The laurels

[Givemesum144]

My dd is really academic and is also into sports. We have got 2 options between the Laurels and Blackheath high. Do any of you have any kids in laurels?? as I want the best for my dd. Any opinions would be appreciated. Thank You

[londonmummy1966]

The Laurels is a very small school with not much of a track record. Blackheath the opposite.

[Givemesum144]

@londonmummy1966.
Thank you so much for your reply. I have visited the school and am aware that it is small for a secondary school ,In comparison to Blackheath High. I have visited both schools and girls at The laurels seemed very focused and extremely happy, the teachers answered all our questions.
I would like to hear from parents who have children in the school.

[Pinkdelight3]

I don't have a child there, sorry, but I live close by and found it strange that new schools opened in that building after the previous secondary school closed down due to the estate being unfit for purpose and in poor repair (2.4 here democracy.croydon.gov.uk/documents/s27101/Appendix%20A%20-%20Proposed%20closure%20of%20Virgo%20Fidelis%20Cabinet%20Report.pdf). I wasn't aware of any refurb before the Laurels/Cedars moved in and maybe it's fine because their pupil numbers are so small they don't need the dodgy areas, but still, it would put me off - along with the religious aspect, but maybe that's a draw for you. Also, is it big enough for your DD to be able to thrive in the sports she enjoys - with enough competition, team events etc?

[ghislaine]

Apparently a wealthy donor gave the PACT foundation £5m to refurbish the schools.

[Givemesum144]

Thank you @Pinkdelight3 and @ghislaine for your reply.
It was only recently that I found out about the money donated to the school. Furthermore, although the school is small I've been told they are in many competitive sporting competitions .Lastly, do you have any opinions about the school academically?

[Angie2000]

Please be very careful going forward, don’t be blinded by the large donation which almost certainly came from an Opus Dei member! This is an Opus Dei school, and I’d urge you to look into what that means and entails. We signed up our child in to one of their schools, assuming this was just a catholic school; how wrong we were….Our experience there was catastrophic for our child’s confidence and development. It’s nothing short of a cult, and they are only really there to cater for their brainwashed members’ children. The rest of us are just expendable commodities.
Practically all of their teachers belong to Opus Dei, they pass the various jobs and positions around between themselves, family members (very large families, I should add, look it up!!) and associates in a shameless fashion.
Then again, if upon researching Opus Dei (thoroughly) you are happy with your findings, or indeed if you are already an Opus Dei member, you’ll find no better place for your daughter!

[TrainD]

If by ‘research Opus Dei thoroughly’ Angie means read the Da Vinci code after a bottle of Chardonnay then, yes, you might draw similar conclusions. Your own research will debunk such loaded, anti-catholic tropes such as ‘large families’. It’s a small, well run school looking to grow to fit a new site. Any religious element is voluntary to reflect that a considerable amount of the cohort are neither Christian or catholic.

[Innocenta]

@TrainD It isn't 'anti-Catholic' to have doubts or concerns about the influence of Opus Dei.

[Angie2000]

This was my very point, Innocenta. This is exactly the sort of attitude you’d be facing, in that environment, if you disagree with their indoctrination, or even as much as question it. Derogatory, belittling and sarcastic (but, alas, also very ignorant, as it befits any bigot) comments.
Opus Dei bought their way into the Vatican by absorbing its debt, and the rest is history, as they say…. That’s what spurned my research, rather than a tome-reading-binge fuelled by Chardonnay!!! TrainD, for your information, I don’t drink white wine, but thank you for being an ambassador and perfect example of the misfiring and arrogant dismissivness of the Opus Dei “community”!

[Innocenta]

@Angie2000 The response you received was ridiculous and offensive. They embarrassed themselves, in my view. Hardly a good advertisement for any organisation with which they might be associated...!

[Londonuk2001]

@Givemesum144 my niece going to start to Blackheath High Juniors next year ( year 7 ). She had offers from Colfes, St Dunstands and Sid and Chis Grammer School - They picked the Blackheath High because my nieced loved and enjoyed in its open day. And Blackheath is good, safe area. Its has good transport links. Good luck with your decision

[Angie2000]

@Innocenta , you are 100% spot on and, indeed, I have become accustomed to this type of arrogant, complacent and overly smug attitude from that brigade, it is in fact what sums them up. And it would seem the higher up in the ranks, the more evidently they display those traits. @Givemesum144 , this is essentially what I wanted to bring to your attention. As long as you’re prepared to utter the “Yes sir!” unconditionally, all is fine, but you’re not entitled to form your own opinions or raise an issue as that’s when you’ll end up dealing with their wrath. I think you always have to be careful when selecting a school that promotes extreme religious views of any origin (and extremists they are, undoubtedly, they’d happily march us all back to the Middle Ages, if only they could).
Ask yourself whether you’d be comfortable having your child educated in an homophobic environment when kids are told that divorce is the work of the devil and any sexual activity is a capital sin unless performed within marriage in order to procreate. A friend of mine was refused admission to one of the mums’ meetings on the basis that she is is a divorcee!!

