Halifax grammar schools

[sjbyorkshire]

Hi
My child is in year 4 and we’re turning our minds to secondary education. Our school advises he is very capable of passing the 11+. Does anyone have a child currently at North Halifax Grammar or Crossley Heath? I have heard North Halifax has the edge but am keen to hear personal experiences. We live near NH so geographically that’s a preference
thanks

Both my children attend nhgs. It is a great school for learning and extra curricular.

It has a great support staff in place should the DC struggle in any way.

We are very happy with the choice of school

We've just been through the 11+ process and dd will be starting at NHGS this year. When we toured CH we really were not keen and I've also heard a few negatives about it too from people whose have sent their children there. I've heard far more good things about NH though.

NH parent's association have a very active Facebook group which is used by potential parents to ask questions so I suggest you look there as it's really informative. I've not seen a similar one for CH.

@Twinkletows Thank you for your reply. That’s great to hear. Do you know what their provision is like for dyslexic support? Thanks x

@curiousmamma thank you for your reply. That’s helpful. I’ll definitely check out their Facebook group. Hope you’re daughter has a great start at NH this sept xx

@sjbyorkshire
You're welcome. Feel free to pm if you want any info about the process. There's plenty of things I've learnt over the past year or so I can pass on.
Good luck.

Excellent pastoral care at NH.

Beg to differ (dons hard hat and sticks head back below parapet). Writing as the parent of a Y11 student who will be sprinting out of the school the nano-second her last exam is over and will not be looking back. The SEN department like to tell parents they offer good pastoral care; the reality can be very different for students with disabilities and differences.

Sorry to hear that. It’s important to share different experiences. My friend’s daughter just joined Y7. She has had quite complex family issues going on, which affected her MH. Fried says that the school have handled her very well.

Wishing your DC all the best!

@WhompingWillows thank you for the reply, it’s good to hear all experiences. I’m just so sorry to hear that your daughters hasn’t been a good one. I hope she goes on to bigger and better things. Xx

@Minustendegrees thanks for sharing your experience too. Good to hear the school have managed your friends situation well x

This is so strange to read because I went to Crossleys many years ago and it was seen as far superior to NGH. In fact NGH was where you went if you didn’t do as well in your 11+! Looking at photos of Crossleys cohort though now on Facebook, it’s certainly a different demographic to when I went there. It was very strict and old fashioned - it was full school uniform even in sixth form although we were allowed to wear trousers in sixth form instead of skirts which seemed like a huge bonus!! Now they don’t even bother with a uniform in sixth form so I think standards are different. They do seem to have more sports though now - it was very jolly hockey sticks for girls when I went with Rugger for the boys. Woe betide you if you weren’t good at sports!

Apologies but I have to disagree. I was a student there a few years ago and I was the subject of racist bullying from year 7-year 9. Nothing was ever done and the boys who bullied me were only given a stern talking-to. It stopped in year 9 because that's when covid hit and with everyone interacting less in person due to isolations, it just fizzled away. I'm only half asian - I dread to think the things they could have said to students who weren't mixed.

NHGS is a great school for the quality of the education but it has some major pastoral issues.

Totally agree MyLilacLemur. Interesting how those commenting have only just started at the school too. Pastoral care is a massive issue at NH and has got unbelievably worse under the new head. It was the main thing is always had over CH traditionally. If anything CH has a better reputation for pastoral care lately.