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Secondary education

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

Original poster

London Oratory recent experiences

56 replies

gracijela · 07/03/2023 15:05

Dear all, my son has just been offered a place in LOS, and although we are very happy, there are some ambiguities I can't work out from the prospectus. My main question is: are we to expect a banding test in the near future, and are the boys divided into classes according to the (banding) outcomes? If so, how rigid are those 'bands' - eg. is there a level of mobility?
Also, has anyone received some information on 'transition days' or, for those more familiar with the procedures, do they normally hold some kind of summer camps for the future Y7? Many thanks.

OP posts:
Trickleg · 07/03/2023 16:46

My understanding from others is that the bands are very rigid - they last for years and it’s almost impossible to move up or down - but happy to be corrected

Original poster
gracijela · 07/03/2023 22:33

Trickleg, may I ask where you got your information from as I'd like to hear a bit more? Thank you.

OP posts:
Trickleg · 07/03/2023 22:37

@gracijela a current parent! And as such it’s second hand information. Their belief was that once in a band you were in that band until the start of GCSE’s, but they flex after that. It’s not like some other schools where you move up and down every half term. They were fairly clear on this, but of course may be mistaken

Original poster
gracijela · 15/03/2023 09:41

@Trickleg thank you. Their prospectus states that "the boys are assigned to one of three broad bands by ability" but it doesn't say how they assess it. Also, it says that the banding is 'monitored and reviewed' in y 7-9, but your friend's experience sounds worryingly different.

OP posts:
Ebymk · 21/04/2023 01:58

Hi, my son also got admission to the same school this year, perhaps will can keep in touch.

Ebymk · 12/07/2023 00:20

Just got result on the bsnding?

DontKnowWhatItMeans · 12/07/2023 11:49

Me too but can anyone explain how many top middle or bottoms sets there are and how it's worked out. I though my son did well in the SATs. Help I need some context

Ebymk · 12/07/2023 15:46

My son's banding was middle, what was yours?

Original poster
gracijela · 14/07/2023 20:02

@@Ebymk @DontKnowWhatItMeans sorry for the late response, my son got the lower band and I am still digesting it. He was always in the top-middle and he did well in SATS. I am not sure what to do as this is going to really knock his confidence.

OP posts:
Ebymk · 15/07/2023 06:27

Don't worry about it, at least you got the school which is extremely hard to get, and they change them later. This stage does not determine their future. Give ur son confidence, so that he does not worry about it. See u today at the school for uniform measure.

Ebymk · 15/07/2023 06:28

Don't worry about it, at least you got the school which is extremely hard to get, and they change them later. This stage does not determine their future. Give ur son confidence, so that he does not worry about it. See u today at the school for uniform measure.

DontKnowWhatItMeans · 15/07/2023 17:43

Apparently they have done away with the school rucksack and now only have the PE kit bag which doubles up as the school rucksack

Original poster
gracijela · 15/07/2023 21:16

There is a newly-designed school rucksack which looks like they could go backpacking with it. They did not have enough in stock today.

OP posts:
Ebymk · 15/07/2023 21:21

I bought it online last month.

Ebymk · 15/07/2023 21:23

I meant to say bought it online at Stevensons 2 month ago

DontKnowWhatItMeans · 15/07/2023 22:04

Just checked website hoping I could get rucksack but it has been removed. There is only the holdall option available. My son will look like he will be going on an expedition 😂

Ebymk · 16/07/2023 01:12

Just keep checking, every other day. They will bring it back. At first when l checked they ran out, so l kept checking like weekly, so when l saw they had it l quickly ordered even a spare for a friend same year as our sons becos l suspected they will run out.

Original poster
gracijela · 17/07/2023 10:05

As I am still musing how to tell my son that he'd be in the lower set, the uniform worries are the least of my concerns at the moment. Providing we order well in advance, I am sure we can get everything in time for the first school day.
@DontKnowWhatItMeans may I ask about your son's set and how does it compare to his SATs results? @Ebymk I am not sure if your son did SATs, but if so, could you please let me know how he did?
Many thanks to you both.

OP posts:
ChampagneSally · 10/08/2023 12:16

@gracijela
I am in the same position as you. My son scored really high marks for SATs, achieved GDS in all areas, but has also been placed in lower ability band. He says the banding test was hard and not like any other test he has sat before. His primary school put him forward for scholarship at the local private school where he sat the 11+ and did well. I too am confused and worried about the banding system. I wonder if it allows them to ‘coast’ and not be challenging enough. I’m also not impressed that the house defines ability. I met a parent at the uniform day and when I told her my son’s house, she almost said ‘Oh’. My son knows his house allocation and banding and was confused. I have tried to find out more info from the school but no response. I can only conclude that there are many high achievers in the cohort and it simply comes down to ranking.
Happy to chat further by PM if you wish!

entitledparents · 11/08/2023 07:55

Are the houses & bands linked?

ChampagneSally · 11/08/2023 11:10

@entitledparents I have since been in touch with another parent who has an older son at the school and she explained that houses are mixed ability, which is what I thought initially. Somehow, somewhere along the line, I was then given the impression that houses were determined by banding and ability, which made me feel concerned!

Original poster
gracijela · 12/08/2023 09:19

@ChampagneSally thank you for sharing your concerns. At the Parents' information evening the Headmaster explained that the houses don't represent the ability verticaly, so that there is no stereotyping attached to any particular house colour as they change them each year. My interpretation of this is that eg. 22/23 cohort of a particular house may have had high or middle ability boys and will be joined with the low ability cohort in 23/24. However, I am not sure if our sons' entire form group will belong to the same house, and consequently, all 30 of them will be of the low ability and taught in the same way across all the subjects for a minimum of two years? This I would consider very unfair and nonsensical for a state comprehensive. I would not object so much if the forms consisted of different ability groups.

OP posts:
entitledparents · 13/08/2023 00:03

Kids aren't stupid tho. If all the bottom set kids are in X house they'll know.

entitledparents · 13/08/2023 00:06

They'll only really know their own year group. It's unusual now a days to band & label kids like that. But then their web site has a certain vibe..

ChampagneSally · 09/09/2023 09:55

@gracijela assumimg your son started at the Oratory, how is he getting on so far?

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