Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium 2020 - Opinions Please

[quiddity3142]

I'm looking to find more information out regarding the four schools that comprise the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium - Urmston, Stretford, Sale and Altrincham.
My daughter is due to sit the entrance exam but as we have not been able to visit any of the schools we have so far been reliant on online videos and data from websites to try and work out which order we should put them in on the application. However, what we'd really like to know is what it's actually like to go there, which I know is a tough ask but as much info and opinions as possible please -
is it friendly and welcoming no matter your background, what are the lessons and teachers like, what kind of clubs/extra curricular activities are available and do they change frequently, what kind of SEN provision do they have, how mums and dads find the parent-school interaction and communication, is there any bullying in the school, what are the buildings like (light/dark, new/old, spacious/cramped, dated/modern), what are the sports facilities like and do they have teams that represent the school in tournaments for anything, do they have quiet spaces available during break times, what is the food like, the cost of uniform and school trips and any other costs that I may not have thought about?
Anything at all, from pupils and parents, that would help us build a bigger picture of each school, rather than just the academic attainment ,would be greatly appreciated. :-)

DS is in Year 10 at Urmston. He absolutely loves it and I'm on the PTA. Happy for you to DM me but I'd say:

Very welcoming to all, great cultural mix

Sorry - cat stood on send key!

DS likes all his teachers and they're all very open to questions at parents' evening, good feedback - especially on Show My Homework.

Lots of clubs & activities, DS & his friends started their own lunchtime club and teachers were supportive.

Not sure about SEN provision, DS's friend has hearing difficulties and he's very well supported.

Interaction and information with school is very good.

Buildings are quite old but well maintained. We've seen no bullying and the pastoral care is very good too. Good sports facilities, lots of team sports & activities and school representation.

Lots of places to go at break / lunch. Good, varied food (for DS anyway). A few items of uniform are compulsory but there's a shop in Stretford that sells it all and not especially £££. Trousers, shirts, shoes, trainers, etc can be from anywhere.

They like to look after the children 'in the round' so not all work, work, work, work, work.

Thank you, that's all really helpful :)

My daughter goes to Stretford and is very happy there. It's a lovely school with a very nurturing feel. The school manages to achieve a good balance between pushing the students academically and also encouraging them to enjoy the other aspects of school life. Culturally and socially there appears to a be a good mix within the school and my daughter has had no problems forming new friendships. The Head is really good - very approachable and down to earth - a lovely man. The school building is in need of a little tlc but work has just started on a new extension to the building, new toilet blocks etc. Outside space is really nice - lots of green space etc. We also really liked Urmston Grammar but in the end we put Stretford as first choice due to ease of travel and just the overall feeling we got when we visited the school. We were less enamoured with Sale grammar but that could have been because it was so ridiculously busy at the open evening and nobody showed us around (unlike at Stretford and Urmston where we had students taking us around the building). So it's a big thumbs up for Stretford if you want a smaller school with a warm sense of community.

I have a DS rather than DD and he is nearly 22 now.We live outside Trafford but he went to AGSB. It was high pressure but he loved it and is still friends with the boys he met there. We liked the multi cultural aspect , he also passed to go to St Ambrose , but as white RC and he went to an RC primary in a very non diverse area, we were glad he picked AGSB and ended up with a very diverse group of friends , both culturally and socially.

The have two DC at Sale. Have been a bit underwhelmed with it especially when I speak to friends who have DC at Stretford and Urmston. People seem to be really pleased with both. Stretford seems to be smaller and friendlier.
Alty girls is a bit high pressure. I decided not to send my DD there for this reason and her friend who is there has complained about it being stressful.
I'd say Stretford has children from more diverse backgrounds not sure about Urmston.
I am always moaning about the lack of communication at Sale. However, There have a new headmistress who already seems to be listening to parent feedback and communication has been really good since she has taken over. My DDs class had to self-isolate recently and the communication and teaching was great.
I don't think there is much difference in the standard of teaching at the schools.
They haven't really been many school trips at Sale. Obviously none now!

My DS has just started year 7 at Stretford. So far all good, he's made friends, walks to school with a couple of friends he has made. Communication from school has been great, lots of updates on covid situation and also the teaching staff have been in touch. No extra curricular activities at the moment due to covid obviously, so can't comment on that. DS was looking forward to getting involved with after-school clubs so it's a shame.
He qualified for Urmston and sale too (didn't do alty boys), but we chose Stretford as its local to us.
My daughter is also sitting the entrance exam in a week's time....good luck to your DD!

Parent with a child at Alty Girls here.

Very welcoming school, with friendly atmosphere. Diverse, and celebrates that diversity. Makes great efforts to ensure the girls feel part of the school community - a 'singles' day for girls starting at the school who are the only ones from their primary school, for example.

Huge amount of clubs and activities. There's a list on the school website.

Teachers are enthusiastic and dedicated, and very open to calls to and from parents about any issues, no matter how minor. It's a teaching school (trains new teachers) so they are knowledgeable about best practice and innovative teaching methods.

SEN: sorry, no direct experience of the provision

Bullying: not heard of any incidents. There are anti-bullying ambassadors though.

Quiet spaces: girls can use the library at lunch and rec (breaktime) for reading, relaxing, playing chess & other games, knitting (!) I think they also screen Ted Talks there too.
There are also lovely gardens. There's a large lawn with gazebos that the girls can access during lunch/rec.

