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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Ilkley Grammar School

13 replies

Optical · 14/08/2021 09:55

Anyone any experience of IGS please? Please let me know your thoughts/experiences. Moving to Ilkley Christmas time and our options will be IGS or BGS (2022 start) so keen to receive inside info of both schools actually! Initial concern is sheer size of IGS but that’s mainly because I went to small secondary school & the secondary schools where we’re moving from are much smaller. Many thanks

OP posts:
ThereWillBeFood · 16/08/2021 18:37

Assuming you mean Bradford Grammar School, you’ll save yourself a whole load of money if you opt for Ilkley.

It’s obviously got a very good reputation, but I don’t know how much is down to the school rather than the catchment. My dd didn’t like it at all when she visited because the children were all very much of a certain “type”.

ThereWillBeFood · 16/08/2021 18:42

The other thing to mention is that if you’re moving at Christmas you will miss the application window. Hopefully you’ve already spoken to Bradford council about the late application options.

Hoppinggreen · 16/08/2021 18:45

Bradford Grammar is a Private school rather than a Grammar and Ilkley Grammar is a Comp so very different things
You will have missed applications by Christmas so not much chance for Ilkley but Bradford might have a place if you can pay

Original poster
Optical · 16/08/2021 19:22

Thanks for replies. Error in my post - I meant 2023, apologies. Moving her to prep school mid year then got to consider the secondary option. Yes, aware one comp and one private. Think we’ll travel up to attend both open days to help us decide!

OP posts:
samsalmon · 16/08/2021 19:31

My children are at BGS, OP, and it’s a lovely school, we are really happy with our choice. Feel free to pm me with questions. We did look at IGS but weren’t taken with it at all. As a PP says, it’s not the most diverse place and that is important to us. We also hated the physical environment, it’s time they moved and built new premises. It does have a good reputation academically but the catchment/parents willing to tutor play a significant role, I think.

Original poster
Optical · 16/08/2021 19:46

Thanks so much for your reply. Diversity is very important to us and will probably be a key factor in our decision. I wasn’t keen on the sound of the Ilkley site as one of the previous ofsted report (or some document I read) referred to the campus as ‘not fit for purpose’ which wasn’t too encouraging…!

OP posts:
SirSamuelVimes · 16/08/2021 19:47

BGS is a very, very good school. If you can pay for it, I'd go for that one.

angieloumc · 19/08/2021 10:11

As pp say BGS is a very good school, if you can pay you really should consider it.
Woodhouse Grove is another independent school in the area, it has boarding but there are plenty of day pupils too.
You should consider travel times; half an hour to either by car but a short walk from BGS to Frizinghall station then directly to Ilkley by train.

RampantIvy · 19/08/2021 10:30

Half an hour by car is a very optimistic journey time in the morning rush hour. The A65 is stop start at that time in the morning.

Both schools are near railway stations on the Ilkley rail route.

Have you considered Prince Henry's Grammar School in Otley?

Anordinarymum · 19/08/2021 10:36

@RampantIvy

Half an hour by car is a very optimistic journey time in the morning rush hour. The A65 is stop start at that time in the morning.

Both schools are near railway stations on the Ilkley rail route.

Have you considered Prince Henry's Grammar School in Otley?

Like another poster has said BGS is a more diverse school.

My son was racially abused at PHGS and staff were either not qualified or simply reluctant to deal with it.
The level of abuse was so bad he refused to go to school and they took us to court and lost................

angieloumc · 19/08/2021 10:41

@RampantIvy

Half an hour by car is a very optimistic journey time in the morning rush hour. The A65 is stop start at that time in the morning.

Both schools are near railway stations on the Ilkley rail route.

Have you considered Prince Henry's Grammar School in Otley?

Yes you are probably right. I'm in Saltaire and that's fifteen minutes on a bad day so just guessing.
RampantIvy · 19/08/2021 11:06

I'm sorry to hear that @Anordinarymum. It is several years since we lived in the area, so I have no idea what the schools are like.

Anordinarymum · 19/08/2021 12:07

@RampantIvy

I'm sorry to hear that *@Anordinarymum*. It is several years since we lived in the area, so I have no idea what the schools are like.
It all happened a long time ago. There were not many children of different race/colour attending there at the time. The staff seemed to be unable to contain the abuse and even tried to cover some of it up.It was disgusting and exhausting and at court I could have gone on and sued the school but we just wanted to move on. He attended sixth form college elsewhere in the end
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