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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Leeds - Horsforth, Pudsey Mums - need advice please!

43 replies

Acorncat1 · 13/09/2019 12:57

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

OP posts:

BrownFence · 17/09/2019 09:17

This link gives you the cut off distances for last year www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/Cut%20off%20distances%20and%20criteria.pdf

You can see which schools weren’t oversubscribed - so there would be a good chance of getting in one of those if you didn’t get a place at one of the “better” schools.

If you like Horsforth, my plan would be to move there. You would go on the waiting list and may or may not eventually get a place. The closer you are to the school the more likely you will get one. BUT you have Ralph Thorseby as a backup. The demographics are different but they are changing and it’s probably a better backup than in other areas of Leeds

Original poster

Acorncat1 · 18/09/2019 14:04

Have you any idea where on the website I could find this info?

OP posts:

BrownFence · 19/09/2019 07:39

I’m guessing you’ve got the main page - www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/children-families-and-carers/schools-and-learning/school-places/admissions-secondary-schools

All the relevant documents are at the bottom. I know it’s not very easy to navigate

Heartyhooker · 19/09/2019 08:19

We are in Ilkley which has a very good secondary and were also told because of distance we could app!y to Prince Henry's in Otley. Otley is cheaper house price wise.
My oldest just started at Ilkley and I've been pleasantly surprised by the pastoral support, they have one 40 minute form period a week and have same form tutor all the way through the school, he's also taking half their science lessons. They are off to local outdoor pursuits centre today for team building .

PoisoningPigeons · 20/09/2019 18:42

Timely thread! Sorry OP, is it ok if I slightly hijack? I was just interested in what @StereophonicallyChallenged said about some of the secondary schools - sounds like you know your N/W Leeds schools!

Where we live it’s likely we can only get into Lawnswood (Not religious so no chance of Abbey Grange). We went to the open evening and it seemed ok enough & I’m slightly reassured that you said it’s better than it used to be.

I’m pondering what other schools to put on our application form as they are all oversubscribed so kind of impossible unless you live in catchment.

BrownFence · 21/09/2019 10:21

@poisoningpigeons - I feel that there’s been a bit of a change in recent years with where children who live near Lawnswood go to secondary. So in the past people living in Adel might have tried for Horsforth and PHGS in Otley but as they are so popular, that’s not possible any more. So you have more children in the Cookridge, Adel, Bramhope areas going to Lawnswood and Ralph Thorseby. Which I think is changing the demographics at those schools.

PoisoningPigeons · 22/09/2019 07:49

Thanks @BrownFence that's a very useful way of thinking about it. Makes me feel quite optimistic I'm thinking we will put Abbey Grange and maybe Allerton High on our application as the long-range punts and Lawnswood as our realistic option.

BrownFence · 22/09/2019 09:36

Have you looked at Ralph Thorseby? It’s a smaller school and may be worth looking at.

Stillmuddlingthrough · 24/09/2019 18:34

Just a point on Roundhay area (as you were asking about wider areas) I think the poster who mentioned Allerton grange not being good must be thinking of the school a few years ago - it has changed hugely since then both results and behaviour and pastorally - so there are excellent school choices in that whole area but house prices to match I am afraid.

Stillmuddlingthrough · 24/09/2019 18:35

Think you would be unlikely to get into Allerton high from horsforth TBH

PoisoningPigeons · 27/09/2019 14:32

Earlier this week we went for an individual tour of Lawnswood on a normal school day and were pleasantly surprised. Given the realities of school places available to us, and that Lawnswood is our catchment school, I'm giving serious thought to just putting that one school on the application form. Is that mad?

Heartyhooker · 27/09/2019 15:05

@PosioningPigeons I only put one school , mainly because the next nearest were in different countries and didn't see sense in putting Bradford schools down , but the feeder schools for IGS have less pupils in year 6 than the PAN of the secondary school. However if out don't get Lawnswood they could give you any school in Leeds and I think you can only appeal for schools that you put down. How big is catchment for Lawnswood as IGS was Ilkley, Burley and some of Menston and Addingham ?

BrownFence · 27/09/2019 16:53

Have you seen any of the other schools? I guess it’s whether you would prefer any of the more highly rated schools. If you do, then put them higher on your list and Lawnswood will be a very good banker lower down.

But do remember that if you put somewhere like Horsforth and miraculously get a place, your dc need to get there!

whatsthecomingoverthehill · 30/09/2019 11:04

Given the realities of school places available to us, and that Lawnswood is our catchment school, I'm giving serious thought to just putting that one school on the application form. Is that mad?

Ummm, yes! There is no disbenefit from putting as many choices down as you can. You are no more likely to get your first choice if it is your only choice. Chances are that as you say, you have no real choice in the matter due to oversubscription but there really is no downside to filling out the choices.

whatsthecomingoverthehill · 30/09/2019 11:15

That was me, and I'm not aware of it particularly getting better. Rated as "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted, and the results are much worse than Allerton High and Roundhay (and don't look like they have improved particularly).

PoisoningPigeons · 01/10/2019 12:11

OK so I've checked on this very helpful map www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/Leeds%20Secondary%20Schools%20Map.pdf (hope this link works) and we are well inside the catchment area for Lawnswood.

I have been suitably chastised by @whatsthecomingoverthehill so, based on where we live and the map, I have put:

Abbey Grange (hahaha)
Allerton High (hahaha)
Lawnswood (this being the actual likely school)
Ralph Thoresby
Carr Manor

BrownFence · 01/10/2019 12:34

If that’s your actual order of preference - looks good - best of luck!

whatsthecomingoverthehill · 01/10/2019 13:21

Ha, no worries PP! And good luck, you never know what might happen.

I'm not sure that map is the actual catchment areas. I think it's showing the closest school, excluding the religious and free schools. It's really difficult finding out exactly how far away people were to get in to a particular school - here's a table stating distances but that's it I think.

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