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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Good State Secondary Schools Woking

71 replies

TheFurryMenace · 16/04/2016 14:16

We are moving to Woking from central London, our DD7 is currently in Year 2. But looking ahead, I want to make sure we move to an area that is in the catchment for both good primary and secondary schools. I have looked onto the St John the Baptist admissions, and it lists some feeder schools, but isnt where you live more important than if you went to the feeder primaries or have I got this wrong? Where I live in London, it goes on proximity to the secondary?

We are catholic, not currently at a catholic school, but our daughter is baptised catholic.

Any advice on schools and where to look to buy would be really, really appreciated!

Thanks

OP posts:
donadumaurier · 17/04/2016 11:06

Sorry, BDB in Sheerwater and half of Knaphill, not SJB!

cece · 17/04/2016 12:00

Sorry yes Salesians probably is relevant for Chertsey. Church schools are not on my radar as I wouldn't send my DC to one, hence the oversight.

My friend has very very bright DC at BDB and they are really being pushed/groomed for uni with various sample days at nearby Universities - something my equally bright DC have not been offered at their bigger schools.

Wafture · 17/04/2016 16:45

Does Bishop David Brown do A levels then? I didn't know that. I thought everyone, except SJB, went to Woking College.

Stillunexpected · 17/04/2016 16:58

BDB doesn't do A levels so I am surprised to hear that they are offering much in the way of uni preparation. Apart from SJB nearly everyone ends up going to Woking college or otherwise to Farnborough or Godalming for 6th form. I would be wary about sending very bright children there though. Their 2015 GCSE results show that of 120+ students taking Maths and English, one got an A* in Maths and 2 in English.

cece · 17/04/2016 18:12

BDB doesn't have a sixth form. They have been going on these taster days since Year 9.

Fullbrook has a sixth form.

Wafture · 17/04/2016 18:13

This thread inspired me to download that book by Andrew Penman (School Daze). He mentions BDB getting really awful results, and Woking High weren't too good either (he's looking at the 2007/8/9 results).

I've heard good things about Woking High recently, but not so much about Winston Churchill, which is the school he eventually chooses. I don't know what it is with WC exactly ... its something to do with how defensive the parents that I've met are who send their children there. You ask which school their children go to and they seem to bristle (unlike SJB, Woking High, salesians etc).

cece · 17/04/2016 18:17

I have children in two of the schools mentioned and can vouch for both of them. Would prefer not to say which ones in a public forum though.

Wafture · 17/04/2016 18:29

Taking the not very informative measure of how many got 5+ C grade or better GCSES (including English and Maths) last year, the results are:-

Gordon's 88% (93% in 2012)
SJB 85% (86% in 2012)
Salesians (Chertsey) 85% ( 86% in 2012)
Woking High 76% (54% in 2012)
Fullbrook (Addlestone) 66% (69% in 2012)
WC 59% (66% in 2012)
BDB 48% (35% in 2012)

Surrey average 65%
England average 54% (59% in 2012)

So, Gordon's is best, BDB and Woking High are getting a lot better and WC is falling??

The odd thing about WC, with their disappointing results, is that they reserve some places for the highly able children who have to prove it by taking an exam in Y6.

Wafture · 17/04/2016 18:37

The thing that always hits me when talking to other parents is that everyone seems to have a different viewpoint on what makes a school good. For me, its about behaviour and baccalaureate type learning, but for others its about arts or sports or inclusivity (or lots of other things).

Also, different groups of children need different things and no school can excel at them all. So, calling a school good depends on your child's needs and your opinion about what school is for.

SuburbanRhonda · 17/04/2016 18:38

But Chertsey kids mostly go to Jubilee???!

They do at present because unless they are in one of the top 5 eligibility criteria for Salesian, they stand no chance of getting in. The other secondary in Chertsey is a private girls' school.

