Misbourne

[Dad40]

Hello all,

I'm after any latest info on progress at The Misbourne under the new Head (for possible entry into year 7 in Sept 2012).

Info can be first-hand experience, second-hand, overheard at Tescos, vague rumour etc. Just let me know which it is when replying.

(Alternatives are Holmer Green and Amersham)

Cheers

Dad40

[Rob Clark]

Hi Dad40, can’t help with Misbourne other than knowing a couple of Y9 boys who say it’s ‘OK’, but we have a DD at Amersham and are very happy with it. Academic levels seem to be progressing at a reasonable rate, there’s lots of extracurricular stuff and the atmosphere is good, with all the teachers knowing DD’s name etc (she’s been there 2 years). We decided against putting her in for the 12+. I believe that it was over-subscribed for this year’s intake – perhaps a mod can confirm or refute this.

[Dad40]

Many thanks for that info Rob!

Sorry I didn't reply earlier - busy week.

[MrsChubbs]

Hi Dad40
Have you seen the latest interim OFSTED for Misbourne (June 2011) it confirms what I have been hearing from parents who have kids there. That the interim Head (appointed in June 2011) who has just replaced the previous one is working really hard with his team to make progress in all areas and the parents and most importantly the students are starting to feel better about the whole place. GCSE results this year were up on last year. I think the issue remains that it is a good school amongst the uppers around here. But given its intake it should be getting better results/making more progress in all year groups than it currently is.
Mrs C

[Dad40]

Thanks Mrs C. Yes I saw that.

My impression is that it's rapidly improving from its OFSTED low-point. But given that Robert Preston is only there a short time and we don't know what's coming next, it just might still be a bit early for me - haven't decided yet. But hopefully for people choosing next year, it will be a strong contender again.

[Guest55]

Letter to parents on Misbourne website:

At the start of this school year, I am delighted to report that our examination results in all areas were really good and a significant improvement compared to last year.
At GCSE, 62% of our students achieved 5+ A*-C including English and Mathematics, 72% of students achieved 5 A*-C, and 98% of students achieved 5 or more passes. The school improved by 8% from last year and this performance means that compared to all other similar Buckinghamshire schools, we are in the top four. Basically, we are now where we should be.
At Sixth Form, the results again improved significantly and 98% of our students achieved passes with almost a half of all grades at A*-B.
There were some outstanding results in both Year 12 and Year 10 and the outlook is very good indeed.
I am absolutely delighted with these results which reflect much endeavour from students and staff.
What is significant is that our students are now achieving well above the national average for all schools in the country and we are looking to do even better, not just this year, but for years to come. Also, our girls continue to achieve well but our boys are closing the gap and their overall performance was outstanding. At national level, boys do less well than girls but we ‘bucked the trend’ here and made significant progress.
I am very proud of my students and my staff and we are all determined to build on this success and become not only a consistently good or better school but a school where high performance is the norm. We are on the way.
Misbourne is moving forwards quickly and we start this year with confidence, a positive outlook and plans for an ambitious future. All students should have their individual targets for the year in their planners. Please discuss these targets with your child and support them in working hard to achieve them.
I look forward to this year and I am very excited about our prospects and know that with your support, our students will excel.

Some good news