Moving to Stafford- Which is the best secondary schools ?

[Momoftw0]

Hello, I am moving to Stafford from Colchester next month and am looking for secondary schools for my children, aged 11 and 17. After extensive research, I found that Blessed William Howard and Walton High School are considered the best options. Could you please provide any recommendations on which schools are better?

Hi @lowsugarchilli Both Schools are approximately 1.5 miles from our new home.

I went to Blessed Bills (as it’s always been known), it was shockingly bad in those days, but may well have improved since then. Walton was always considered the best school. I don’t live in Stafford anymore but know people who do, they send their kids to Walton.

Military move? If you are going to be living in Quarters on Beaconside I’d be tempted to look at Graham Balfour or Weston Road High School.

What subjects are your 17 year old studying? There is also a college for sixth form in town.

As above though, I would be tempted to stay where you are until they have completed their A levels.

Might be worth considering how long that 1.5 miles will take depending on where you live. Crossing stafford can take 30 minutes in heavy traffic during school run and rush hour. I believe walton is oversubscribed? Theres a bunfight to buy houses in catchment for the outstanding primaries and this secondary that inflates house prices at this end of town.Are you sure you can get a place there?.

Blessed Bill's is catholic and much smaller in scale, whereas Walton is humongous by comparison serving the very middle class south end of the town. Both have pro's and cons. Have teacher friends that would happily teach in either which is rare these days.

I don’t know the schools but I agree, can you not wait till the 17yo finishes A levels? Or could they stay where they are now (relative, friend) and commute weekly? It would be tough to switch schools for the start of year 13 - different spec, different order of topics studied, UCAS forms and PGs completed by teachers who don’t know you..,

On paper Blessos is better in terms of results. However, it is very heavy on homework! One of ours should have gone Blessos but chose Walton and is very happy with that - new head there seems to be making a difference but will see how results fare in the next year or two.

Thank you all for the replies.
@clary We are planning to leave our 17-year-old with a relative so that he can complete his A-levels. I'm looking for a secondary school for my 11-year-old DD and have just checked out the nearest schools. I haven't looked at other schools in Stafford.

I’ve sent you a pm :-)