Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Secondary education

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

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Would you let your child go to this school?

30 replies

MrsSnape · 11/12/2008 10:17

For years I have been saying I'd NEVER allow my kids to go to our catchment school. Its right in the middle of one of the worse council estates in the city (not that I'm against council estates, I live on one myself but lets be honest, these schools don't exactly produce the best results).

Anyway I have since heard good things about the school, ofsted report was decent, the pass rate seems to be rising (up to 21%, not great but not the worst in the city), it's supposed to have excellent extra curriculum facilities, clubs, courses etc...

And I'm starting to wonder if it's pure snobbery not to consider it

Here is the school's website:

www.sirhenrycooper.hull.sch.uk

There are no other schools around here. I'm going to put 3 out of catchment schools down on the form but this one is our catchment school so if the other 3 fail, would you let your kids go to this school?

OP posts:

NewTeacher · 11/12/2008 10:55

TBH if you can get your child into a diferent school I would try that in the first instance.

The pass rate for GCSE's in this school including Maths & English is only 19% which is really low and this knd of statistic is usual in cases where there is a lot of absenteeism and the kids are generally not well behaved.

I'm a secondary school teacher and would not work in a school like this. Their ofsted report is mainly 3's with a few 4's in important aspects like the students learning so this is very poor.

Try and get a better school...The results speak alot more than the ofsted report and the results are very weak..

HTH.

UnfortunatelyMe · 02/01/2009 12:57

I would go to the school and have a look MrsSnape.
You could start your ds there and have him sitting on waiting lists for the other schools and see how it goes. Your son may get in the 5th of the pupils that are pulling their finger out and achieving. They may also be putting the children forward into other PRACTICAL things, that will be more use for them than exam results?
My local school is 22% and the others are grammar or church. DD1 did pass the 11plus but thats not to say she will get a place, so we too will be left with the 22% school as the other 3 I have put on the list are out of catchment.
The kids Ive saw on the bus travelling too and from school all seem to behave well REGARDLESS of what uniform they have on. And often the kid from the school with 22% look a damn sight smarter than the grammar.

undervalued · 02/01/2009 16:50

Thankfully there is more to a school than an OFSTED report NewTeacher. If your child is bright and motivated they will do well in any school. The school has lots going on re attendance and support - according to the newsletters.
Go in, look around and get a feel for the place. I have taught in a similar school for years and love it. I worked at a high achieving school before - just wasn't for me.

badgermonkey · 02/01/2009 17:02

I'm sure a bright kid could do well anywhere, but having known people who taught there and hearing the stories they tell, there is no way I would send a kid of mine there! How about an East Riding school - it could be worth trying Cottingham?

nkf · 02/01/2009 17:09

No.

MrsFreud · 02/01/2009 17:15

only a 19% pass rate for GCSEs!!! you have to try verrry hard to fail a Gcse its frankly so easy to get C grade. I'd avoid it if you can, the school still has a long way to go to get the kids motivated and not truanting.

nkf · 02/01/2009 17:16

For some children, a C grade is very difficult to get.

shinyshoes · 02/01/2009 17:16

No, I personally wouldn't if it were mine.

castille · 02/01/2009 17:29

My 11yo DD goes to a school in a disadvantaged area because it offered the option she wanted to do. I was dubious but we visited the school and asked all our questions about results, discipline and behaviour and we were reassured.

The main thing is to find out whether the staff are able to teach their lessons properly so that those who want to learn can. There are a huge range of abilities in DD's class but the staff are very experienced and dedicated, her results are good and she is happy and settled there.

Go and see it before writing it off.

MrsFreud · 02/01/2009 17:32

nkf, yes of course, some kids are not intelligent enough. But certainly not 81% of any community. The fact that 19% only are passing says that alot of the other 81% are being let down badly by their school and their family

sadminster · 02/01/2009 18:32

No I wouldn't.

LynetteScavo · 02/01/2009 18:44

It very easy to say "no I wouldn't" - just as easy as it is to say "well I wouldnt' live on a council estate"
It's also very easy to say a bright child will do well anywhere; what about the average child? Or the child who dumbs down becuse he doens't want to get picked on for being a "boff" or a "swot" in a school like this?

It wouldnt' be the GCSE pass rate that would put me off, its' the over all size and attutude of the school I would be looking at as well.

I won#t be sending DS1 to the local high school, even though the GCSE reusults arent' too bad; it's everything else I don't like about it.(well, the leadership, actually) Fortunately I will be able to get him into a faith school, which doesnt' have geat exam reaulst, but is a lovely school.

However, I know DS2 and DD would survive there, so really you have to do what's best for each child.

LynetteScavo · 02/01/2009 18:45

Actually, I wouldn't live in Hull.

LynetteScavo · 02/01/2009 18:46

That was supposed to be a - sorry!

piscesmoon · 02/01/2009 18:57

The only thing to do is see it on a normal working day-write down all the questions that you want to ask before you go.

Dreyfus · 02/01/2009 18:57

I see from its newsletter (just a quick skim: you can get a good feel for a place via its newsletters) that plans and a site for 'a wonderful new school in 2012' is talked about. Might this make a difference, if it's rehoused in a better environment with new facilities?

hercules1 · 02/01/2009 19:08

No, never.

scienceteacher · 02/01/2009 19:10

over my dead body

hercules1 · 02/01/2009 19:12

I dont think it's true that if a child works hard they will do well whereever they go. It only takes one disruptive child to ruin lesson after lesson for everyone.

LongDroopyBoobyLady · 02/01/2009 19:15

I wouldn't consider this school for any of mine.

piscesmoon · 02/01/2009 19:19

I don't believe that a bright DC will do well anywhere-they would do so much better with the right work ethos. School shouldn't be a battle to learn.

batters · 02/01/2009 19:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

batters · 02/01/2009 19:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nkf · 03/01/2009 11:08

Only in a badly run school can one disruptive child ruin one lesson after another. Those results are low and a "decent" OFSTED is unlikely to be good enough. OFSTED isn't the be all and end all but I think that you need to see the words "outstanding" on the report.

hercules1 · 03/01/2009 11:09

I disagree, nfk. I have worked in very well run schools where places are sought after and it happened all the time.

Flip

1 2