A new school, Chertsey High School, will be opening in 2017 on the site of the old council building, the Runnymede Centre. Most local people believe it will become "Salesian-lite" though there are thankfully no faith admissions criteria planned. At last Chertsey children will get to go to a secondary school in their own town.

donadumaurier · 17/04/2016 21:31

wafture I did the selection for highly able kids thing at WC back in 2006. If it's anything like it was then, it isn't so much for highly able kids as it is a means of those from outside catchment to get a place there- the idea is those places are kept open for the highest scorers on English and Maths tests who live out of catchment. The year I did it, there were 24 places available, and 15 of us did the test. The school were quite open about the fact that they would fill all the places there was demand for, so all 15 of us would get a place just for turning up and writing our names on the answer sheets. It was/is a means of kids outside WC's normal area avoiding BDB rather than for the gifted and talented.

cece · 17/04/2016 21:52

Fullbrook results are not quite as they seem as there was a massive cock up with the English exam. The school followed one syllabus/exam board and then a few months before the exams found out that the government did not recognise that particular one for statistical purposes. Far too late to swap to the ones that were recognised so their English results were terrible and their stats therefore not so good.

cece · 17/04/2016 21:54

Woking High School has been nationally recognized for its exceptional performance in 2015. The school is in the top 10% of non-selective schools nationally for high grades achieved by students and the top 20% nationally for the progress made by students between KS2 and KS4.

cece · 17/04/2016 21:56

The odd thing about WC, with their disappointing results, is that they reserve some places for the highly able children who have to prove it by taking an exam in Y6.

This exam is not for G&T at all - it is fairly easy and just a means of selecting children out of catchment who could gain a place at WC.

ChippyMinton · 17/04/2016 22:14

The education landscape changes fast - in Chertsey, Jubilee and Salesian are now part of the same multi-academy trust. Salesian's head has been active for several years working with other local schools.

SuburbanRhonda · 17/04/2016 22:35

Jubilee and Salesian aren't in the same MAT, chippy.

Jubilee is in the Bourne Education Trust. Salesian, along with two RC primaries and SJB, are proposing to make a RC MAT but it hasn't happened yet.

Salesian's HT was the executive HT of Jubilee for a couple of years after the then HT left suddenly. But Salesian is a teaching school so it's no surprise he's involved with other schools.

And Jubilee is in Addlestone Smile

ChippyMinton · 18/04/2016 22:03

I stand corrected Smile

mummytime · 19/04/2016 09:39

Fullbrook is part of a trust with George Abbot.

Has anyone heard anything about the new Hoe Valley school? Its building works seem to be starting.

BTW I can recommend Woking College.

cece · 19/04/2016 13:08

My friend is keen to send her DD to Hoe Valley but she is only in Year 4 at the moment. It is currently located by the leisure centre isn't it and looks tiny - just a few portacabins.

Fullbrook is indeed in the same academy trust as George Abbot.

mummytime · 19/04/2016 16:08

Its only year 7 at present, but I'd love to see how they manage things like Science (being very nosy).

Wafture · 19/04/2016 20:10

They are in 2 x 2-storey nissan huts in the leisure centre car park.

I can just about imagine how they might fit in everyone when they've only got year 7s and its four form entry. But what about next year when they've got year 7s and year 8s? Or the year after when they've tripled in size?

I know they are looking for planning permission to extend at the leisure centre (whilst waiting for the Egley Road site to be built), but where can they go except over the car park?

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 20/04/2016 22:42

The Runnymede Centre was a secondary school before it became a centre for teacher professional development as well as other organisations.

What goes around comes around.

SuburbanRhonda · 20/04/2016 22:54

Yes, you're right, foxy. It was The Meads School. It was closed down because it was felt unnecessary to have a secondary school in Addlestone as well as one in Chertsey.

That's why it's suitable for reinstating as a school - the basic structure is still there and the fields are huge. But it's a pain that it's no longer a training centre for Surrey County Council.

RandomMess · 20/04/2016 23:08

All I can say is that I'm glad we moved away!!!!

Biggest issue of all is that there is a shortage of places and I suspect even once the new secondary schools open it may not satisfy the every increasing demand. Generally speaking parental preference doesn't count for much - a particular school may be the best for your child however your chances of getting in the one that isn't your "best chance" is slim.

Also the results of 2/3+ years ago are not particularly meaningful when looking at applying as so much can change within a 5 year time frame. Not to mention it really can just depend on particular teachers your child ends up with, or a particularly challenging pupil in their main teaching class.

They were looking at the new Chertsey School being a Free School set up by local churches at one point (though not catholic).

mummytime · 21/04/2016 07:04

Well personally the biggest issue unless the government backs down will be the earning basement for workers from out side the EU (how much they have to learn to come to the UK). My DC have all been mainly taught English by Canadian teachers - who could all be barred/sent home under these rules.

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