good state grammars in Brighton/Worthing area?

[CristinaTheAstonishing]

Can you help with any "insider" knowledge? We're looking for secondary schools for DS and would consider moving to Brighton/Worthing for a good school (and for my new job). I've been through a list of local schools I found on the 'net in both places but I can't seem to find any state grammars.

There isn't a state grammar system in Sussex, it is comprehensive. Steyning is in name but don't think it is selective and is actually a state day/boarding school.

Dont Brighton do the "lottery" scheme for secondary school places?

Thanks for replying. But no grammars at all in Sussex? Incredible. No wonder I couldn't find them after hours and hours of searching.

Which ones are the good secondaries, then? Do i just go through their Ofsted reports?

I thought the lottery system applied to primary schools and only in Brighton not the whole area?

I think this is going to be even more difficult than we thought.

none at all in Sussex,sec schools here are very variable in Brighton/Hove, but mine are at private so i can't really advise. Steyning Grammar is not like a grammar school in any way i afraid!

Thanks, MABS. I saw Steyning is more of a technical college. Are there quite a lot of private secondaries and are they also variable in quality? We can't really afford it but may have to reconsider the whole lot now.

Also, which bits of Brighton or Worthing area are "good" or are there any places to avoid? We've been to Brighton lots of times and it all seems nice. We've been to Worthing and a few other little towns around and they aren't ugly or anything but not too inspiring. (FWIW we are quite used to living in boring suburbia.)

I'm really not a good one to say as mine have always been private, but there are some good ones in Brighton Hove i think. Not many private - Brighton College, Ardingly, Lancing and Hurst are all very good. Brighton Hove girls also good but single sex.

Only some counties retained grammars, CtheA, for example Kent and Bucks.

The competition to get into them is fierce with lots of private tutoring going on and of course having to live in the catchment area.

We are in the area for a state grammar at the moment (Tiffin's) and DS has been geared towards it. No tutoring, just at home with DH. We will more than likely have to move, though, and I want to look into something of similar calibre for DS. (Big assumption, of course, that he'd pass.) So I though another grammar in the new area. I couldn't bring myself to take DS out of a good school at a later stage. But I can't do that commute daily either.

It looks as though there aren't any grammars in that area.

There was a thread about appealing for secondary school places in Brighton and Hove a few weeks ago, which had information about lottery catchments for secondaries, and thus about the more popular secondaries. Though I think you'd have to sit down with a cup of tea to "decode" it.

you need to be in kent if you are heading to the south coast.

If you want a grammar school that is.

southoftheborder - thanks for the pointers. I looked on MN but probably didn't go far back enough.

BigGreenBin - We'd need to be in Sussex as that's where new job is...

Been teaching in Worthing area for several years now and def no state grammar schools but this may help:

Worthing High - smaller intake, nice atmosphere now trust school I think
Davison - Girls C of E v pop with parents as is St Andrews boys C of E also very popular with parents & good teaching
Durrington largish comp improving imo
Chatsmore Catholic sch - no knowledge
Further towards Brighton, Shoreham Academy - just become one - v good results last year.

HTH

Chatsmore is Worthing is very good now, used to be weaker. You also have Shoreham College in Shoreham, that's private. And Towers in Upper Beeding private too.
I can decode stuff for you! just can't really comment on schools.

Ooh, more stuff to go on. Thank you so much! I'll have a proper look at all these schools. I hadn't had a very good read through their websites and Ofsteds as i was still searching for that non-existing grammar. I'd noticed St Andrews and also heard from one local parent about it.

Thanks for your responses. (And bear with me if you see similar questions in different formats over the next couple of months as we work out our different options.)

Brighton & Hove does have lottery for secondary. In Hove it's Blatchington Mill/Hove Park (Blatch very popular Hove Pk awful) for people in Hove and Dorothy Stringer/Varndean for Preston Park/Fiveways I believe. Here in Hove there is also Catholic Cardinal Newman which is 'outstanding'. All of them are massive schools.

As for places to avoid, East Worthing is generally the rougher end, including the villages to the East, like Lancing. West Worthing is a bit more upmarket/ suburbia like with a lot of 1930s type detached/ semi detached housing. Ferring and Broadwater are a bit more upmarket too.

There's definitely no grammar system in Sussex. Generally, to get into the better schools in Sussex you have to attend church for 2 years before Y6 admissions, but other than saying that I won't go there!

Mabs, if you are still there - would you mind giving me some advice on private primary / prep schools in the Hove area. Would really appreciate it as we are in a black hole when it comes to state schools.