Sixth form decision - Bishop Vesey's Grammar vs King Edward VI College, Stourbridge

[crazycrofter]

Just after some recent experience from Brummies please. My dd is torn between these two options. Travel is the same for both as we live in south Birmingham, ie they're both quite a trek (one by bus(es), the other by train). I would have liked her to try out the bus routes to Stourbridge but can't now.

She was hoping to make a decision by going to the induction days but it's looking like they won't happen. There are obviously lots of differences between them - college vs school, uniform vs none etc. She can see pros and cons to both options.

Does anyone have any experience regarding teaching/ uni entry support etc? And how quickly kids integrate and settle in.

bumping in case anyone can help!

I went to King Edwards many years ago and now have friends with children there!!!

I personally loved it as the college environment suited me much more than school. I just had more freedom and had to take more responsibility for my learning - great skills for university. It also felt a lot more close knit as I guess there are only two year groups and so close in age.

Feedback from current parents is very much the same.

Thanks Zodlebud! Two of my siblings also went there and loved it and I've heard more recent good reports too. A few negatives I've heard recently are - they've no longer got a common room as numbers have increased so there's no central gathering place; high achievers making less than expected progress (per the Ofsted and also a friend whose daughter left last year); lessons being cancelled when tutors don't turn up. I also understand they are much less selective than they used to be, but that's not particularly a concern to us.

On the other hand, I hear lots of kids who say they love it, dd has a couple of friends already there and a couple potentially going with her, I think she'd love the independence. I also wondered if it would give her more time to have a part-time job, but I'm not sure if I'm being unrealistic with the demands of new A Levels?

I’ve worked in FE, is there anyway she could go somewhere closer? Bishop Vesey is excellent, really good. But most kids will be local it’s going to be much harder to fit in and socialise from south Birmingham and this really does matter. She will be more successful if she is settled.

Thanks @didiusfalco, she also has an offer from Kings Norton girls. What she liked about BV in comparison was that all the girls are new. I don't think she's massively worried about socialising, as she's currently at KEHS in Edgbaston, where girls come from a huge area. She already has friends in Wolverhampton, Sutton Coldfield, near Coventry, Smethwick etc and manages a very active social life! She's very used to train travel.

But I take your point, maybe she should reconsider Kings Norton, which I know is also really good. To be honest though, socially I have no worries as she's very very good at making friends. In fact, she's worried about how she will fit in any more as she will have so many old friends to keep up with but I'm sure she'll manage!

Also, I do see kids from south Birmingham on the train in the morning to the Sutton grammars, so I don't think she would be the only one. We looked at Five Ways, which is very close and would be ideal, but unfortunately she can't do her 3 preferred subjects there as the option blocks don't work and there really isn't another option that would work. It's a real shame.

My options were between Five Ways and KE Stourbridge and if you’re close to FW then you’re probably in the same sort of area as I used to live. Travelling on the number 9 bus was easy.

I think the main difference is structure of the school day. At schools the days are a lot more organised for the pupils. At stand alone sixth form colleges you have to take the initiative a lot more. A very bright child who struggles with the responsibility of that independence and in such a large year group may not fare so well. It’s very much a place where you have to ask for help as opposed to them watching your every move and being “on it”. I also found the teaching style very different as it was more like a lecture than a school lesson. It works for some, not for others I guess.

Thanks @zodlebud those are some of the things we're weighing up. Dd is very independent and I think she'd be fine. However, she worries that maybe she needs chivying and pushing as she's so used to being around very highly motivated, high ability peers who've provided that for her! I think it would probably be good for her to see that she can do it herself - although maybe she would fall flat on her face!

She tends not to like to ask for help from teachers anyway (the independent streak) and hates having external pressure put on by the staff, so that's maybe something to bear in mind as a positive for KE Stourbridge.

We're the other side of Five Ways - Frankley/Rubery/Northfield area - so it would be two buses. Although I might be able to drop her off at the no 9 bus stop on the Hagley Road in the mornings.