St Philomena, The Ursuline, Virgo Fidelis - your views?

[BarkisIsWilling]

Hi all,

I'm looking at the above schools for 2011 entry, and would like to know more about them beyond their website info.

Any views welcome. Thanks in advance

My friends DS is at St Jo's too Monty, and he's a year or so ahead of DS1, so we heard about the bullying problems from them and unfortunately her DS was one of those who was affected by it and it did put me off. It's a shame though. I always assumed I'd send DS there. It was the boys school to go to for years (definitely from when I was at secondary school in the area, loads of boys from my primary school went there and did really well)

Serenity - that's interesting. Mine is y9. When he was in the lower part of it I was never off that e-mail to the head of lower! Now he is in upper I've got very little contact.

V v interesting.... and scary. I feel sorry for ds and just try and build his confidence all the time and I've said he can leave for another 6th form if he does well in his gcse's.

I'm told that bullying is pretty much par for the course in most (boys) sec schools, and that it is how it's handled that we should look at.

Thanks for asking your dd about La Retraite, Monty27.

Bark - that is true. St J's has responded when I've ever contacted them.

Sorry about the lack of info on La Retraite, I'll ask around, there's a couple of people at work too that I can ask. I'll look at it myself too when I get a chance.

ta! If I'm being really honest, I do like the idea of the swimming poool @ St J's, and of my dd having access via VF.

Must say too that I like that both schools seem to get into school earlier than Dunraven, BTG & Norwood School, so less chance of bad behaviour. I don't see their students out and about in the morning the way I see the others.

Bark that is a plus. They're in by 8.10am offically, but asked to be there by 8am and they finish at 2.40pm - and years 7 and 8 finish at 1.40 on Fridays !! So it has its plusses.

I must say though, they don't get to use the pool any more than they would if they were going outside to a pool! They use it once a week, I think its 2 terms a year, not as much as you would think which is a shame. I didn't know VF uses it.

Don't know if VF use it either, just assumed. I'll find out if they do and post back later. Off to bed now. Night!

Nite all.

Well, I found out that you are right. VF do not use the St J's pool, nor do they pair up with them like St Phil's does with John Fisher.

I bow to your superior knowledge monty27!

Hi Bark, oooh, glad there wasn't something I'd missed!

I looked online at La Retrait today albeit briefly so I haven't made any indepth assessment. On their homepage they have a message about students not making enough effort to get in during the snow and while skimming an ofsted report I noticed at least one comment about attendance! GCSE results seem fairly good and on the up but I haven't looked much deeper than that but I'll look again when I get a chance.

Does St Phil's stipulate baptism within a year?

Hello, Monty.

I don't think they do. My sister - who should know - tells me to not even bother with CC and to go for St Phil's.

I would concur with BarkisIsWilling.

I live very close to Coloma so see the girls every day. One of their favourite occupations is hanging around outside the local boys' private school at going home time. A group has recently taken to catching a bus to hang around outside another boys' private school.

Not to forget the pupil who was caught shagging in a car just across the road from the school gates in full view of everyone! I think she left her brains at home that day.

Caoimhe

That's shocking! My dd went there and she did extremely well in her gcse's last year. She'd had enough (of the discipline) though and went off to a very sought after 6th form in another school this year. I'll ask her if she's heard anything. The headmistress there is really strict, she suspended a couple of girls on the last day last year for playing a prank when they'd done their final gcse. Although it has been said that the 'standard' of girls has dropped since they were no longer allowed to interview. lol

I had to teach dd all about the Rosary before the interview and they did ask her questions on it!! And my little brother had died that day!!!! I asked if I could change the interview date and they wouldn't let me (more exclaimation marks lol). They did give me a cup of tea though and I don't think anyone else got one. I can laugh about it when I look back.

My daughter attends Virgo Fidelis. I find some of the teachers are bullies. They can be very abusive to children which isn't nice.

I daughter tells me how the teacher calls children names in front of the class and asked the kids if the are deaf and stupid.

I find this is unacceptable behaviour, but they to be getting away with it.

Some teachers do over step the mark, when you try to resolve or address the problem your child is penalized even more.

One teacher even said to my daughter she had no right to tell me what happened in school and said she was going to keep her back in detention for that. The Head teacher does nothing. So if the head can't function could the rest of the body?

Try searching on google Virgo Fidelis govenors and see what comes up, its interestin reading.

Good luch with find a school. If I where you I would go with St Philomena, I have a friend who's daughter goes there. No problems!

Brinco, I found an article dating back to 2003. Is that what you refer to?

Just considering sending my daughter to virgo fidelis.. Your comments are worrying me

Hail24, I have a friend who is overjoyed her daughter got into VF, and she'd done so much research first, too.

oh wow. Don't be so down on VF. My daughter is about to go into year 10 and has loved her time there. I have another going into year 7 this year. My first daughter, didn't get exceptional grades in primary school but did well and she is now in the gifted and talented at virgo.

I have no issues with the discipline there and as my daughter needs discipline to do well, I think that it has proven this works. In classes of little discipline the children leave with poor grades, well my daughter has gone from an average ability to 2 levels above the expected.

I think VF is a brilliant school and I have never regretted sending my girls there.

Also when I did my Access to Medicine, my chemistry teacher worked there for several years, and he was a strict teacher too. I don't think I could have achieved such high grades either without his attitude. Life is tough, but it only makes you stronger

Hi My daughter didn't get into a school of our choice and Croydon council have allocated her a place at Virgo Fidelis Convent school. Please can anyone give me any information about this school. Any feedback would be appreciated.