11 Plus Exams Forum

Hello everyone, first ever post and quite new, please be gentle!

The info on here is fab and I wish I had found it sooner Can anyone offer a reasoned opinion on our dilemma? Appreciate time is short, and we need to submit the CAF; cest la vie!

DS has a healthy qualifying score for STRS and we have had a good look around the school. He is quite sporty but also very competent at Maths and loves science. We have a very good comp down the road and he also may get a chance of a Pates place subject to the waiting list... DS also has a good mark for Crypt and is 120 for Marling but we have dismissed both of these due to distance from home.

There seems to be lots posted on the forum regarding Pates but very little on STRS. The 2 yr8s who showed us around had only very complementary things to say about the school, but I guess that's why they were chosen as ambassadors

Does anyone have an opinion about STRS? (good, bad or indifferent) We don't want to get DS's hopes up either way as he has done exceptionally well in the test and we are incredibly proud of him.

HarleyD
Sent you a PM.
Chelt_Dad

Twenty or so years ago I was a student there, and it was fantastic.. Things have obviously moved on since then but there are still quite a few members of staff there that taught me.. On visiting with my ds recently I found the ethos, the history,the staff and most importantly the children to be very much as it was in my day, with the obvious exception that the school has grown and updated where required. I know a couple of children who attend now and they still love it. (apart from founders day)

Hi HarleyD - welcome to the forum and well done to your DS.

I have two sons at STRS, both of whom love it. Rather than bore everyone with the details, I have sent you a PM.

Will pm you later, but just to say we are very happy with the school.

HarleyD wrote:The 2 yr8s who showed us around had only very complementary things to say about the school, but I guess that's why they were chosen as ambassadors

Don't bet on that. If it's anything like Stroud High, then the Y8's were not vetted by staff - they self-selected by volunteering. I think the majority of children at grammars would be proud and enthusiastic about their schools.

The two boys who showed us around were randomly picked for the task by the headmaster at a moment's notice, and acquitted themselves very well.

DS2 will be heading for STRS next year, so I'm eager to hear parents' thoughts as I don't know anyone with boys there (especially if they have come from an indie background).

I'd appreciate being copied in to any PMs !

Also: I heard that the headmaster will be leaving soon. Is there any truth to this ?

capers123 wrote:

HarleyD wrote:The 2 yr8s who showed us around had only very complementary things to say about the school, but I guess that's why they were chosen as ambassadors

Don't bet on that. If it's anything like Stroud High, then the Y8's were not vetted by staff - they self-selected by volunteering. I think the majority of children at grammars would be proud and enthusiastic about their schools.

that was my half hearted attempt at humour, apologies, not yet used to forum etiquette! The two young men were delightful and I certainly didn't feel they had been primed.

Thank you to all who have replied to my original post with such wonderfully positive feedback, it has given me a completely different perspective and will certainly help us make an informed decision.

capers123 wrote: I think the majority of children at grammars would be proud and enthusiastic about their schools.

Perhaps that is one good thing about the current system, the effort just to get a place would I imagine instilled a sense of pride in their schoo!?

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