Dartford Grammar v Bexley Grammar v Beths

[theonly1]

Thanks ronkevso for what you have been able to share so far , no matter how little. A mother also has the right to be proud of her DC. Let's not start making one parent or the other feel guilty. All our children put in their best. Good luck all in the days or weeks ahead.

[chimneys]

Thanks ronkevso for what you have been able to share so far , no matter how little. A mother also has the right to be proud of her DC. Let's not start making one parent or the other feel guilty. All our children put in their best. Good luck all in the days or weeks ahead.

Taken from the thread "Discussion of test scores" above put up by the MODS:

"we ask you to refrain from posting actual scores, because this could be considered to be "boasting", especially by others who have been less fortunate.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Yoyo
Moderator"

[salsa]

Thanks ronkevso for what you have been able to share so far , no matter how little. A mother also has the right to be proud of her DC. Let's not start making one parent or the other feel guilty. All our children put in their best. Good luck all in the days or weeks ahead.

Taken from the thread "Discussion of test scores" above put up by the MODS:

"we ask you to refrain from posting actual scores, because this could be considered to be "boasting", especially by others who have been less fortunate.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Yoyo
Moderator"

Actually, I think that, at least in Kent it is very helpful for parents of future takers. The reason being that some schools go by scores. In Bexley, raw scores are very useful as parents need to know what is really needed for either a pass or a top 180 score.
Parents are also very grateful, I included myself, when parents describe their approach and amount of effort to achieve their scores. Although every child is different, of course. Some parents DIY, others pay for tuition. There is no right or wrong way, in my opinion. However, one approach may suit a family more than another.

Of course, let's no forget that some of us are happy to share in the forum because we think it is anonymous. It's quite another thing to walk to a parent and ask for their scores. They may consider it a total invasion of their privacy and may not want to share at all. Their child may have had a bad score or a great one and may be accused of boasting. You can't win sometimes!

Having said that, I didn't stop my eldest from talking to his friends. Needless to say that there were lots of problems and some children got all sorts of punishments for sharing their scores. In spite of that, in a few months we all knew everybody's scores! And it wasn't the parents gossiping, but the children displaying their independence as, after all, it was their hard work.

[ronkevso]

That comment was from me not my son.

[ronkevso]

Thanks ronkevso for what you have been able to share so far , no matter how little. A mother also has the right to be proud of her DC. Let's not start making one parent or the other feel guilty. All our children put in their best. Good luck all in the days or weeks ahead.

Thank you for your post

[Ena Sharples]

Dartford has many advantages but out of the local area I would go for Wilmington or Gravesend.

Wilmington is a very well-rounded school and is not 'elitist' in its view of rugby - which in year 7 is three times a week - including one after-school and compulsory on a Saturday morning (at least until Christmas). They play football at Wilmington and the academic achievements are superb.

However, the best data, other than Dartford, is Gravesend - a superb school and easily accessible.

It's a shame Gravesend is often overlooked - children there do superbly well - just go on the Ofsted website and look at the data.

[salsa]

Dartford has many advantages but out of the local area I would go for Wilmington or Gravesend.

Wilmington is a very well-rounded school and is not 'elitist' in its view of rugby - which in year 7 is three times a week - including one after-school and compulsory on a Saturday morning (at least until Christmas). They play football at Wilmington and the academic achievements are superb.

However, the best data, other than Dartford, is Gravesend - a superb school and easily accessible.

It's a shame Gravesend is often overlooked - children there do superbly well - just go on the Ofsted website and look at the data.

I don't think Dartford is elitist at all. They do like their rugby, which is not compulsory, but encouraged. I was surprised how much my son enjoyed rugby even though he was a complete beginner. I think they choose rugby for the team building.
We also loved Wilmington, but didn't go to Gravesend as it was too far for us.

[Ena Sharples]

[Rugby] which is not compulsory, but encouraged.

Not sure about that....

Missing a Saturday morning or a Monday evening is not for the faint-hearted

Beths and Wilmington are more rounded (no pun intended!)

[Blametheparents]

I too get annoyed when people call DGS 'elitist' when they don't even go there! I have never found it to be so.

Agreed, if you really want to play in a school football team then it's not the school for you, but rugby is not compulsory past October half term (roughly). Plenty of my son's friends play in football teams outside of school.

Anyways - to answer your question, my son has taken part in a number of language workshops on the G&T program, and has had opportunities via science (such as a session where they dissected a heart and took photographs). He has enjoyed these sessions. They often combine two subjects and look for cross-curricular learning opportunities - for example the heart dissection session incorporated science and art G&T students.

Hope that helps.

Good luck - this year I am waiting on results for my daughter on Wednesday.

[ronkevso]

Thank you so much Salsa, blameitontheparents, ena sharples. You have given me a lot to think about. Gravesend is too far for us but I didn't really consider Wilmington. I didn't think the results were as good as Dartford. I may need to look again. However when I told my ds that the boys play footbal in breaks/ lunch he was happy.