Exam format, registering and open days.

capers123 · Post by **capers123** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 11:35 am

Glos_Mum wrote:We tried to visit the school, in the day, earlier in the year. Unfortunately, they wouldn't allow 'ad-hoc' visits and told me that the only option was to attend the opening evenings. I do understand that they may be inundated with such requests, but I don't think you can get a real feel of a school without seeing the place full of working children.

The head at Stroud High emphasised that they had tours during a normal working day "which some schools don't have the courage to do". "The sixth formers taking you round will 'tell it as it is', warts and all".

We were impressed by the happy, fun feeling in the corridors, smiling faces in the classrooms (and I doubt if the girls world have kept that up all day long if they were being forced to smile). There was a buzz about the place.

mum3 · Post by **mum3** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 3:35 pm

I can vouch for Pate's too! It is the same during the day. There does appear to be no bullying. It is true that practically all the children have been the top of their class at primary school so they can't all be top at Pate's. However, it seems to me to be only the cocky ones who mind this once they get there....and they probably need taking down a peg or too!!!All the others just get along fine and are not competitive about who is 'top of the class'. It is a very happy school and the pastoral care is good. The teachers really do try to sort out any problems if they are told about them, eg children not settling. Homework doesn't seem to be too excessive either, or may be that's just my son! He does tend to do the bare minimum.....

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 6:46 pm

So why are they so 'anti' people going round during the day?

Burneth · Post by **Burneth** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 8:47 pm

Guest55 wrote:So why are they so 'anti' people going round during the day?

Good question...I suspect it is because the School is so very popular that they if they allowed it, they would be inundated with requests and it may well disrupt the school day.

Pates also have no problem with attracting the most able children and manage to do that without allowing day visits so I suppose they feel have no need to as their reputation is enough.

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 8:55 pm

Sorry I just don't believe that people would disrupt!

As a teacher I enjoy people coming round - it's much more fun than an 'artificial' evening when you are swamped with crowds of people.

Tolstoy · Post by **Tolstoy** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 1:24 pm

How would some of you experienced parents rate Tommies and Crypt on Art facilities? My DS's are very much into it and my own experience of a Grammar school was that it was seen as a second class subject compared to the academic ones. Thankfully for us Pates is too far away to worry about trying to get into, all though I do like the fact that it is a co-ed.

Also does one of the above have a leaning toward rugby rather than football which seems to have taken over in most primary schools?

Re- open evenings we only need to go to 3 and they are all the same week one after the other, grrrrh. We will be so confused we will probably end up muddling them all up, so, so regret not doing this last year.

gloucestermum · Post by **gloucestermum** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:10 pm

Haven't really got an opinion on the Art question-my DS hates it so it wasn't one of our considerations!!!
You will find that both schools are heavily into rugby,I think Crypt start football in year 8 but it is apparently not a priority!

Glos_Mum · Post by **Glos_Mum** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 5:04 pm