Greenshaw or Glenthorne in Sutton ?

[AAAPS]

Hello all, I am planning to move into Sutton area and decided to go for comprehensive if DD does not get into Grammars.Any suggestions on Greenshaw or Glenthorne or Cheam High ? Which is a better school? DD is an average child and I would not want her to have too much stressed life in school.Please share if you have kids going in these schools...I need to decide upon an area where i can be in catchment for these...

Hi AAAPS

If your DD is 'an average child' and you don't want her to have a stressed life why are you considering the Sutton superselectives. They're very difficult to get into and the work pace is fast and furious to get in and once there more so!

Greenshaw has a top stream that is examined for in conjunction with the Sutton Grammars (and tends to be the fall back option for those who don't get into one). However, I have a friend whose DS was in that stream and come Yr 9 many of the class had got 13+ places at WCGS and left -make of that what you will. Certainly her son wasn't best impressed with the level of work expected of him and was bored until he moved to Wally Boys...

Think Glenthorne often does best of the Sutton comprehensives in the League Tables though and is very good for young people with musical aptitude.

I think you really need to go to see the school and do some investigating of your own before making a decision. One school may perform better and on paper be a more appealing option but that doesn't necessarily mean it will be right for your DD.

Good luck!

Thanks so much gazzalw . I do understand your point, but I think she would be good for greenshaw as it is not as academic n stressful as other grammars but in the same league as well.DD does have an interest in music so Glenthorne would be good..but I am not sure if she would want to take it up as a career in future.But even without that Glenthorne should be a good choice for academics over Greenshaw ? how about Cheam High ?We have found a place which is in catchment for Greenshaw and Glenthorne(less than a mile) but 0.96 miles from Cheam High(its catchment was 0.86 last year)...so was wondering if moving wont be a big risk considering these 3 as fall back options.

I think Wallington Boys is planning to drop its 13+ entry, because they are increasing their 11+ entry. So that will no longer be an option for boys wanting to move out of Greenshaw at 13+.

I'm not sure that Greenshaw is in the same league as the local super-selective grammars though, that's the point. It is a fall-back option for those that don't pass the second round of 11+ exams for the grammars or who pass but don't get a place at any of them.

DS has a friend at Cheam High (tennis scholarship) but I dont' think it's thought to be a particularly good school academically. Certainly the friend's mother doesn't rate its academic standards and has chosen not to follow the same path for her DC2!

The problem with the catchment areas is that that they vary from year to year so you cannot guarantee that even if you find a property 'within catchment' for the last academic year that the same distance will suffice to get your DC into one of these schools this year. And remember that the number of children reaching secondary school age is increasing year on year (due to the baby boom, which as far as I'm aware, hasn't yet bottomed out!), so there will be increasing demand on secondary schools, particularly the good ones in Sutton!

FWIW, I know quite a few families who've relocated to Sutton for the much better-than-elsewhere secondary schooling (grammar and comprehensive) so if this trend continues it's going to become more and more difficult to secure places....aside from the increasing population of children who will be reaching secondary school age in coming years!

Interesting fact about Wally Boys and the 13+...

wow thats sounds scary since we are also relocating to Sutton and DD would be ready for 11+ in 2 years..we also have another one in primary to follow her :) I am disappointed to hear about Cheam High as that is the only fall back option we were thinking if DD doesnt get in grammars :(
I gather that greenshaw is a better fall back option than Cheam High ?

I think you really need to go and see these schools for yourselves, ask local parents (we don't live in the borough) and look at the League Tables... and remember that schools can change quite significantly in a very short time-frame if the Senior Management Team undergoes changes too.

Quite a few of DS's classmates are at schools in Sutton but we don't have direct experience of any of the comprehensives, only what we've been told by parents we know - and we're talking about one or two sets of parents here for the schools mentioned upthread!

You might also consider asking these questions on the MN Local Sutton Talk board too!