To be facetious about it - yes 1400 people have children at Chiswick, of which I am one. I have a ds in Y10 and he is very happy there and doing very well and I have supported the school on other threads on MN. My ds is currently predicted 11 GCSEs at Level 7 or above in 2018 and did Latin GCSE in Y9, coming out with an A. He will do another GCSE this summer so will end up with 13 in all. Unlike many schools Chiswick currently works the timetable so if a child wants to do Geography AND History they can, without being forced to choose.
My ds is being pushed and extended both inside the school and via out of school projects such as the Brilliant Club. He is a Reading Mentor for a couple of Y7 boys who are struggling with their reading - and is using this as his volunteering for his DoE Bronze.
The school has had/has its problem - you can look on MN indeed and will find people with some - shall we say determinedly negative - opinions. The Ofsted was indeed Requires Improvement. If you read the Ofsted you will see the the Quality of Teaching, Learning and Assessment was Good and it undoubtedly is. Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare was also Good. The 16 - 19 year old provision was Good. It was the Effectiveness of Leadership and Management and Outcomes for Pupils that were RI and both of those are being swiftly addressed - I have noticed a huge change in the last year since the Ofsted and, indeed, in the last half term since the arrival of the Interim Head. As a school that RI, Ofsted have made visits since that report and the school is considered, by Ofsted according to the letter that was sent by Ofsted to parents, to be making absolute steps in the direction required to be out of RI at the next Inspection (which will almost certainly be this calendar year, if not this school one).
So - where does that leave it? The current interim Head is very impressive and is straightening out the serious kinks. She will only be there for two terms - perhaps more if they can't get the best candidate to take the school on but she says she is too old to take the Headship herself. The SEN department has been restructured - it certainly needed it. There is still a problem with Science - but Chiswick is not alone in having problems recruiting Science teachers. It has one of the best History departments by results in England and both History and Maths teaching is, I would say, inspirational.
There is a great mix of kids. Any bullying is stamped on immediately. Communication between teachers and parents is excellent. I have never not had an email answered the same day - and once or twice within minutes of sending.
The catchment has got smaller and smaller - a few years ago it was over 4 miles. It was down to just over 2 when my ds went and got smaller again the following year. Whether that changes this year because of the RI status we'll find out on 1st March. Whether, if the school goes back to Good that changes again will say more about people's slavish reading of Ofsted I think.
They are currently building a new block - the first new build on the premises for a long time which will give more classrooms and better facilities.
Yes - the school could do with some tweaks. Yes - it's not perfect but I think you will find a lot of parents who are very vocal in support and who show their support by sending all their children there.
If you want to know anything else, do feel free to PM me.