Grammar schools in Essex:Colchester County High School?

[LivBonas]

Hello,
I wondered if anyone had any experience with Colchester County High School, the grammar school in Essex. Booked DD to look around there later in the year, I've heard great stuff about the school from some ex pupils living in my local area. I wanted a wider range of opinions though so I'm looking to Mumsnet for help! Is your experience of the School positive, what is the teaching like? Is it a friendly and welcoming environment?

My DD is in year 13 about to take her A levels, She has had a great time at the school. The school provides excellent pastoral care. The teaching is good and the staff enthusiastic and encouraging. It strangely is often seen as not as good as the boys school with very academic girls transferring for sixth form, but having had DC at both I think CCHSG is better at supporting it's pupils.
It's only weakness I think is in art/music which seem to have a large turn over of staff.

DD loves it, really really loves it. It is very very strict in some ways but the pastoral care is outstanding, the teachers are friendly, enthusiastic and helpful. They go at quite an intense pace in the lessons and there are plenty of tests, including major ones at the end of each year. It is difficult to keep up and catch up if you aren’t motivated. They do start off slow in Yr 7 though, the pressure gets ramped up slowly! Science and maths teaching is particularly excellent, they have some fantastic facilities.

Communication from the school is excellent and they have a massive range of sports and clubs. I would say its weakness is that girls come from all over Essex/Suffolk and East London, so socially it is tricky. Sleepovers/meet ups etc are harder, so we have made sure that DD is involved socially in our local area as well.

The daughter of one of our closest friends went there for sixth form. She had a really unhappy time and didn't feel supported at all. I fail to recognise the above two posts as her experience. She did quite well academically although did have extra-curricular tuition for one of her A Level subjects.