Cheadle Hulme School entrance exams

[GaryWilmotsWedding]

Hi all. After a slightly strange few weeks of rushed thinking and messing about, my 2 DCs have been offered places at CHS, in infants and juniors. They currently attend a very nice state primary, but are not particularly stimulated/stretched. This is not necessarily an issue but we do have some concerns. There are many reasons why I am totally conflicted about what to do but rather than bombard people with that, can I please ask about experience of CHS entrance exams for Senior school?
One of the main reasons we are considering taking up the offers is to ensure a place at secondary as there are limited private co-Ed options near us. Is this total overkill? They are both bright although not seemingly ‘gifted’, but hard to say at their ages and I’ve not really worried about it to this point - they’re just tiny kids! So, how hard is it to get into CHS from state primary? Any thoughts/experience v helpful, thank you. I’d really appreciate specific local experience. I’ve agonised over the more holistic arguments around state versus primary so now looking for real world experiences if possible. Thanks!

No personal experience, however I live down the road in Didsbury, have a friend on the staff of that school and have an opinion as a mum and former teacher, albeit secondary.

I would move my children in a heartbeat if I could afford it. We are planning a small private prep school, which will hopefully help them get into grammar. If I could take that stress away and have them in an excellent school from the get go then I would.

I don't have any personal experience of the school but know a boy who failed the Saint Ambrose entrance exam despite being tutored for that particular exam for years but got into Cheadle Hulme School easily.

Thank you both. I keep being told not to worry by teacher friends as they feel our children are both bright enough to get into the school further down the line (and as you said @zighead, people keep telling me it’s not one of the harder schools to get into) but no one has a crystal ball! I think in many respects it would be a great opportunity for them but their current primary is lovely and they are happy. Makes no sense to move a happy child and I don’t want to be driven by fear of the future.

@Liverbird77 - we are also in Didsbury. I’m concerned about the drive vs a little walk. They seem so small to be carted around in the car when we have a nice local option. You still wouldn’t hesitate, knowing what you know about CHS and taking into consideration that they are not unhappy currently?

@GaryWilmotsWedding I would find out what percentage of year 7 each year have come up from the junior school.
My DS is at a private school where approximately 45% of the year 7 starters are new to the school and he found it tough to integrate. He's fine now but I did wish I'd sent him earlier. If your children are confident and good at making friends, it's probably not an issue though.

@zighead there are 190-odd places and only two forms feeding into that from junior school, so vast majority are external intake. I worry less about them integrating (I think they’d be fine) and more just giving up this chance for them to join now! I feel so concerned they wouldn’t make it later down the line and we’ve closed the door now. But 13 years is a loooong time to drive my littlest to school and back, where would their friends live, etc etc. Just don’t know how to make this choice, so unlike me. I guess because it’s on their behalf, I can reconcile any choices I make for myself but this is so different. Anybody out there who has views on CHS please shout up!

@GaryWilmotsWedding honestly, no I wouldn't.
My ideal choice for my daughter would be Withington, which is brilliant and local, however distance wouldn't put me off.
We are planning to send ours to a prep in Knutsford, which Is much further away!
If you pm me which primary it is, I'll happily give you my opinion. I know a few teachers who've worked/ work in some of the local primary schools.

@GaryWilmotsWedding I have a boy and a girl. I think some of the local schools are nice, but we aren't religious, which rules out some, and my boy is quite shy and sensitive and I think he'd struggle in a huge primary. I also worry about the class sizes.

Which primary are you at now Gary?

Hi @NicolaDunsire not keen to say on here as might put me, but it’s a v nice village primary.

In Didsbury?!

I live in the same area and although my child is too young for high school, I've been having a look at the local schools. I've been looking at The Laurus in CH which I believe is considered to be excellent but not grammar. However isn't DHS also a Laurus one and expected to do great things? I'm going to be watching with interest over the next couple of years.

Anyway I’m out of date but when I attended a state primary in Didsbury CHS was perceived as the easy school to get into. I can’t remember anyone failing the exam whereas several people did fail MGS, WGS etc.

Didsbury High has a crazy small "catchment" though.
I know there's not an official catchment, but their website states that the last two years, each kid has come from something like a 1.3 mile radius. We are 1.4 as the crow flies. I really worry about secondary. We've not rules out moving house because of this.

The only primary I would consider in Didsbury is the C of E on Elm Grove, purely because it's smaller.
We aren't prepared to go to church to get their shitty stamps though, so doubt we'd get in.

@Liverbird77 I agree, it's a really small catchment, isn't it. As a teacher / local (we haven't been in the area that long) what do you think of DHS?

@Liverbird77 I think the catchment is currently so small as it’s one form entry - I believe they are planning to expand but not sure when.

Out of interest, what made you choose a knutsford prep rather than moor allerton / a Trafford prep?

We are planning for my son to start at the prep as soon as he turns three in January.
MA seems really nice too, but the one we've chosen is just right for him. The small size, set up and educational philosophy are attractive to us.

As I say, if I was wealthy enough to send her all through to Year 13, I'd pick Withington for my girl.
I wouldn't send my son to MGS because I don't like, but that's just a very personal opinion, I'm not saying it's a bad school.

I only know one mum with a child at Didsbury High, but she is really happy with it. The Cheadle Laurus school has done so well, I think it's defo the best local free option.

We're not local either...moved here about three years ago.

It's so hard to be a parent, isn't it? We all just want the best for our children but it's a minefield!!

It’s so confusing!! We’re in Didsbury atm but willing to move when it comes to school time.

It’s so hard weighing up aiming for the free schools in Trafford (versus the higher house prices and stress) or staying in south Manchester or Cheshire and committing to fees.

Tell me about it! I was awake at about 2am last night, looking on Rightmove at houses in the catchment postcodes for Alty Boys.

I cannot find anything half as nice as what we have here for the money. I also think Didsbury is great for groups/activities/friendships.

Completely get it - spend my life on Rightmove!

Also the what if of moving to altrincham and then they don’t get in. Absolutely minefield.

@Liverbird77 thanks for the info. It IS really hard, isn't it.

@Liverbird77 we were merrily thinking of DHS but the catchment this year is 0.8 miles, which we are outside of. Which set off a whole train of thinking about private secondary, then private primary...then here we are! For a number of reasons WGS isn’t for us but there’s no doubt it’s an excellent option.

I think you'd be fine with state primary and private secondary. That's what we did although we went for SGS rather than CHS. We did tutor for about 6m prior to entrance exam but I suspect DC would have got in anyway. And my kids loved having local friends and activities which was much easier for us to juggle when they were small. CHS is fantastic but if fees are a consideration, waiting until secondary would be just fine.

Out of interest, does anyone know if we can find out the birthrate for specific years in specific areas?
We might all get lucky and stroll in because there aren't as many kids!

I have friends whose kids went from state primary to CHS with modest amounts of tutoring. Worth noting that even if you get them in to CHS juniors they still need to take the senior school entrance exam.

My own kids are at a smaller prep but DS will probably sit for CHS next year.