Aylesbury High School vs Sir Henry Floyd

[SchoolLemon]

We are in the happy position of being able to choose between AHS and SHF for DD. We live more or less equidistant. I was hoping to get some input from current parents on either school.

My observations are: on paper, AHS seems the better school - slightly higher results and a wider range of GCSEs offered. Trips seem better too.

But wandering around the school, children seemed a little more socially adept at SHF and the atmosphere seemed a bit less hot-housed. It also seemed more ethnically diverse, whereas AHS seemed predominately Asian (no problem with this - other than it means it could lack diversity. For reference, approximately 15% of our local population is Asian, whereas the school appeared 60%+ Asian)

AHS seemed to go BIG on trans visibility, which is a concern from a social contagion point of view, and I could see several individuals presenting as non-binary. Again, no huge problem with this, but wonder if it's more prevalent at girls' schools. And as far as I know, SHF may be the same and I just missed it.

DD's strengths are English, Art, History, Music. She enjoys sport but has limited aptitude (takes after me!). She likes performing arts but is probably a behind-the-scenes person rather than a star performer.

I would be keen to hear from any parents with any views on either school.

Approximately 30% of Bucks school children pass the 11+ and the vast majority of these children take up their offers at Grammar School, so it is very much true that the Upper Schools are missing 30% of the most academic children. Possibly even more when you account for Waddesdon stripping out more children with ambitious parents.

The Aylesbury Vale Academy (one of the best of the bunch) boasts a 34% pass rate for GCSE Maths and English - nationally, the pass rate is over 50%. It isn't their fault, and it's not a result of crap teaching or crap facilities - it's the pure fact that the majority of the top students have all gone to grammar school, and the children that go to the upper schools are over-represented in terms of Pupil Premium, English as an Additional Language, and SEN.

Exactly the opposite - they have been dreadful and ignored diagnosed, additional needs. The previous school was pretty shocked that it was almost impossible to handover due to complete lack of interest. Again this is a fully diagnosed condition with a not insignificant history.

I think on balance, it’s still the best place for them because the friends they have found means they have got their tribe and they look after and support each other brilliantly. Plus, we were lucky enough to know a person in the sixth form who was able to interpret rules and help them along on a day-to-day basis when they were in year seven.

If your child can just get on with things and doesn’t need a lot of additional support, then it should be fine, and there are some great teachers, but it really lacks something in supporting the whole student.

The lack of detailed written reports is a problem as well, scores for every subject but apparently they were too busy to write a written report for year seven last year so they simply haven’t had one.

I would agree with the reports - a grade for effort and a grade for achievement and a 5 minute appointment with a member of staff (if you can get one - which you often can't) once a year is not enough.

I have had more success emailing staff directly when needed (only twice in the last two years; I'm not that parent!) to get feedback on how/where to improve. All staff, when contacted directly, have been fantastic.

I cannot truly speak about SEN as my experience is only second-hand anecdotal.

@SchoolLemon No, they don’t. You obviously don’t have the regional pass rate and it varies a lot.

AV academy has had its issues. The whole of Aylesbury Vale has issues because of Waddesdon stripping out brighter dc with supportive parents. Look at Mandeville results and ofsteds. Dire for decades. The Grange yoyos too. The village secondaries are more reliable and schools like The Amersham do well but that’s not the same as the Aylesbury population. In that area, far more pass for the grammars but there are far more higher achievers too. In AV it’s historically been half the % of the affluent areas of Bucks.

The issue is parental achievement and there are fewer bright dc and fewer prep schools because parents cannot afford them. Not one in Aylesbury. Only a small one at Little Kimble. South of Wendover, it’s different. More money - higher 11 plus results.

Blimey are we have a reasonable discussion on the internet 😀

I've only emailed on class teacher and yes was very responsive, copied in their Form and HOY in the reply though as had concerns and despite my following up haven't heard from either of them. They have been through a lot and were so excited to get into a grammar that it just feels like a let down compared to the connected school my other child is at who are very supportive and responsive.

That said she wouldn't want to be anywhere else! There is definitely something about finding your people as a pre-teen