Leeds - Horsforth, Pudsey Mums - need advice please!

[Acorncat1]

Hi guys

We're looking at relocating to Leeds from South of Ireland for next September. My son will be starting Year 7. In Ireland, we don't start secondary until 13 so I'm very apprehensive about this. I've been reading about pushing in corridors and bullying by older children and this scares me!! My son will just have turned 11 by September. I guess I'm just looking for some advice on what schools are good and how to manage his expectations. We're hopefully visiting Horsforth Secondary next month. I want to have a look in Pudsey too.
Thanks in advance

Hi - there are 4 high schools around the Pudse/Bramley area and all 4 are Good Ofsted wise! There isn't a stand out one that everyone tries to get in - as all 4 have their strengths and weaknesses. My daughter and son have both attended/attend Pudsey Grangefield and I have no complaints. The other schools are all Academies - West Leeds Academy has good Arts programmes, Coop Academy Priesthorpe is good for sports and has specialist SEN provision and Crawshaw Academy has its issues but has really improved and is good too.
Horsforth is consistently good but because of that and the desirability of the area houses are more expensive.
If you have any other questions I'll do my best to help...

Both my dc have been through Horsforth High School.

It has good and bad points but overall, and compared to other secondary's in the area, I liked it.

I think its strengths are its academic side - lots of success in national competitions for science and math's for instance.

Weaker point would be the pastoral care ime. When one of my dc had a broken leg the school were not particularly helpful with the logistics of being in school with a broken leg. I've heard other people with similar tales.

That being said, it doesn't have an issue with bullying as far as i know. The pupils are generally well behaved (I work around the corner) when I see them out and about. They don't wear blazers but are pretty strict on the rest of the uniform code etc. and pupile tend to look smart.

I think my dc were both seen as 'middle of the road' in academic terms and perhaps at times I felt that some of their teachers didn't even know them at all.

It only takes pupils now from the LS18 postcode so if you like the school take that into account!

Can't tell you much about Pudsey schools except I have a few friends with DC at West Leeds in the performing arts stream and they love it!

There is quite a lot of choice in Leeds for schools compared to other areas I think. If you lived in Horsforth you could always look at Ralph Thoresby or Abbey Grange (C of E) too. Even the 'bad' school in the area - Lawnswood has changed in recent years and lots of people actively choose it for its amazing facilities (big school so well funded) especially for dc who might be considering a more vocational route into careers etc.

Good luck with the move, I love living round these parts

Hello from another Irish mum in W Leeds 👋

The five schools listed on my letter from the council as closest to us are:

Leeds West - It has recently gone from requires improvement to Good Ofsted but I don't have a great impression of this one based solely on the behaviour of the kids on way in and out (my DC go to the primary next door). They're awful. Horrendous language, pushing you off the pavement, fighting, cycling into you etc. It doesn't give me any faith whatsoever in the school's standards of discipline. Will still go to the open evening but it would take a miracle to change my mind tbh. It's our nearest but I don't even want to put it on the list tbh.

Crawshaw - attended the open evening last night and was very impressed. Music and Art depts (Dd's faves) were fab.

Grangefield - haven't visited yet but think it's improved a lot in last few years. Has also jumped a few ratings on Ofsted.

Horsforth - @Stereophonically can I ask where you heard that they only accept LS18 postcodes? Wondering why the council would put it on our letter if it's a total non-stsrter 🤔.

Abbey Grange - Good apparently but have heard you won't get in unless you're religious. We're heathens so not likely.

I'm finding it all so stressful and overwhelming. My eyes been twitching all week 😕

Thank you all so much! It's great to get this feedback. I feel totally overwhelmed by the whole process!
VT - I spoke to Horsforth secondary and that's what they said to me too. You have to be in the LS18 postcode. How long are you living in the UK?
Also spoke to Abbey Grange but I'd say chances of getting in there are slim to none too!
Can I ask the difference between a state school and an academy??

Also, how do kids get from home to school, is there school buses, do they walk or take public transport. Is it ok to drop them off? Or are they seen as losers if you do that ;-)?
I suppose it's getting my head around him being so independent in school two years earlier than he would be if we stayed in Ireland!!

Most of the schools in Pudsey aren't that great tbh. If I had to pick one it would most likely be Crawshaw. I hear good things about Farnley Academy. Most student walks to school or get public transport.

Vicious its been no.3 on their entry criteria for a few years now.

So first is looked after children etc (as with everywhere in Leeds) then 2nd is siblings already attending, then 3rd is LS18 postcode.

As this has been in place a few years now there will be no children left with siblings from out of LS18 (we are not LS18 - this policy came in when my oldest was in about year 8/9, younger dc got in on the final year that there were year 7-10 siblings from out of LS18 still attending iyswim.)

Its on their website and in the admissions details, its also common knowledge in the area I suppose

LCC are pretty shit at most things tbf, so I'm not surprised they sent you details!

