AGGS / Lorretto: experiences please

Eleven Plus (11+) in Trafford

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now
geraldo
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Oct 11, 2011 2:22 pm

AGGS / Lorretto: experiences please

Post by geraldo »

Hello , I have a daughter who successfully passed both AGGS and Loretto entrance exams.

She initially appeared quite intent on going to AGGS but now believes she may be out of her league . We are a working class catholic family living in Sale and I would very much appreciate some input as to parents experiences of these schools.
overanxious
Posts: 144
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 5:26 pm
Location: Manchester

Re: AGGS / Lorretto: experiences please

Post by overanxious »

I'm hanging around here because DD2 has just failed Altrincham :cry: but DD1 is there!

In what way would AGGS be 'out of her league' :shock: My daughter scraped a pass but is doing really well - top half of her class, frequently the very top.

I can only talk about my daughter and her class, but she has made some lovely friends. I have to admit that the majority of them seem to be substantially better off than we are, and have very different lifestyles to us - a lot of tennis lessons, horseriding, their own swimming pools - but that really doesn't seem to have made a difference to them or my daughter. If anything she has seen that their material success has downsides too - lack of time with parents perhaps, or worries about security and safety. She was amazed that some classmates had never been on a bus! :lol:

I think AGGS is a fantastic school - I think it has fostered a lot of self-confidence in my daughter.

Good luck to your daughter whatever she decides!
TIDDLYMUM
Posts: 881
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:19 pm

Re: AGGS / Lorretto: experiences please

Post by TIDDLYMUM »

Hi

Would echo OA here. AGGS is a state school at the end of the day.

My friend has a daughter at Withington Girls and despite being independent ( and costly though well worth it), there is a real diverse mix of backgrounds with a good number on bursary assistance due to family income.

I see AGGS girls getting on the tram sometimes from Old Trafford and Stretford and on the train from Stockport.

I am sure that your daughter would be fine there. After all she passed the exam and so is as worthy of her place as anyone else.

Having said that, when my son (at AGSB) has a sleepover and says one of the lads lives in Hale or Bowdon, I always hope the parents don't want to come in our house to collect them .... :D :D :)
catmum
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2010 11:12 am

Re: AGGS / Lorretto: experiences please

Post by catmum »

Hi,
My daughter goes to loreto and is now doing GCSE's. She only just scraped into loreto and didn't pass for AGGS but is doing extremely well academically and socially.
The school is very caring and interested in each individual girl, they seem to bring out strengths that each girl has. They are obviously keen on girls doing well academically but seem equally interested in other skills and happiness also.
They have a strong catholic ethos but are not 'heavy' with it and some non-catholic girls attend the school.
If you live in Sale there is also a Loreto bus service direct to the school, AGGS is a bit of a walk from the bus station.
I went to AGGS myself and think that is also a fantastic school.
I guess the choice is of 2 excellent schools, Loreto provides the faith aspect you may want( in a minimal way, no nuns remain working at the school these days, all lay staff) and the girls are all of quite mixed backgrounds but majority are from timperley and sale.
good luck, either choice is a good one!
geraldo
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Oct 11, 2011 2:22 pm

Re: AGGS / Lorretto: experiences please

Post by geraldo »

Thanks to all of you for your reassurance you have been really helpful.

Cheers and best of luck for the future.
frosties
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 10:00 am
Location: South Manchester

Re: AGGS / Lorretto: experiences please

Post by frosties »

I think it's also important to look further ahead than just the first few years of school. I think at AGGS you need at least 5 A's at GCSE's to stay on and do A'levels, whereas at Loreto you need at least 5 B's.
My friend's daughter was one mark off one of her A's and wasn't allowed to stay on at AGGS, the school wouldn't budge and she had to move school and leave all her friends behind. She had worked hard through school and represented school in netball for 5 years.
She left school 3 years ago and still isn't over the fact she had to leave all her friends and I would say she's been fairly unhappy since. The school is obviously concerned with league tables and results at A'level and would not compromise. To me school is about the whole package, academic results, sports, and friends.
I'm not saying one school is better than another but do think further ahead, difficult I know as you can't predict how they will do in their GCSE's.
ugsmum
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 6:37 pm

Re: AGGS / Lorretto: experiences please

Post by ugsmum »

Hi

I would echo previous threads about the 'money' issue at AGGS. The designer clothes and labels seem to be more of an issue than in other schools. I have a friend who is a single parent with her DD there and the expectations for birthday parties, cost of school trips ( USA ski trip including a few days in New York) are causing her problems. Her DD also feels awkward inviting people back to their 'small' house.
TraffordMum
Posts: 593
Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:29 pm
Location: Trafford

Re: AGGS / Lorretto: experiences please

Post by TraffordMum »

Just to add my 2 pennorth, with 2 daughters at AGGS, none of my daughters' friends have a swimming pool!

Yes, there is a bit of a Hollister/Superdry/A&F/Jack Wills following but by no means is that *required* to fit in. Looking at the Loreto girls they seem to be just the same, quite frankly.

Looking at the academic side I think that if your daughter has passed and you know she has not been hugely tutored to get to that point then she is likely to do very well. If she is sporty then I would definitely consider AGGS over Loreto. Otherwise I think it comes down to religious over non-religious, relative size of cohort and which blazer you prefer ;)
markj5388
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2011 4:18 pm

Re: AGGS / Lorretto: experiences please

Post by markj5388 »

Also can i add my 2 pence!!!!

Daughter is a current year 7 at aggs and i have found the school up to now to be excellent. Though i do have one concern that others may or may not be able to help with.

I'm concerned about the apparent lack of attendance by the head at the school. Please note before you shout i put apparent, it just seems that since the academy etc her time is took up alot now with the other issues involved with this, i just wonder in the long term how much will this impact on the quality of the school.

Just an aside, from a son who has completed sale gs, there did seem to be a very definate change in the school ethos especially over discipline when the head was "Helping" out an another school, since, he has left sale and is now head at that school, so the head is such an important role.

For me to answer the original question i find aggs to be an excellent school, but the head thing does worry me a little.

Thanks
TraffordMum
Posts: 593
Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:29 pm
Location: Trafford

Re: AGGS / Lorretto: experiences please

Post by TraffordMum »

Mrs Ross is certainly less visible than she used to be some years ago, although she attended one of the Xmas concerts last week. I believe this is largely due to AGGS's emergence as a National Teaching School as Mrs Ross has been focussing on this aspect of the school's "business". Day to day, though, there is a strong team of Assistant Headteachers, with Mrs Speakman at the helm of the day-to day running of the school. I think Mrs Ross's role has been strategic rather than operational for some time and I certainly wouldn't worry too much that the decks will start warping. I think it's a pretty tightly run ship.
Post Reply