[Angie2000]

(cont) @Givemesum144 @Innocenta
Another friend had to report one of their
TAs (Opus Dei member, of course, and son
of one of their teachers) for inappropriate
behaviour towards her child (this happened
at their sister boys's school) and she did
show me the pictures of the bruises. Also their junior school, Oakwood, was on the news, not so long ago, for a serious bullying case where the victim's family ended up being kicked out as they had the audacity of complaining. The school's priority was hiding the whole episode and protecting the bully as his mother was a member of staff (again, I heard it from the horse's mouth and read the news, at the time.
Honestly, I have heard and seen so
much about the Opus Dei cohort's modus
operandi I could write book and, who
knows, one day I might.
The main issue is that the school itself is
"infested" with the offspring of founding
families, teachers and various associates
and they are the ones that really matter,
ultimately. Such issue is exacerbated by the
relatively small number of pupils in
attendance. Asking members of staff or
current parents for their opinions is, quite
honestly, pointless as like I have previously
mentioned:
a) the staff are all recruited amongst the
Opus Dei community
b) many of the parents are themselves
members or at least sympathisers and
some of them operate incognito (another
long story, but I shall not go into that one
now).
In conclusion, please be very careful when
you make your choice and do as much
research as you can.

[Angie2000]

(cont)
And, I’d like to add, should you fancy the idea of a glass of Chardonnay (@TrainD !!!) while you do so, by all means go ahead; we live in a liberal and democratic society after all, do we not?!?

[Lola8]

@Angie2000 😂😂😂🙌🏻

[Givemesum144]

Thank you @Angie2000 ,@Innocenta and @Lola8 for your reply. I would please like an honest feedback on Blackheath High Senior School. I have received some negative feedback from some parents but I was wondering if there's any one on this platform whose kids attend the school or currently attending. My Daughter got a place in the school and I am now concerned with the negative feedback I have been given. Thank you.

[2001myyear]

@Givemesum144 hi! What kind of negative feedback for Blackheath H? I heard so positive feedbacks, just its not too academic. Thats all. I know someone who had offer from Blackheath High also from Eltham College and they prefered Blackheath High. And she is so happy there

[Loreta2006]

Hi! I have my daughter at the Laurels and it’s an amazing school. Small and flourishing and the girls are very happy. I may be brainwashed …. 😜🤣🤣🤣 Been around the PACT schools for a while and my other children are also at the other schools. They are real gems. They do have a very strong Catholic ethos …… but unfortunately it’s not as exciting as Angie would like us to think! 🤣🤣

[tictoc76]

i am considering the laurels for my daughter - not for this coming sept though. I do want the Catholic element of the school and all that comes with - I think the world is even more difficult for teens these days than it was when we were growing up and I think a small nurturing environment with good academics might well be the place for my daughter.

I am not Opus Dei and can say I never will be but as with all school events you can opt in and out of what you want.

I saw some comments about teaching bigotry but my understanding is the teaching is in line with the Catholic Church and government requirements actually mean any bigotry would see any school closed down.

[ArtStudentMom]

I have a daughter in The Laurels , we have been with the school for a third year running, and she is extremely happy. In fact she is so attached to the school that we have moved with the school when they've changed location from Chelsea to Norwood last year, with the buildings being adapted over the last summer.
We come from a non-practising family of European background, and don't find the school overly religious, and certainly not indoctrinating ! In my daughters classroom only about 1/3 of the girls are practising catholic , and there are also buddist and muslim girls. It is a small school with tightly knit students and families (yes, some of them large families) and my daughter, being rather introverted- thrives there. While it is true that some of the office staff come from within the Opus Dei, it isn't true for the teachers. Most of the teachers are indeed catholic, but they aren't necessarily Opus Dei members. I personally have nothing against Opus Dei- I don't derive my knowledge from sensationalist articles on the internet, and our experience has been positive. The school has been nothing but welcoming and understanding for us and my daughter wishes to stay there for the sixth form also.
In our opinion the school has strong academics, and the new sports hall and large grounds give hope that the school will also continue develop in this area.