First year intake of a new secondary school

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Has anyone any experience of this please?

A new boys school is opening next September and DS2 would be in the first years intake. The site would be a building site for the first year (or so) so teaching in portacabins etc

The new school is a ‘sister’ to a very sought after local school and will follow the same ethos etc. (If DS was a girl we would have definitely have chosen the girls school)

But there seem to be so many unknowns?

Anyone been in this situation please?

We have the option now - DD in Year 6, new school opening in September. Building work hasn't even started yet, they'll be using temporary classrooms for at least a year, with no outdoor space.

We've decided against applying, and are applying for the sister school just over the border in another borough instead (we're equal distance from both).

You could try the eleven plus forum and ask in Kent chat about Weald girls as that had a new satellite site for this Sept, a quasi new school really. DD is in a school with six forms in each year and I know DD benefits from the example snd support of sixth formers, they help run most of the lunch clubs for example so I know she’d miss that influence. There was also in Beckenham a new co-ed school called Eden Park that started this year too, I think there is a FB group of Beckenham Parents so you could try asking there. I don’t know if the school you are talking about is the same area but I know of plans for a new school opening not far from us and the same borough as Eden Park, if it is that one I know they’ve been hoping for it to open for years but it keeps failing on planning applications. If it it is I hope it is finally resolved!

We've done first year of new secondary. Fantastic experience. Advice would be to talk to the head and SLT. If they inspire you with confidence don't be put off by the buildings.

Our year group was full of kids with parents passionat about the new school's vision and direction and it showed. A lot of the parent's are teachers themselves and know what to look for in a good school.

It's likely the school will recruit its heads of department first, so your child will be taught by senior subject specialists from the outset. In most other schools the y7s get the NQTs and non specialists as the senior staff are focussed on the exam cohorts.

It only works if the leadership is strong though. They need to be able to recruit good teachers as well as students, and won't be able to do that if they're idiots.

P.s. please blame my phone for any typos and grammos in that post, not me.

It is your local one Petts WoodP, it got permission last week.

It’s now a safety net as DS passed the Bexley test but we are able to chose it over and above those on the CAT so we don’t really have anything to lose.

Thanks all.