Sir William Borlase

Eleven Plus (11+) in Buckinghamshire (Bucks)

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Complete Novice
Posts: 162
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 7:14 pm

Sir William Borlase

Post by Complete Novice »

I wondered whether anyone on the forum had experience of this school. I don't know anyone first hand who has a child there and I would love to know what the discipline is like, manners of the children etc and also, whether being co-ed during the teenage years is on the whole a positive experience or not. There was a recent news article about a few boys caught with cannabis and the legal drug meow meow. This worries me but it may be that Borlase is no worse in this respect than any of the other grammars or Uppers for that matter.

Any info would be very much appreciated.

Thank you!

CN
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by Sally-Anne »

Hi CN

I can't comment on SWB, but on the "cannabis" reports I can help you out.

Thames Valley Police have been visiting Bucks schools with sniffer dogs over the last few months. When the pupils arrived at school they trotted past the dogs ... and kids were picked up for having cannabis/other drugs about their person.

Each school has handled the consequences according to their policies and degree of courage/ferocity. Several schools had a problem, so SWB will not have been an exception in any way. I hear that at some schools children were expelled, but that is just a rumour.

If I remember correctly we were told about it all after the event, so it was completely unannounced.

Personally I was very happy about the initiative. Others may not feel the same way, but if anyone wishes to discuss that point, please start a new thread, rather than derailing CN's thread?

Ta!

S-A
chillipowder
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2010 1:43 am

Post by chillipowder »

I go to SWBGS. The boys were not caught by the sniffer dogs. They were seen in the toilets by a younger student who told the site manager.
They weren't expelled, they were suspended but advised not to come back. Only one of them did this and the other two are back in school.

Borlase tends to be more concerned about its image than its students. They spend more time worrying about uniform than they do about students' actual behaviour.
As much as I love Borlase, it's really gone downhill in the time I've been here.
Complete Novice
Posts: 162
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 7:14 pm

Post by Complete Novice »

Thanks Sally-Anne and chillipowder.

Chillipowder, can I ask what it is you love about the school? Did you find it friendly when you first started? If my son does go to SWB, I think he will be the only one from his school and I wondered whether there were large chunks of children coming who already knew each other well.

Also, do you find that it is generally considered okay to work hard and do well for boys as well as girls. I am slightly worried my son will not consider it at all cool to look like he puts any effort in! :(

Many thanks CN
fruit salad
Posts: 66
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 1:19 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Post by fruit salad »

I have a young relative at this school. As far as I remember, she did have a problem with one or two of the other students in her first term. This came to a head and she discussed the matter with the teacher (sorry, can't remember the details, and I wouldn't break her family's confidence if I could). The teacher helped to smooth the problem out - or rather helped the students to, and they have all settled down now, from what I can make out.

Strangely enough I've always wanted my own children to go to a mixed school, so I am having to adjust to my girls being at/heading for an all girls GS (at least until VI form)!

I grew up (in a non GS county) going to a comprehensive in a town with a top selective school (where my brother went). The selective school has always had far better exam results, not to mention terrific facilities in all areas. One thing they could never get right was the boys' attitude to girls and women. The school lacked a means of conveying how to behave around the opposite sex from how to work alongside girls to preparation on how to form a stable adult relationship. Even the school acknowledged this and started to introduce places for girls back then.
stats_person
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 3:00 pm

1st pref numbers

Post by stats_person »

Hi Sally-Anne, Folks,
I remember the earlier snapshot numbers you made available caused some raised eyebrows on the very low 1st pref number this year for SWB and I remember at the time you found this very interesting. I also notice that this "issue" described above happened in December, pre-da ting the 1st preference choices made earlier.

So, my question is, do you have any indications as to why this decline of interest has happened...

Moving from a position of allocation maximum of a low distance (4.5 miles) within catchment to the current position is very strange especially for such a good school. Is there any explanation you can think of?

Thanks,
Stats
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by Sally-Anne »

My guess is that:

a) the school has slightly declined in popularity
b) it has been affected by the changes to the catchment area for (mainly) John Hampden.

SWB would have been the fallback option for quite a few children who were previously not in catchment for JHG.

S-A
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