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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

Anyone with DDs who go to Chelmsford or Westcliff grammar schools?

34 replies

ILikeToClean · 22/10/2013 17:12

DD has just passed the 11+ and also the separate Chelmsford exam for Chelmsford High school for girls. We are in catchment for Chelmsford, out of catchment for Westcliff but I think with her scores, whichever school we put first on the CAF she has a pretty good chance of getting in.

We have visited both schools and just cannot decide which one would suit DD better. Chelmsford is in catchment so a bit closer, but I have heard good and bad things about it, namely that it is very pressurised, you are a failure if you get a B, a lot of the girls have "issues" and eating disorders, but also heard a lot of opinions that refute all this and parents saying the girls have lots of fun there.

Haven't heard anything bad about Westcliff, but the impression I get is it is just a bit more relaxed and the pastoral care is much better. It's further away and triple the cost of getting there every year though!

DD is very bright, but not a geek and we still want her to be a normal girl who has a fab education but not at the cost of feeling constantly pressured, although perhaps I am not giving her enough credit by thinking she won't cope or is not good enough, iyswim.

Does anyone have any knowledge, good or bad, of either school? The decision needs to be made soon!

TIA

OP posts:

MrsBartlet · 06/03/2014 06:33

Dd was the only girl from her school to go and she was fine. Most of them are in the same position and are all looking for friends so it is very easy for them to make new friends. In fact, I was more worried about ds when he started at Kegs as he was one of 3 from his school to go and I was concerned that he would not push himself to make new friends as he had the security of old friends with him!

Dd is doing her AS levels in May and her university application has to be in in October. She wants to do English at university and then wants to be a writer. She has wanted to do that since she was about 8 and hasn't changed her mind yet!

Is your dd going to do the sports induction courses?

JoandMax · 06/03/2014 06:39

Well done to your DD!

I don't have any recent experience but I went to CHS a while ago (well 20 years when I started there, how did that happen?!!!) and it was great then. Although there was an expectation to work hard and aim for good results there was also a lot of fun too and lots of support in all areas.

Original poster

ILikeToClean · 06/03/2014 13:45

JoandMax - thank you. Exactly what I want to hear, work hard but have fun too!

MrsBartlet - your DD sounds very determined if she has wanted to write from age 8! Good luck to her, what universities will she apply to?

Yes she has signed up for netball, athletics and hockey! She is on the netball team at school and has done some athletics for school but never played hockey, so she will give it a go. She loves swimming too so is looking forward to the pool! I think the more times she can go there and meet others the more familiar things will be. I have a list of dates in my diary for us going there, what with DD2 going to the open day too I think I will have to get a season ticket for the car park in June!

OP posts:

MrsBartlet · 06/03/2014 19:26

It's funny you say that, JoandMax - fun is always the word that comes to mind when I visit the school. They do work hard but they definitely play hard, too. My school was nothing like that!

ILikeToClean - Cambridge, Durham, Exeter and York are her favourites. We are doing the rounds of the open days in the summer term. It all seems so exciting and then I remember that it means that before long she won't be here at the end of every day to chat to and hug. It makes me feel like weeping! Enjoy this stage with your DD - it goes far too quickly.

The sports induction will be fun for your dd. My dd is not at all sporty but she still enjoyed them and it was a good way of getting to know a few familiar faces so that the fits day of term was a lot less daunting.

Original poster

ILikeToClean · 06/03/2014 22:16

MrsB - wow great universities! Wherever she goes will be great, but as you say, means she'll be moving on and away from you, but a wonderful new stage in her life, at the end of the day you want your children to get the best out of life and she'll certainly do that so good on her! As parents we have to send them out into the world with a smiley face and then cry in private!!

OP posts:

14Annabel · 15/03/2016 19:23

Sorry, I am probably a bit late.

Go to Chelmsford School!

Whilst Westcliff has excellent results and great teaching staff, the pressure on students is beyond belief. The headteacher is not very personable and tends to bully his staff. Stress levels are high. Quite a shame that an excellent school will not live up to its reputation for long.

Sparklycat · 15/03/2016 19:26

You must think about commute times for her I think, the school day will be very intense and she'll probably want to stay late for extra curricular. I'd go for Chelmsford as its closer to you. Don't want a burnt out and exhausted child.

Sparklycat · 15/03/2016 19:26

Haha whoops didn't read whole thread first sorry.

TDWSxx12 · 09/08/2016 13:41

My dd is going to Westcliffe High School for Girls this September, she has already made friends at the schools induction days. We saw Westcliff Chemsford and Southend, as soon as dd saw Wescliff she wanted to go there. She is also very sporty so when she found out the school did well in sports so she can't wait to start!

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