Didsbury high or Trinity CofE

[Rachel41R]

Hi Mums,
My DD is enrolled to start at Trinity CofE Manchester this September. We live very near Disbury high and it was our second choice at the time of admissions. We made it our second choice as GCSE results or Ofsted rating wasn't available for the school at the time when forms were due. Now that the results are out, it seems like their academic results are strong. Wondering if I should apply to change schools now (there is a waiting list). Someone please give some words of insight.

This is the first year Didsbury High has had GCSEs - it's a new school that only opened a few years ago. I don't have personal experience of it but it's very competitive and a lot of Didsbury parents are moving house to ensure they are in the right bit of Didsbury for catchment. It has a reputation for being very very strict on uniform.

Trinity is a huge school, close to the city centre with all that that implies. One friend with a SEN child is very impressed at the support they provide. I don't know what their results are like but assume there is streaming and good top sets.

Depends on your child, Didsbury High is likely to be the more competitive academic choice.

Thanks IGmum! I guess I have to wait and hear DD's experience at Trinity before doing anything. She has friends going to Didsbury in September, so i am sure she will be happy to move but the process might not be easy.

Didsbury high is academic and very strict. Some people love it, others hate it. The school is very popular so your DD is unlikely to get a place now, even although you live nearby. Trinity CofE has excellent extracurricular provision including links with RNCM. They have a good reputation for SEN but maybe are not so academically pushy.

You are probably best to put your daughter on the waiting list for Didsbury High now. If a place does become available you can turn it down if she is happy at Trinity. Just depends what sort of school you want.

Hi,

My children go to DH.

One of my children has SEN and I've found them to be excellent.
I do t think they're particularly strict on uniform, my son is a scruffy sod and hasn't been in trouble many times about uniform.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

There is no hard being put on a waiting list and reassess if you get offered a place. Trinity also has a very good reputation and I'm sure you won't want to move her if she settles well.

I've heard a mix of things about Didsbury High, agree with comments about it being very strict. It has a very mixed cohort (1/2 leafy Didsbury mums and 1/2 deprived kids from big estates nearby) so also something to by to bear in mind.

Thanks all! Some very good info there.
I have decided to wait and see how DD feels at Trinity before doing anything else.

They're amazing with SEN kids!

Does your child go there?

This is so strange as this has not been my experience at all over the last 4 years. Neither of my children are academic naturally and one has quite severe SEN needs and they have a specialist team at school who have been fantastic and helped tremendously with diagnosis and CAHMS etc

I'm baffled by these statements

And at the open days they quite literally say they are for children of all academic levels but they do say if you want to keep your kids off for holidays/minor reasons it's not the school for you. I've been to 3 years of open evenings and that's the only 'warning' I've ever heard.

I’m not sure your good friend is right here. I was at the marketing event they did for parents at Old Moat before they opened. They were great. The y did lots through the family liaison worker.

I don't think you know what you're talking about TBH.

Your whole account is based on 'he said/she said'

I have 4 years experience of the school with a SEN child and other child who struggles academically and my opinion is they're fantastic

And we are from 'the deprived' side of the track...🤨

Of course I did. I'm not going to post details about my children's school and their SEN needs under my usual posting name.

Agreed - especially as being from the “wrong side of the tracks”. Certainly not posting as “BlueStarQueen”!