Advice about slough schools

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:38 am

Has anyone got any feedback for Langley Grammar?

cordismith · Post by **cordismith** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:39 pm

Thanks for all your feedback.Much appreciated! I'm glad to hear there have been no major issues for any of you with any of the schools, only a few small niggles and any big issues,ie bullying, dealt with promptly.You hear stories sometimes,I'm finding the whole thing a bit confusing really and I'm hoping when we go and see the schools it will fall into place.
Slough grammar, the condensed ks3,do you feel yur children are getting an indepth knowledge of each subject?Are they coping?
Herschel, is a technology college isn';t it?Just how much emphasis is put on sciences etc, dd isn't very scientifically minded,would this put her at a disadvantage,or is it just a name?

Catherine · Post by **Catherine** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:22 am

cordismith wrote: Slough grammar, the condensed ks3,do you feel yur children are getting an indepth knowledge of each subject?Are they coping?

The theory behind the condensed KS3 is to remove repetitions, not depth, and by doing so make the curriculum more stimulating for the pupils who can cope with it.
I think that's what has been achieved for my son this year. He has coped well, learned well..
But of course, I am not able to compare with a year of standard curriculum... According to a parent with older children able to make a comparison, the condensed ks3 policy has made year 7 harder. Good or bad? I guess it depends.

Subject by subject, my son has made the most progress in maths and the less in literacy.. Is it becasue maths is his strongest subject or because it is easier to accelerate compared to literacy? I don't know. ..

If you want a more general view on the condensed KS3, you can read this document:
'Evaluation of the two year KS3 project'
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/up ... /RR836.pdf

and have a look at the topic 'KS3 duration' on this forum
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... php?t=2280

Hope this helps

Catherine

cordismith · Post by **cordismith** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 2:21 pm

I'll have a look at the links later on thanks,I don't have alot of time at the moment.
I understand about the repetitive angle, but as alot of the subjects done at high school aren't covered in prmary school, languages for one,I don't see what it is that they are repeating.
I just wondered about that.

Catherine · Post by **Catherine** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 3:12 pm

My understanding is that there is quite a bit of repetition within the KS3 in all subjects. I couldn't say how much, or how it's done...
The recent governemet proposals also mentioned it (..cutting away a certain amount of "waste and duplication"..).
I don't know anything more specific...