Non-selective schools Bexley

[xxxlovexxx]

Hi everyone, hope you are well. I just wanted to get your take on non-selective schools in Bexley.

So my daughter is doing her 11+ in 2 weeks. She has been working hard but she hasn't been able to get good score on her mocks at home or in center (last in center was 55% this was last week).

I honestly feel gutted for the girl...she been working all holidays on 11+ stuff, so the day of the exam I got to make it special for her...going to get a little certificate, decorate the house n just make her happy. Might plan a coach trip to disneyland Paris because she honestly deserves it for her work. She's never been abroad n neither me in 12 years. She saw Townley in June open day n just loved it n been working hard since seeing it. I shouldn't have taken her there but I wanted to motivate her to do 11+ work.

Asides from this - I honestly want your take on the non-selective schools in Bexley. We live 5 minutes walking distance to Trinity, but I was thinking of Harris Garrard or St Catherine's. But not sure if St Catherine's will accept us as we not Catholic but we go church every week but our church isn't part of the churches together. Are there any other schools we should be thinking about?

Another option am toying with is moving back to Greenwich but am not sure if we can do this before the cut off date in October. I would love for her to go the Ark Free School but i know the catchment is really small. I think we may be in catchment for Woolwich Poly Girls n Plumstead Manor for where we live now as well so that's an option as well.

Your thoughts are appreciate please.

My daughter didn't pass and went to Blackfen and did really well at both GCSE and A Level. As I did, two decades before.

My son passed and went to BETHS. His GCSE grades were excellent.

He walked out during his A Levels as he couldn't stand the pressure. He doesn't have any. He did an apprenticeship and now has a good job.

I regret him not going to Hurstmere or Cleeve as he would probably have ended up with A Levels and not felt a failure

Thank you for your response. Is Blackfen an OK school? I think we are in catchment.

My daughter is 25 now so her experience of Blackfen is no longer that relevant. But yes it was a good school then. I'll ask around friends and family re more recent experiences of local schools.
Obv schools change depending on the SLT. My children went to Old Bexley CofE and it was a wonderful school. I was a parent governor and on the PTA. But I was speaking recently to the local vicar who would ordinarily be associated with the school but they have left, due to their opinion of the school. Such a shame.

Re Trinity. The only parent I know with a child there, took her out due to bullying not being dealt with. Girl then went to St Catherine's and did well and enjoyed it .... but the family is Catholic.
Townley, I believe, is still a great school but, as with all grammar schools, the catchment area is wide as it's only the top 25% students going to grammar school so your child will have friends all over the place, so you'll be doing a lot of driving for their social lives. At BETHS, my son had friends in Greenwich, Lewisham etc.

DS didn't pass the Bexley test. We knew he was borderline as he was a late reader and bugged up effort rather than pass marks and also that Grammars just give more choice.
The test is all about speed now. Last year there were 20 NVR questions to do in 10mins.
Interestingly he's now caught up and did as well at SATs as the kids who were scoring really high marks.
We visited a lot of the comps in September and prioritised those with setting plus good options at GCSE

I'd highly recommend St Catherine's. By results it is far and away the best non grammar in Bexley, and it's also a great all round nurturing school. Your dd will definitely get a place if you are active churchgoers; the majority of students aren't Catholic. Many local white families avoid St Catherine's as they view is as a 'black' school. Their loss.

If it helps my sister isnt Catholic and she actually didnt send in her SIF for St Catherines. They had it as their no 4 preference and that ended up being the school assigned to them. So the fact that you arent a Catholic shouldnt be an issue. From what I remember its not oversubscribed. They went with an independent school in the end so Inhav emo insight on the school but I know the get the best GCSE grades out of any non selective in Bexley.