Forest and Bancroft

[upsidedown80]

Hoping to hear from people who have had an offer from Forest or Bancroft?

Which do you think you will choose and why?

Or for those whose children went or go there - what did you like or dislike about it?

I really like the look of both for different reasons. I'm keen to send DS somewhere that will teach him learning techniques and to become independent and organised.

We are a bit further away from Bancroft (45mins on 2 buses so says city mapper) - is that too far? Is the Lea Bridge Road going East out and coming West back at the end of the day impossible?

Is Bancroft really a hothouse? In what ways do they put pressure on the children?

Do the children at Forest come from a bigger variation of schools?

Thanks very much, finding it such a difficult decision to make.

@HemmingsMark 😂😂😂😂 ok. I have nothing to do with forest school. I just think your bombardment of them on this website is weird. It is even weirder that you are posting your full name on here. Do you not understand the concept of a forum? Go and complain to them directly if you were so badly hurt.
I should hope no one chooses a school based on what it was like 40+ years ago.

@HemmingsMark

Oh okay 'Meadowbreeze' (although I'm not sure why you don't give your name). Anyway I'm not sure a lot of parents do have the time to burrow around in the entrails of league tables and the like. Still, if you do have the time please don't bother to read any more of my posts. Don't bother to read that in the School's trinity term 2020 newsletter the headmaster advances a very unconventional argument that A-level grades are a distraction from true learning. He also claims that in anycase most employers don't take the grades seriously. After I highlighted this idiosyncratic proposition in one of my posts quite a few parents thanked me for drawing their attention to the article. A prospective parent declared themselves to be 'nonplussed' and 'astonished' by the headmater's comments. They observed they had decided to send their child elsewhere. Still, you of course will already be familiar with the newsletter and don't need my assistance.

I've read that article in the Trinity 2020 newsletter and there's little in it that I haven't heard from a myriad of other independent school heads these days: i.e. grades aren't the be-all-and-end-all, but it's just one part of the holistic education that schools aim to offer, in nurturing and developing the whole child - to quote the article, 'We must have a certain level of cognitive intelligence and ability to learn. Clearly good grades signal this ability. They can and should be celebrated. But success requires so much more'. Heads from virtually all high-flying state / independent schools out there are conveying this same message now - that exams and grades aren't the sole purpose of their institutions - Forest is by no means alone.

I should say I have no vested interest in Forest whatsoever. I just felt I had to comment after Googling said newsletter.

Well done to DC for the offers! Bancrofts nowadays significantly better standard than Forest - I say this as an ex Forester and live in the area. I will be targeting Bancrofts for my DC.

Should also say that 45 mins on 2 buses to Bancrofts is going to be very painful, the roads from Lea Bridge Road are very stop-start at school time, I think it will be at least 45 mins. Do you have any other more local options?

@HemmingsMark

I've seen parents referring to DD and DC and am not quite sure what this means. Is it some sort of abbreviation?

DD means Dearest Daughter(Dearest Son for DS)whilst DC means Dearest Child/Children.

OP doesn't the 20 bus go from that road and past Bancrofts?

Mark I saw your other thread. So safeguarding issues from 50-60 years ago.