OP Academies set their own entry criteria and that's pretty much all that changed when Horsforth High went from LEA to academy status.

I'm sure there are many other (mainly admin & funding related) differences but nothing that changed for parents & pupils particularly.

School buses are like rocking horse poo in Leeds - so don't count on that! Even if you do meet the criteria for school transport, doesn't mean you will get it form what I've heard over the years.

Abbey Grange is the one school that does have school buses but that's because its catchment is city (and beyond) wide.

I live very close to Abbey Grange and have known loads of kids go there/have been there. DC primary was a feeder school for it (when such a thing existed) Its a good school, but some of it I disliked (ie the whole religion thing ) plus Horsforth was closer to my work and was Ofsted outstanding at that time.

If you want to go to Abbey Grange you just need to feign an interest in CofE and get a reference from a church leader (not necessarily CofE btw) and most of the kids I know are not religious at all.

Abbey Grange also has vertical form groups which did not appeal to my dc at the time. The facilities are slightly older and the uniforms more expensive, but lots of lovely families and spread right around as I say. Its probably a more diverse school than Horsforth too.

OP, just to flag that UK parents are applying now for Year 7 places next September - deadline is 31st October. If you're only viewing schools next month, your DS would be a late applicant and be slotted in to the nearest school with a place. If you're looking at private, you'll be fine, but if you're looking at state schools, I'm afraid he'll be in the queue after all the children already living in the area and who have applied by 31st October.

My DS is a summer birthday as well, so will only just be 11 by next September (but not in your area of the country). Look for a school with good pastoral support and a good range of activities to help your DS make a range of friends with support.

I guess what I'm saying is it doesn't really matter which schools you view, except in terms of looking at areas to live in and which schools to put on a waiting list, as a late applicant doesn't have a choice of school as such, they just get offered the nearest school with a place. Accept that place then sit on the waiting list for any preferred schools.

Thanks again guys. Ohhlala, we're aware of the 31st deadline so calling schools now to try visit before then. It'll be close but we will get application form in before 31st! I hope that's OK!

I agree with SayOoh, even if you get your application in by the deadline, if you are still living in Ireland, they will use that as the address. So you won’t get into Horsforth straight away. You’ll have to join the waiting list. Best of luck

Thanks OakDining, lady I spoke to n Leeds City Co said that I'd be at bottom of list but once we move we'll be bumped up for school within that area, is this correct?

I doubt you'll even be able to apply if you're not living in the country. You have to apply through your local council, even if applying for a school out of your council area. I'm also not sure that it will be of any benefit to get an application in now - the priority will be assessed once you move to the area.

@Acorncat1, you will bump up the waiting list once you move nearer to the school but if all the places have already been allocated / taken, the waiting list for X school may never produce a place for your DC, you may just sit at waiting list 1 or 2. It depends on the demand for places - we have one dreadful, one poor and one really good secondaries locally. In-catchment parents don't give up the "really good" school places without moving out of the area or going private so there isn't a lot of movement on the waiting list for the really good school.

You need to accept whatever school place you're offered by LCC, however crap the school, then get on the waiting list for any local school you'd be willing to accept, if it's better / nearer / more convenient than the one you've been offered and hope that one of them produces a waiting list place for September 2020.

Spoke to LCC again. I can email them with all the info I have at mo but yes, won't get near top of list till we move. What constitutes a 'bad' school, is there many around Horsforth? Obviously I would not like to have to send kids to a crap school!

Ofsted wise they all seem to be very similar these days. The main differences are probably demographics related. Abbey Grange has the best results, slightly ahead of Horsforth, which is in turn a bit ahead of Benton Park. There's then a bit of a jump to schools like Ralph Thoresby, West Leeds and Priesthorpe.

If you are catholic you'd be in catchment for St Mary's in Menston - think it is one of the best in Leeds.

Not catholic and looking forward to getting away from a faith based school as majority of schools in ireland are catholic. My kids didn't make their communion in school when the rest of their class were. Alot of 2nd class (year 3 I think) taken up with sins and praying....

Are there other areas that people would recommend that have a good net of secondary schools? Sorry for all the questions!!

can I ask aswell, how unlikely is it that you wouldn't get a place at one of the five schools you've picked?

Garforth is supposed to be a good school. Otley might also be a decent bet, as it is a good school and the other closest schools are also decent enough. But I don't really know what the chances are in any areas I'm afraid. I would probably avoid Roundhay because you'd be fairly likely to end up at Allerton Grange which doesn't have the best reputation.

If you have a look at the council website, it will show you where children came from last year. If you’re close enough to the school you’ll get in.

I’d go for Horsforth out of those. Avoid west Leeds like the plague, it’s surrounded by a large and deprived council estate so that’s the catchment.

You can check West Leeds school catchments against this vis.oobrien.com/booth/#

Thank you all SO much, It's really hard to suss this all out from a different country and quite deflating when you can't do anything to put the kids in a better chance for a good school. Hopefully we will sort something out .