Help and advice over Birkenhead and Kingsmead

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rebsto
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2013 3:04 pm

Re: Help and advice over Birkenhead and Kingsmead

Post by rebsto »

oh dear thats not good. is she being bullied? have the school dealt with the bullies? does your daughter have friends? how does she feel about moving? does kingsmead or birkenhead school seem like they would be better for her? have you looked round them both? has your daughter looked round them? does she want to go to them for a visit and make her own mind up maybe?
guest42
Posts: 138
Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 12:32 pm

Re: Help and advice over Birkenhead and Kingsmead

Post by guest42 »

Hi. I have a daughter in BS and perhaps can provide some advice.

Obviously if you can afford it Kingsmead and BS are both worth considering. They both take the pastoral side very seriously. It is true that BS is a far more academic school but as you can see from the letters to parents on their web site (8th one down I think) they still support various study skills. Kingsmead is probably more focused in this area but they only go up to 16, which can be a problem.

Perhaps more important they are both MIXED schools. I know there are great fans of all girls' schools (and BHS academy is obsessed with this!) but MY experience is that my DD has had a much better (in fact she has had a fantastic) time because of co-ed. Girls can be right s...ts but a mixed environment tones them down. In my experience the boys will not allow a girl to be bullied (certainly not at BS)

Ultimately you need to visit the schools with your DD as a taster and see what you think. It will also allow your daughter to see if the "grass is actually greener".
rebsto
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2013 3:04 pm

Re: Help and advice over Birkenhead and Kingsmead

Post by rebsto »

hi guest42, i am interested in your advice/info/opinions regarding BS, i am anxious with moving to the area and new schools, house, town etc, is BS pastoral care good? i will need some SEN issues addressing, what is the reputation on this area? Is there concern with new head coming?thanks
guest42
Posts: 138
Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 12:32 pm

Re: Help and advice over Birkenhead and Kingsmead

Post by guest42 »

It is good for pastoral care but less so imho for SEN, although as I said above they do provide support in these areas for appropriate pupils...but I have no first hand experience with this although I have been involved with the School nurse regarding PSHE issues.

It is first and foremost an academic school and outperformed all the local Grammar Schools last year. I don't think anyone is particularly concerned about the head retiring, although obviously change will happen.

I chose BS over the Grammar Schools because of the small class sizes and the co-ed.

My DD is in the 6th form now and was one of the pioneer girls when it went co-ed in 2008. It has way met all our academic aspirations but it has been a fantastic journey for her. She has been to France, to Spain, to Belgium, to the US. She has performed at the School, at Chester Cathedral and the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Within 6 months of joining she was part of the winning North of England Lacrosse Team beating schools that had twenty times as many girls to choose from for their team. She met her long term BF there. There have been times where she has been at the School, literally, 7 days a week.

Now she is in the 6th form she has been helping teach children in the Prep and been a peer mentor to Year 7 girls and she is upstairs now revising for an A Level tomorrow in a subject which, because she so wanted to do it and no-one else did, BS has provided two teachers to give her one-to-one tuition all year.
rebsto
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2013 3:04 pm

Re: Help and advice over Birkenhead and Kingsmead

Post by rebsto »

thanks for reply guest 42, you seem really pleased and your comments on BS are very encouraging, imho you get what you pay for it seems, thanks again, I am having a visit soon!
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