Food:OK - on par with most high school offers. I think there's a sample menu on the school website.

Trips: similar in scope and cost to other high schools

Uniform: can be expensive as all items have to come from the school outfitters. There are second-hand uniform sales at the school though (run by PTA i think)

Buildings: a mix of old traditional (Edwardian?) with very swanky modern extensions and 80s buildings, across a large site. Very pleasant environment - buildings are well-equipped and set in leafy surroundings. Plenty of bright, open spaces, at least in the communal parts of the school. Haven't been in most of the actual classrooms though, so can't comment on those.

Sports: lots on offer, lots of teams to try out for. Dance is on the curriculum up to GCSE level too.

Wellbeing and pastoral care: very caring - lots of info on wellbeing available for parents and pupils. There are wellbeing ambassadors around the school. Homework policy is only to set work if it's purposeful and necessary, and no homework is set at all during school holidays, to give the girls a proper break. This makes a huge difference. There are comments about it being a high-pressure school, but this hasn't been my experience, and I haven't heard this opinion from any other parent with children at the school. These comments often seem to be anecdotal hearsay from people who don't have children at the school, and it certainly doesn't reflect my daughter's experience. She's very happy at school and feels cared-for. Heads of Year seem to be very hands-on with pastoral issues, with both pupils and parents. There are some letters from last year's Year 7s to this year's new starters on the school website (because of COVID, the new girls didn't get their usual transition opportunities). It might be worth having a read of those to see some honest opinions of the school from the pupils themselves.

Possible downsides:

It's a big school - 7 forms in each year plus a sixth form

The school buildings are spread across a wide site, and it can take a while for the girls to find their bearings. They have to cross a road to get from one part of the site to another (they have to cross at the pelican crossing, and go in form groups)

I hope you manage to make a decision - it must be very difficult without having had a chance to visit the schools.

Hi there. I know this isn't your question but I am going to give my opinion on the local state secondary Wellington School in Timperley.

DS has just started Y7. The pastoral care is first class. My friends DC has reason for intervention (don't want to give 'outing' info) and has a quiet space and full access to the Pastoral lead and head of KS3 if required. DS had some initial issues with a child from his primary school and the pastoral lead was exceptional in how she dealt with it.

When we went for the open day we had such a warm feeling from the teachers at the school and this has translated into the Y7 transition. They really look after the new Y7s and the communication I have had with any questions I have had had been fantastic.

So if you don't go for Grammar then I can highly recommend Wellington from my initial experience.

We visited AGSB and Sale Grammar but have to say I was more impressed by the pastoral care at AGSB. I felt that Sale Grammar didn't have to make any effort at their open day as they know that families are eager to get their DCs in regardless. Interestingly, AGSB is more 'redbrick' and should have the same attitude but I got such a warm feeling from the school and teachers.

My friends DD is in Y10 at AGGS and really rates the school despite the negative reputation. Another friend has a DD at AGGS and has said that their SENCO is fantastic as his DD has Aspergers and has received fantastic support

I realise most of my advice is anecdotal but hope I have helped in some way

This is really helpful for me too, thank you to those who have shared their experiences. It's so difficult trying to make a decision without being able to walk around the schools and get a feel for them.

That's really helpful to me too.

I'd heard similar things about Sale Grammar, which is a shame as it's the most convenient one for us to get to. Really want to avoid single-sex schools if possible (personal preference), so I'm guessing Stretford and Urmston are good alternatives.

We certainly felt that Sale was less welcoming at the open evening. Also remember the Head's talk being very much focused on the academic results of the school and less about pastoral care and student well-being. It had a very different feel to Stretford and Urmston.

@peacypops

We certainly felt that Sale was less welcoming at the open evening. Also remember the Head's talk being very much focused on the academic results of the school and less about pastoral care and student well-being. It had a very different feel to Stretford and Urmston.

When did you go @peacypops? I'm wondering if the new headteacher may be improving things...

I asked at all of the schools we visited about their pastoral care as we knew all schools in the area are academically good or excellent. Responses as follows

Alti Boys - the history teacher kept me chatting for ages about how they look after the boys, they have deducted pastoral leads and can always chat to teacher etc, lots of extra curricular clubs to nurture them etc etc

Wellington - couldn't get rid of the guy (in a good way!!) He kept me chatting for ages about all of the above.

Alti College - same as Wellington. In fact both teachers said they treat all pupils as they would want their own treated, if they want a hug they get one

Sale Grammar - the response was 'yeah we look after them' said in a non committal tone.

Now that was my experience. I am sure Dale Grammar are significantly more on the ball as I know of friends whose DCs are really happy there. But you can imagine I wasn't blown away by that response. I just felt they didn't try at all.

Sale not Dale!

Dedicated not Deducted FFS 🤬

My DD is year 8 now so we looked around Sale grammar back in summer 2018. My comments are based purely on our experience of the open evening which is not necessarily a true reflection of what the school is like for pupils on a daily basis.

Another one with a dc in y7 at Stretford. It’s our local school so dc always wanted to go there, but it really does feel very friendly and caring.

I was impressed with the headmaster at the open day last year, who emphasised the importance of treating each child as an individual, and said that the children and staff, from the headmaster to the cleaner, were of equal importance to the school.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate the time and input. It has been a difficult decision but as most of the posts here reflect the opinions we were already receiving it really has helped.

Hi quiddity3142,

Did you make a decision?

Looking to move to the area, and obvs schools are still laying on our mind