Bishopston Comprehensive Swansea

[AnnieThePianist]

Reposting from General Education board as no replies!

Ds1 is 8 and currently in a lovely state Primary (year 3).

We're planning a move to Swansea in the next couple of years so are considering secondary options.

By far the best State secondary seems to be Bishopston, in the Gower. Does anyone have any experience of this school? Results seem fantastic for a non-selective Comp.

Alternatively, we would consider Private but there's not really much about. There's one in Brecon, one in Llanelli and then you have Cardiff...but I'm concerned about travel time. Ds is very academic, working at a much higher level for his age, particularly in maths, so I'm pretty confident he'd not have much trouble with entrance papers, even coming direct from State primary.

Any views are appreciated

Anyone?

There is Ffynonne House School in Swansea and there is a bus service for St Mikes which covers a wide area. St Mikes is very academic but Ffyonne has great results for a non selective independent, most attend Oakleigh House for prep. Before Ffyonne whereas St Mikes starts at nursery.

I don't have any first hand experience of the school but as you don't have any other replies (!)....
I spend a lot of time in the area although don't live there and also know a few teachers in and around Swansea at different schools. My understanding is that it is a very good school with a generally 'nice' catchment area in that it is bang in the middle of some of the wealthiest areas around Swansea and the Gower. I don't think there is much of a private school culture around there so most children just tend to go to the local catchment school and results and behaviour are pretty good. Certainly I've seen lots of kids around the school and getting off buses in nearby villages and they all seem well behaved! My uncle is a secondary school teacher at a much more socially mixed comprehensive in Swansea and has a lot of 'professional' friends. Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers etc and they all send their children there or to one of the other schools that is a Welsh speaking school. At one point we were vaguely thinking if moving down there too and he recommended that we send the DCs there. There isn't a sixth form so have to go elsewhere for that.
As I said though, no direct experience!

Bishopston Coprehensive is on my doorstep and my children currently attended Bishopston Primary. The comp has a very good reputation and is genrally considered one of the best in Swansea, along with Olchfa Comprehensive , which has always been in my view considered the elite academic school. Bishopston comp has excellent results, although there is no sixth form.

Where are you moving from? You will find that if you are in England, the entry system is very different. Comprehensive schools are filled from primary feeder schools within the catchment area. Children tend to go to the comprehensive "attached " to their primary, although Bishopston does tend to be over subscribed from parents outside catchment applying for a place. To guarantee a place you should probably look to move into an area within catchment.

I am a primary school teacher within a 'feeder' school and although I don't have first hand experience of the school ,many colleagues have had/have children attend the school and they are on the whole positive about it. As with all schools, there are always positives and negatives. The school has a council run sports centre within its grounds and this seems very popular with the children there.

I would never go down the private route unless the secondary school choices are particularly bad but I don't think that's the case for Bishopston , Olchfa or even Bishop Gore. It's a lovely place to live!

I went to Bishopston Comp and it was fab, really lovely school, results were good, one of the top in the country (when I was there anyway, about 10 years ago). I know lots of the same teachers are still there, but there is a new head. (He was one of the teachers when i was there, parents, teachers and students seemed to like him!) Tbh, it's one of the nicer areas to live in Swansea (although I may be biased having lived here for 23 years or so!) as it's right in between mumbles and gower, whereas the private schools are quite a way out.
Lots of my friends in school had very well off parents, who I assume could have afforded private school, but obviously chose Bishopston over it :)

Also, there is now a gym on site which students can use at lunch time (and tennis courts) which is a plus!