Testbourn or henry Beaufort if can't get into westgate? ( Winchester schools)

[Dipsydora]

Hi,
We live about 6 miles north of Winchester our village is Henry Beaufort catchment but has had many children go to westgate in the past. We are concerned that with building developments we now have no chance of westgate or kings?
So looking for opinions on Testbourn v HB ?
Our children are acedemic nerdy types rather than sporty. Good at maths and science particularly ( as is the whole family).
We have a couple of years still so could move if we really need to.
The other option is the Salisbury grammar schools but that would be a nightmare travel set up each day and as DH is commuting into London and I work in Winchester we don't really want to move in that direction.
Can't afford Winchester college or st switherns sadly so must be state.

Please can somebody advice on where to send our children to school as getting stressed already about this.

Do not stress.
Beaufort is absolutely fine.

Its a massive comp so within any year group are nerds and jocks and arty types and tractor drivers.

Headline figures are less useful when there are 250 kids in a year because they hide the fact that some kids do not know where the Science labs are while others avoid the sports fields at all costs.

Thank your lucky stars that you are in the feed for a Winchester Secondary and then Symonds after that

Thank you! Probably stressing too much after a day out with ultra pushy mum friend

Ah yes, those types.
Fear not.
Send your kids to Beafort and devote all the energy and money you have thus saved into enriching their lives and education .
Sorted.

Does anyone have any insider info on theses schools? We are currently debating moving area within Hampshire for secondary schools and would really like to know where to move. Winchester is very expensive but could afford just north of the town and these schools are contenders. I gather lots of money will be going in HB direction?
Other options are Alton or Petersfield?
Advice desperately needed please.

Snow My insider info from parents whose DC left last year is that the 3 Winchester schools are all very good. I don't know the ones North.

Also Romsey has 2 very good comps and a bit less expensive.

Thornden in Chandlers Ford (but you will need to be in catchment), and I have heard good things about Toynbee too.

Thank you

All three Winchester ones have positive feedback from friends in our village. Henry B perhaps stronger for music and art and independent learning than Kings. Thornden facilities for music, dance, drama are excellent but have to be in catchment which only covers part of Chandlers Ford plus villages other side of the M3.

Alton is fab for schools both Eggar’s and Amery are excellent and even though they have catchments there is lots of overlap so you can pick the one that best suits your DC. You get more house for your money here and it’s a great friendly place to live.

Perins has changed a tad since the new head came in, but knowing the area, its a blip

TBH only the Hampshire comps in the north of Basingstoke are worth avoiding
all of the others are pretty sound

even Bordon is getting its backside in gear since the Army left

Perins in Alresford is great and lots of children come from Winchester- it has great results, great discipline and great extra curricular activities.
www.tatler.com/article/best-state-secondary-schools-uk-2017

if you didn't get in don't worry as i was extremely bullied at this school and the school didn't do anything about it. i didnt turn up for weeks at a time and they didnt note my absenses because they didnt want to get a bad record. when my mum went to complain they said they wouldn't do anything about me getting bullied. however the only teacher i liked is now the head so i dont want to say too much because of her but i got kick me signs written on my back, chewing gum put in my hair and people mucking up my presentations. i walked out of class and the teachers never told any of the kids off and never came to get me. i hate schools that have a good record because they hide problems under the carpet. i still have depression and anxiety as a result of what i went through and am trying to get through the hard times i had

i'm talking about westgate by the way and i left three years ago

I have also heard that about Westgate and know someone who changed schools because of it.

Talkin can I ask what you mean by Perins change being a blip because of the area? What sort of change do you mean? Intake? It's certainly a very popular, middle class area and house prices are expensive. I know they had very large numbers applying this year as Perins reputation is so good and they had lots of appeals from parents desperate for their child to get in.

THe area will change the head, not the other way round ;-)