Choice to make: BSB or moving away?
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:24 am
Hi.
I posted this in the general 11 plus forum but someone has suggested it might be worth posting here to get some advice from people who live in my area.
My husband and I have two boys and live very close to Bournemouth School for Boys. We have a few options open to us as we do not have ties in this area. We can either stay and have the boys take the entrance test to BSB, however if they fail, they have to go to a secondary which is in special measures - Winton School for Boys. Or, we can move to Hampshire and choose the catchment, I was considering Thornden in Chandler's Ford which has good results but isn't selective.
Is anyone familiar with BSB? Is it really really difficult to get into? Are most places taken by children who attend one of the many prep schools in the area? My boys are bright, but not knowledgeable and very laid back. My eldest currently attends Queens Park Infants which is fine at the moment but it feeds into Queens Park Juniors which doesn't have a very good history of having children go on to either of the Grammar schools so would we need to provide him with tuition? At a push we might be able to afford to send them to a prep school years 3-6 if it was best for them.
Would you put your children through it if you didn't have to? Do the benefits of attending a grammar school outweigh the stress of winning a place for bright but by no means genius children.
I would appreciate any thoughts you might have.
Many thanks.
I posted this in the general 11 plus forum but someone has suggested it might be worth posting here to get some advice from people who live in my area.
My husband and I have two boys and live very close to Bournemouth School for Boys. We have a few options open to us as we do not have ties in this area. We can either stay and have the boys take the entrance test to BSB, however if they fail, they have to go to a secondary which is in special measures - Winton School for Boys. Or, we can move to Hampshire and choose the catchment, I was considering Thornden in Chandler's Ford which has good results but isn't selective.
Is anyone familiar with BSB? Is it really really difficult to get into? Are most places taken by children who attend one of the many prep schools in the area? My boys are bright, but not knowledgeable and very laid back. My eldest currently attends Queens Park Infants which is fine at the moment but it feeds into Queens Park Juniors which doesn't have a very good history of having children go on to either of the Grammar schools so would we need to provide him with tuition? At a push we might be able to afford to send them to a prep school years 3-6 if it was best for them.
Would you put your children through it if you didn't have to? Do the benefits of attending a grammar school outweigh the stress of winning a place for bright but by no means genius children.
I would appreciate any thoughts you might have.
Many thanks.