Hillbilly to answer your points:
1. That they are so results driven that they "cook the books" so to speak, only allowing student who are sure to pass, take GCSEs
This is not true. I understand that all students take maths and English (I can't remember about science). Some students have special needs or simply a low IQ and it takes them three attempts to pass. Some students do a mixture of GCSE and BTEC because they simply do not have the intellectual capacity to do a lot of GCSEs.
2. That the classes are streamed based on Maths, English and Science collectively so an artistic student who was good in English but not so much in Maths or Science would therefore be in a lower stream.
The initial bands are based on the admissions test when they apply. About a third of the kids move after the first term. My child is in the top group of the top band and has been since she started. She is very good at English but just a bit above average at maths and science. Her strengths are definitely in the arts and she is one of the art aptitude students. She is predicted A at GCSE in everything.
On our experience that is not true but it would depend on the overall level. I think they take the maths and English and only look at science if it is borderline.
3. That it is very difficult to move between streams once you are there.
Again it depends. I think after the first term when they sort out the kids who are definitely in the wrong stream, they are quite accurate. They do another move at the end of year 8 when they start the GCSE courses. It is unusual to move between the bands(streams) but not uncommon to move within a band.
4.That it is not a very nurturing school and under achievers are passed over.
I think they try and get the best out of all the kids. What I would say is that the kids who are compliant, are outgoing and smiley and work bloody hard are the teachers favourites, but that is probably the case for many schools.
There does tend to be a group of about a dozen kids in the school at any time who always win the Perfect Tense award, are always picked for things like school trips etc. My DD is not one of them and it is galling at times. I think quiet children do get passed over. However the school seemed very proud of her as she has had some achievements outside of school.
To be honest I think very few secondary schools are nurturing. At the end of the day, your DC will be one of 240 in a year group.
Re the open day - yes they do put on a show and Mr Hall is very charming and a good speaker. Most kids including my daughter do like the school and are proud of it. My DD has made some lovely friends there and has a good social life outside of school.
Other comments:
- I don't like the early entry for GCSEs but no doubt all exams will be linear and sat in year 11 if Mr Gove has his way! He may potentially be a fellow parent as he and his wife visited the school last year for their son.
- The school is very strict and they do tend to be very very critical and often in assembly have a go at the children for what is going wrong rather than going right.
- There is a very high turnover of staff. They are expected to work extremely long hours and put a lot of extra work in.
- The art aptitude has been a great disappointment and there is little in the way of music provision.
- The sports facilities in the new school are very good and they hired a new head of sport, and look like they are pushing that aspect.
- Admin wise the school is appalling and I have personally had experience of some rude and completely inept admin staff.
- Despite most the teachers being female, the leadership is almost entirely male. Some people describe Mr Hall as a cult figure and while I would not particularly agree I do sometimes feel the school and particularly the new building are more about him and his deputy Mr Chappell and not about the kids. For example the new houses in the school are largely named after people from Mr Hall's personal life - an ex teacher, an ex pupil (not from HP) etc. All worthy no doubt, but nothing to do with HP.