Solihull to five ways and stratford

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HappyRobot
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 12:02 am

Solihull to five ways and stratford

Post by HappyRobot »

Can anyone share with me how their dc cope with the long journeys?
We are in central Solihull.
koala
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2010 7:34 am

Re: Solihull to five ways and stratford

Post by koala »

As no-one else has got back to you, thought I would respond. My DC get on green bus and travel for 30 mins. Some of the children on the bus travel for 1 hour and 30 mins (which seems very long to me) but DC tell me that they all love their school and enjoy the social side of the green bus. Many children travel for this amount of time and seem to get used to it. One of their friends has a 90 min bus journey and then a 20 min walk home! His Dad occasionally takes him to school too. On the other side of this discussion, I have friends in Solihull with very able children who have made the decision not to take exam because of the long distance to the KE schools. They believe their DC could be at home and homework completed by the time the KE children arrive home. My DC never do homework on the bus journey! I am sure there are other threads on this topic in the Birmingham section, have a look through. Best wishes. Koala.
HappyRobot
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 12:02 am

Re: Solihull to five ways and stratford

Post by HappyRobot »

Thanks koala.
We really like the Stratford kes better than the Brum ones but from central Solihull we would have to drive for 15 mins and then he would have to bus or train for 45 mins. We walk to school at the mo and can walk to Solihull school but Warwick and stratford kes seem better choices at the mo!
Anyone else travelling from Solihull to Stratford grammar?
magwich2
Posts: 866
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:33 pm

Re: Solihull to five ways and stratford

Post by magwich2 »

Not sure why you would want to!!!
legaraal

Re: Solihull to five ways and stratford

Post by legaraal »

It's perfectly feasible. My daughter (Yr 7 Shottery) does it from Shirley. She goes on the train. Including the sixth formers, there are about 10 KES / Shottery pupils get on at Shirley, and the train picks up more at Whitlocks End, Wythall etc. It's only 35 mins on the train from Shirley, and my daughter often does homework with her Year 7 friend on the train, when they are not chatting, mucking around or listening to music.

Others get the X20 bus.

There is a new bus starting this coming September which will start in Knowle, pass through Balsall Common and, I think, Kenilworth before going to Stratford. Shottery certainly have the details, I would imagine KES will have info too. Going to be run by Johnsons coaches.

Or there is a school bus which picks up from Hockley Heath.

I think it is endemic amongst parents of prospective / new grammar school parents, that they are worried sick about how their kids are going to cope with the travelling. I was the same this time last year. It is absolutely fine. They make friends on their buses / trains and have a good time. I think the train journey home is my daughter's favourite part of the school day sometimes, the tales she tells. And she is a fairly quiet, shy soul. She went from a 15 minute walk to our local state junior school, to a total 50 minute journey each way (5 mins to train station, 35 mins on train, 10 mins walk at other end from Stratford Station to school). I wondered how she would ever cope with the long day and long journeys. But by October half term she was an old hand and takes it all in her stride. They grow up amazingly quickly in Year 7!!
HappyRobot
Posts: 227
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 12:02 am

Re: Solihull to five ways and stratford

Post by HappyRobot »

Thanks for the guidance legaraal. Sounds really do-able.

Not sure what you mean magwich re "why would you want to?" Please expand.
Warks mum
Posts: 538
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:30 am
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Solihull to five ways and stratford

Post by Warks mum »

Not sure what you mean magwich re "why would you want to?" Please expand.
Both of magwich's DDs went to Shottery and sadly they didn't seem to find it a wholly positive experience. I can only speak from a third person's perspective, but I would say that - at least in magwich's DD2's case - the school experience was certainly not typical, so it's unlikely your DC would have a similar one!
Okanagan
Posts: 1706
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:20 pm
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Solihull to five ways and stratford

Post by Okanagan »

Warks mum wrote:
Not sure what you mean magwich re "why would you want to?" Please expand.
Both of magwich's DDs went to Shottery and sadly they didn't seem to find it a wholly positive experience. I can only speak from a third person's perspective, but I would say that - at least in magwich's DD2's case - the school experience was certainly not typical, so it's unlikely your DC would have a similar one!
I think HappyRobot is thinking of KES rather than Shottery anyway.
HappyRobot wrote:We really like the Stratford kes better than the Brum ones but from central Solihull we would have to drive for 15 mins and then he would have to bus or train for 45 mins.
solimum
Posts: 1420
Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 3:09 pm
Location: Solihull, West Midlands

Re: Solihull to five ways and stratford

Post by solimum »

Warks mum wrote:
Not sure what you mean magwich re "why would you want to?" Please expand.
Both of magwich's DDs went to Shottery and sadly they didn't seem to find it a wholly positive experience. I can only speak from a third person's perspective, but I would say that - at least in magwich's DD2's case - the school experience was certainly not typical, so it's unlikely your DC would have a similar one!
Doesn't seem as if magwich is impressed with KES either....

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 37&t=26232" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interestingly from my experience in Dorridge:

KECHB has been a far more popular destination than KES Stratford for boys of my acquaintance, both at 11 and at 6th form (in fact I don't think I know of any local families sending their sons to KES Stratford from Knowle/Dorridge, though no doubt there are some). I know Warwickshire families of boys who have applied, one successful, one not, and several girls who have been to Shottery - those who entered at 6th form found it rather quaint, but KECHG also seems difficult to adjust to at 6th form. I guess historically those locally with the means have sent their sons to Solihull School and their girls to Kings High (Warwick) while the rest of us kept Arden going!
nervousmom
Posts: 1687
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:38 am
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Solihull to five ways and stratford

Post by nervousmom »

Hi, we are on the west midlands/warwickshire border and our son will be sitting both Birmingham and Warwick exams in September.

My prefered school is KES (he is torn netween this and five ways)and we were discussing travelling options yesterday (if he gets a place) we are a 10 minute walk from The Lakes train station, he likes the idea of the train. Also i know there is a bus at Hockley Heath at 7.30am, this is about 5 mins from our house in the car.

We are also looking at Five Ways, he currently has 3 second cousins who attend there and a fourth starting in September, they get the Green Bus from Hollywood at 7.30am in the morning - i believe this is about 1 hour travelling time.

AGS is another option, this is the closest in the car, but i am not sure of other travellng arrangements for this.

Changing the subject slightly, my son has just got 72% in an 11+ mock exam, which supposedly was on the same level, if not slightly harder than the actual 11+.

I have seen people`s posts showing the points needed, but would be interested if anyone can tell me what this equates to as a % as I am worried that 72% will not be enough.

thank you,
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