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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Are you taking/Did you a take your child to Secondary school Open Days?

13 replies

Bomper · 23/09/2008 19:48

I am in two minds, on the one hand I would like him to have input into which school he goes to, but on the other I would hate him to absolutely love a school and not get it, or absolutely hate it and end up having to go there!! I having been stressing about this so much I am making myself ill!! Everyone seems to have such horror stories about all the non-selective schools around here, so if he doesn't pass I just don't know where I will send him!!

OP posts:

MaureenMLove · 23/09/2008 20:04

Bomper. Speaking from knowledge of our schools, go! Everyone has horror stories of every school, but you need to see them for yourself. I am completely biased about the non-selective one begining with E as dd goes there is is flying. Its wonderful. However, I have a feeling its too far for you! I assume your non-selective choices are going to be 'B' and 'W'? Go and have a look. The other thing to take into consideration is, that just because its right for one child, it may not be for another. E.G 'W' school is an arts college (and very much on the up) If your lo is into art, then he/she may be interested.

undercovercat · 23/09/2008 20:07

I am going to the days and dd is at school I want to see the school in action, not after everyone has gone home.

MaureenMLove · 23/09/2008 20:11

Talk to the kids Undercovercat. They know best what goes on. Ask them what they like about their school and what they think needs improving. Remember though, if you haven't got teens yet, they are a law unto themselves and it will be a culture shock, whatever! 13 & 14 year olds can be gobby and difficult to say the least!

Anna8888 · 23/09/2008 20:13

You need to see them and to get a feel for a range of schools, if you can. Don't encourage your DS to "fall in love" - try to get him to analyse what he sees. Write a list of criteria on which to judge a secondary school and, together, rate each school out of ten on each criterion.

christywhisty · 23/09/2008 20:14

Took my DS/will take my DD. DS fell in love with his school. His only chance of entry was an apptitude test with only 18 places. He knew the chances weren't good but thankfully he didn't mind his 2nd choice. He did get in and has been really happy there.

DD is going to look at 3 schools including Ds's school where she can get a place under sibling rule, but we still want her to have the chance to see the others.

Are you hearing the horror stories from parents with dc there or are they second hand stories.

Our second choice does not have good results or a brilliant ofsted however I have never heard a bad word about it from parents that are there and it has a nice atmosphere.

roisin · 23/09/2008 20:21

We did the first round of open evenings without children. (Actually dh did most of them.) Then we went round our top two choices during a school day, again without children. Once we were confident with these choices during the following year (yr6) we took ds1 to the Open Evenings.

ds2 will just go there: I can't face going to any more Open Evenings.

Original poster

Bomper · 23/09/2008 20:26

Maureen, yes would love ds to go to E, but don't think we would stand a chance (too far away), so yes B and W are in the running (thinking W more than B at the mo!!) Also going to try H in S/cup, as it has banding, and entry exam, results look quite good, again though distance will be a problem, also CP in S/cup.

OP posts:

Original poster

Bomper · 23/09/2008 20:26

OP posts:

MaureenMLove · 23/09/2008 20:46

W is my school! I'm a Cover Supervisor there! I'm sure you've heard from various sources that its a crap school and yes, this time last year, you probably wouldn't have given it a chance, but it is on the up. I have no loyalities to it, so I'm not trying to sell it to you. It has been in special measures, but its out now and I have seen big improvements within the last 6 months. They completely re-staffed the science department during the summer, as that was one of the big problem areas. Maths and English department, both work very well and are wonderfully quiet to walk though! Looks like the interim Headteacher, that's pulled us up, will be permenant from January too. (That might be a secret, so don't tell!)

Anyway, in answer to your OP, do go and look for yourself, don't listen to others. Ultimately, all the schools in our borough are pretty good really. We have never had a failing school and never will. We have too much money in the borough!

MaureenMLove · 23/09/2008 20:51

Btw, they don't call it banding at W, but they are in sets for the core subjects, so are with same ability children and can be moved up and down.

FluffyMummy123 · 23/09/2008 22:35

Message withdrawn

Christie · 23/09/2008 22:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cory · 24/09/2008 20:21

Yes, the ones we were serious about. Though dh and I went on our own to one school to discuss dd's disability with them long before the application date. Then we all went round the three most likely schools. And dh went on his own to an extra one that wasn't really that likely.

I wouldn't have made a big decision like that without hearing dd's input- but then we discuss most big decisions with her, she has grown up a lot in the last year or so. In the event, there was only one school that was possible due to need for disabled access, so it was fortunate that we really liked that one.

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