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QMGS questions for anyone with boy(s) there

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 5:31 pm
by Midlandsmom
I'm trying to work out the logistics of whether QMGS is a serious option, I am going to the open morning next week but in the interim I wondered if anyone can tell me the actual times of the school day (start and finish are what I need), and whether children can enter school from a certain time (ie if I took my son each day I'd need to drop him there at 8.15am at the latest to get my daughter to her primary on time).

Do many children travel there (is my son likely to have friends living some distance away from school or be in the minority travelling in from afar - we're in Halesowen if that helps put my question in context)?

Re: QMGS questions for anyone with boy(s) there

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:56 pm
by um
I don't have a ds there but I do know that children travel from quite some distance, including Hall Green, to attend.

As the Green bus arrives at 8.25am to QMGS I imagine it would certainly be open before then for students to arrive.

Re: QMGS questions for anyone with boy(s) there

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 11:07 pm
by Thumbsup
I contacted school and asked what timings were. I was informed 9-4pm. I then asked if boys could arrive earlier? To which the member of staff laughed and said there were two boys who arrived at 6.55am this morning!!!

Basically, they are not turned away. Can arrive early on site, but no supervision. And school ends at 4pm.

Please could someone confirm who already has a a DS attending here??

I will also ask at the next Open Day event on 9th.

Re: QMGS questions for anyone with boy(s) there

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 12:19 am
by Midlandsmom
Thanks both, really useful, especially the timings thumbsup, that would work out well. Assuming library or somewhere is available 8.15 doesn't sound too early then :) he could get the green bus from Bearwood but it looks a very long journey and early start, when I could drive it in 30 mins. Wow, Hall Green? That must be a journey and a half.

Re: QMGS questions for anyone with boy(s) there

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 11:37 am
by Thumbsup
Midlandsmom wrote:Thanks both, really useful, especially the timings thumbsup, that would work out well. Assuming library or somewhere is available 8.15 doesn't sound too early then :) he could get the green bus from Bearwood but it looks a very long journey and early start, when I could drive it in 30 mins. Wow, Hall Green? That must be a journey and a half.
You are welcome! We have same predicament. 30 mins car journey or 50 min public bus. I prefer to drive him myself at least until confident enough to do bus route himself. But I like the idea of dropping off early and him able to get in building. Much rather he be early than stressing about being late.

Re: QMGS questions for anyone with boy(s) there

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 3:54 pm
by Midlandsmom
Thumbsup wrote:
Midlandsmom wrote:Thanks both, really useful, especially the timings thumbsup, that would work out well. Assuming library or somewhere is available 8.15 doesn't sound too early then :) he could get the green bus from Bearwood but it looks a very long journey and early start, when I could drive it in 30 mins. Wow, Hall Green? That must be a journey and a half.
You are welcome! We have same predicament. 30 mins car journey or 50 min public bus. I prefer to drive him myself at least until confident enough to do bus route himself. But I like the idea of dropping off early and him able to get in building. Much rather he be early than stressing about being late.
I usually drop my children at school now before work, apart from the odd occasion that I am away or have a really early start, so it wouldn't make too much difference to me to add in the longer morning drive, and then odd occasions he'd have to catch green bus there. Coming home would need to be green bus I should think, then a public bus from Bearwood home, but these look pretty regular and don't take long - I think he'd be home by 5.20pm - which on the one hand I think is quite late, but on the other it's actually about the normal time they get home now as they are in after school care until I finish work. Difference will be amount of homework each night I suppose and whether there's enough time for tea, homework and a bit of down time before bed... I am assuming most secondary children settle into a routine with it, but there is the nagging thought that it's a lot of travel (home journey) when if he went to our nearest (and actually very good) comp he'd be home by around 4/4.30pm each day :?

Dilemmas.... I'll be at the open morning next week too Thumbsup, maybe I'll see you there :D

Re: QMGS questions for anyone with boy(s) there

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 4:11 pm
by Petitpois
That cannot be lirdswood boys, they're a basket case. That said I'll take your word for it. Its a pretty quick zip up to qmgs via jct 2 then jct 9 from bearwood. Ant the trains are possible.

Will wait and see what wghs bearwood parents group say. Right pain feels like a sweety just out of reach at times

Re: QMGS questions for anyone with boy(s) there

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 5:14 pm
by Midlandsmom
Petitpois wrote:That cannot be lirdswood boys, they're a basket case. That said I'll take your word for it. Its a pretty quick zip up to qmgs via jct 2 then jct 9 from bearwood. Ant the trains are possible.

Will wait and see what wghs bearwood parents group say. Right pain feels like a sweety just out of reach at times
No, Halesowen schools, we'd get Earls or Windsor on distance and they really aren't bad. A result that got us KEFW would resolve my dilemma totally but I'm pretty convinced we won't get that.

Re: QMGS questions for anyone with boy(s) there

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 6:39 pm
by Petitpois
Yep we looked at earls or windsor, one is rated outstanding, I think earls off top of head.. in quinton your too far out far out for those options, but if I was in catchment I would think twice.

That said earls only got 63% through gcses last year compared to near 100% for most of the grammars. Trade commute for 30% risk of gcses?? Once you hage a grammar, it is really tough, but yes I can see how kefw result resolves. Hope you get it, were hoping for a KE result too. If not willl try kehs and then house hunting

Re: QMGS questions for anyone with boy(s) there

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 7:04 pm
by moshimoshi
You should allow at least 45 minutes to commute from Halesowen to Walsall (I live near QMG and work in Halesowen). M6 J7 is hellish and J9 is closed. I looked at trains for work, but its not easy nor cheap.

I used to travel over an hour by bus to school, would come home too tired for homework and no school friends nearby. Its a really important consideration for me now that school is commutable and local for friends and afterschool activities.