Tavistock College and other local secondary schools

[jarviscockatiel]

My granddaughter is currently in Year 6 and Tavistock College is her current catchment school. However, we are concerned with its latest Ofsted report and would welcome any information about it from parents with children currently attending.
Also, would anyone recommend any alternative secondary schools in the Plymouth area?
Many thanks for any assistance.

Which side of Tavistock are you? Obviously there are the grammar schools in Plymouth. There’s also Ivybridge which is accessible via Lee Mill although I think they have a new head - it has been a very good school for years although I don’t know what the new head is like.

Thanks for responding so quickly. My granddaughter lives in Horrabridge.

Has she done the 11plus?

Some children do well at Tavistock College and are happy. At Horrabridge though, it’s a reasonable journey to Notre Dame or Ivybridge.

No, she's not sat the 11+.

Definitely worth checking out Notre Dame or Ivybridge. I think you will find children from Horrabridge going to both from there. Also look at Heles as again you can get there via Cadover. Notre Dame would be an easier journey for her though.

I do have friends who have kids at Tavi and seem reasonably happy with it. Although I have heard it is becoming very bootcamp in the lining up and shouting slogans type way.

Thank you for your comments. They've definitely given us things to consider.

My granddaughter's family is not Catholic. Would this be a problem at the Notre Dame school?

I don’t think not being catholic is an issue for entry to Notre Dame any more - but it is obviously still a very religious school!

I know about the lining up, but not the shouting slogans! Can’t imagine that going well…

I’m pretty sure slogans were mentioned by a couple of friends but worth checking I am not making that up! I may have misunderstood. Definitely going bootcamp though. Notre Dame doesn’t require anyone to be catholic, so that’s not an issue.

Just to add to the mix - the schools in plympton (plympton academy and heles are good). Not sure about buses - but via the backroads around cadover and clear brook a relatively short drive)