Hi everyone
I have a son in year 7 at The Cedars. There are 12 people in his class.
2 year 7 classes.
When I was desperately searching for information on schools this time last year, I looked on Mumsnet hoping to get some insight from parents with boys at the school. At the time there was none , so I'm so glad this thread's been created so that I can share something that might help prospective parents.
I only considered Independent schooling because my middle son is an athlete. Whilst he has to work hard to maintain an average academic performance , he excels on the pitch. I felt that an Independent school could best offer him the professional coaching he'd need to thrive whilst exposing him to a quality education.
It was a friend who mentioned The Cedars to us. We approached it with the scepticism & anxiety that an untested , unestablished ( is this a word ???? ) school poses.
Meeting Mr. Teague , I voiced all our concerns & questioned the reality of the proposed development of the school ( astro turf / pitches / extension etc ) I in no way wanted my son to be a guinea pig & wanted reassurance that his vision of the school was credible.
All I can say is that , this meeting along with those we've had subsequently has been frank & honest on both our parts.
Mr. Teague believes in the school. This is very clear.
The teachers we have spoken to , all of whom are very accomplished people , many coming from very prestigious & established schools & institutions , could very well have gone anywhere but have chosen The Cedars , for as one said to me ' Something new, not the same old treadmill '. It is a gamble for them all , but there is an overwhelming sense of belief in what is after all a 'new business'.
They have a vested interest in making this work & the dedication is obvious.
I am not a catholic. I haven't been to church in years , the usual , wedding , christenings etc. I was brought up Cof E.
I had to Google search Opus dei & yes it did freak me out. My husband was even more unnerved at the thought of a Priest being present at an all boys school !!!
But we didn't want to be so narrow minded & give in to ignorance , so we decided to question & go look for ourselves. The rest is history.
My son is into his 2nd Term now & says he loves his school.
Small enough to know everyone , there is real sense of camaraderie amongst the boys mixed with the usual boisterousness. They are typical boys.
No-one has ever even mentioned Opus dei to me or my son. Attending mass is a choice. He chooses to go when he feels. There are no religious demands or expectations other than to be 'sympathetic' to the fact that it is a catholic school. I have no issue with this. Some will. It is not for all.
There are insufficient boys to have A,B,C squads but enough to have team trials. As there are so few boys All receive coaching by sporting Professionals unlike the ' leading' schools that access these coaches only if you make the A team & use academic members of staff for all the others.
My son is being challenged academically inside the classroom & outside on the pitch. This is exactly what we wanted in a school .
Last term we were approached and offered a substantial scholarship from 'the school across the road' , having seen my son play.
Despite the outstanding facilities , & The Cedars lack of it , we're more than happy where we are.
I hope this helps to inform parents either way.