Open days/ evenings... Glad when it's over.

[MSD]

That is exactly our concern. But at the same time I also feel that if he achieves the required mark he must be good enough for the school. It might be a mistake to deny the best available education based on our fears and unfortunate experiences of other parents. But again every parent knows their child the best.

MSD

[mike1880]

You have to bear the confidence aspect in mind, but you also have to think very carefully about what the alternatives are. I seriously doubt that anyone would see a difference in the ability levels in a class of children at Aston, Five Ways or Handsworth compared to CHB/G (average attainment levels on entry are given on the DfE website, there is really very little to choose between them), so if you really want to avoid the issue it means sending them to other than a GS and that opens a whole new can of worms.

Mike

[nervousmom]

Even if he does attain the mark, I don't think he would want to go. He doesn't like the idea of a single sex school, he reckons it doesn't seem right!

At the end of the day my husband and I will make thenfinalmdecision, but we will also consider carefullynwhat my ds wants as well, as we want him to be happy.

KECH is our nearest school.

We are also thinking ahead, as I have a dd who will be doing all this in 3 years. If we get ds into a gs it would be better if dd could also go to the same one. We then have another who is only 2 now, but we a thinking ahead!

[equation]

KECH is nearest to us but after attending the recent open days we have been swayed by FW & KEVIH for our dd. We were least impressed by CHG - the feel of the school just didn't seem right for our dd (cold atmosphere, aloof teachers etc) - 3 other parents from our dd's school felt the same.
I think FW has become more popular in the last few years particularly as the number of girls there are increasing every year.
Also, KEVIH is somewhat under-rated (certainly under-represented on this forum) - I think the location of that school has put a lot of people off over the years.

[um]

Nervousmom - if you have a ds and a dd, it is worth pointing out that CHB and CHG share the same site!

However Equation I am going to have to agree with you on CHG. I really do feel the difference compared to CHB where I have always felt more at ease.
My daughter absolutely loved it but I 'get you' on the aloofness of some staff. I certainly didn't experience that at KE Handsworth either (although the journey there was much worse).
The girls we've seen at CHG, however, were very helpful and friendly.

When we visited at the recent open day, I admit that I had a terrible pain in my knee (old age creeping up on me perhaps, but the pain has all gone now at least so maybe I'd injured it ) and was rather keen not to have to walk far. Pulling up at the entrance, some stewards told me there were no parking spaces and (laughing rather pointedly amongst themselves) told me to go and park at the local pub.
Now, I do wear a headscarf, thus marking me out to most sane people as a card-carrying Muslim, and I don't frequent pubs. So I was a bit put out by this. I found a roadside parking space much further up, and noticed upon reaching/hobbling to the main gate that the stewards were very happily waving cars through without stopping anyone. On arriving at the school, there really were a significant amount of available parking spaces.
Stupidly, I later (the sniggers of the stewards had played on my mind) asked a senior staff member if it was school policy to advise parents to park in the pub and was pretty put out (and embarrassed in front of other parents) by the condescending (you are making a fuss about nothing, dear plebeian) reply that the residents here did not like parents parking on their streets so I would have to park in the pub.

Yes I guess we'll want CHG as first choice for dd, because she has two brothers in CHB, it is our closest Grammar, she likes it the most, but if we were closer to KE Handsworth, that would without a doubt be my first choice.

[mike1880]

It's not just me then. CHG seems to be a bit like Marmite - most girls are very happy there and parents like it but there's a small minority who really dislike it. I love the relaxed, irreverent atmosphere at CHB, in comparison CHG just feels unfriendly, cold, stuffy and unwelcoming. Hopefully a new head will improve the atmosphere.

Mike

[sss]

Just to inform everybody of the latest: just phoned the foundation office & was told 75% of the 9,200 papers have been marked! On track for the 15th Oct then!

[nicolajane1971]

Oooooh! Thanks for that SSS! We can but hope they'll send them out early.

Some advice on whether I'm selling my DS short would be good, we've only been to see our closest GS which is BV and we all love it. We decided that it would only be BV on the basis of distance, but what if ( and it is a big if), he aces it and could have the pick of them all? Have I been silly by only viewing the one (plus the comps of course)?

[moseleymum]

KECH is nearest to us but after attending the recent open days we have been swayed by FW & KEVIH for our dd. We were least impressed by CHG - the feel of the school just didn't seem right for our dd (cold atmosphere, aloof teachers etc) - 3 other parents from our dd's school felt the same.
I think FW has become more popular in the last few years particularly as the number of girls there are increasing every year.
Also, KEVIH is somewhat under-rated (certainly under-represented on this forum) - I think the location of that school has put a lot of people off over the years.

Have to agree. CH is closest to us also but we can't warm to the girls school at all. Much prefer KEVIH despite the distance but there's very little info about that school on here.

[sss]

Much prefer KEVIH despite the distance but there's very little info about that school on here.

We know 2 girls at KEVIH & they love it there - it's a very 'warming' place - like one large family where everyone's on the lookout for each other. Just what you want from a girls school (safety is important).