College, Canterbury Steiner, St Edmunds, Rochester Independent College, Simon Langton and QE Grammar,
Of them all I was most impressed with Rochester although I have decided my youngest is to go to boarding school away from Kent.
Rochester IC has small classes which are more of a discussion group - my dc said it made the exam essays easier as it was like writing about a class discussion - the small class sizes mean that nobody can hide and there is good support and help if needed. I was least impressed with Kent College and St Edmunds - not much between them bar the sport was better at KC.
I have a child at St Edmunds at the moment who is having problems with bad attitudes from other children in the class. Nothing seems to be done to address the behaviour - there is not enough discipline to make the children stay on track which probably isn't helping your dc. We are considering moving our child so are having similar thought processes to you atm! Best of luck!!

Ceebeejay have you looked at Sutton Valence we've got friends there who are really pleased with it, apparently very unpretentious parents nice atmosphere, good discipline. I am guessing from the schools you mentioned that you?re the Faversham side of Canterbury so might not be too far away. It has boarders as well.

Yes, happygardening we are in a village outside Faversham
I haven't looked at Sutton Valence yet but this is the second time the school has come up in conversation this week so I think I will drive over!

Have a look at Ashford too. Good standards (better than Kings at A level), wide variety of activities, outstanding art/design/dt/science/maths. Good social mix, relatively wide ability range with lots of learning support. Good sport and music (recent concerts in Westminster Abbey and Canterbury Cathedral). Easy access by train from Canterbury or school minibus from Faversham. One daughter just moved on to vet school and the other starting A levels. Both happy, engaged, challenged and supported.

I understand this thread is nearly 2 years old now however I am too now looking for help for my child and have read this with vigour, so I hope I can help someone else. I failed my G.C.S.E at a mainstream state school and was sent to Rochester Tutors by my parents to effectively cram for a year. In mainstream I gained a total of 5 G.C.S.E all below C grade, the rest I never turned up for or they were ungraded. Bright but bored was the phrase associated to myself, within the year at Rochester I passed all 10 G.C.S.E's grades A - B. This school demands your attention without boring you, lets you express yourself and they truly ask you to go and grow mentally beyond the classroom. Now I have a dilemma, my child did not pass her 11+ and is devastated do I send her here for that "maverick" education or go to mainstream and hope she comes out the other side, is this school too much for an 11 year old who really is trying her best as opposed to someone like myself in the past, aloof, bored and too cool for school!

Have you visited Rochester Tutors? On the obvious assumption you left quite a few years ago I think it's would be worth checking it out as schools have changed over the last 10-15 years.
We have friends with a DC at Kings Rochester they sent their DC there some what reluctantly and are now delighted with it might be worth a look.

Can anyone from Rochester Independent College give us their views - in same situation as lemontree - girl who has failed 11+ and very upset - but I feel I may be writing her off academically with some of our nearest schools. Would like a school which is non selective but gets good academic results (and has happy kids!). Hopefully this isn't too much to ask. Sport is also important.