Had both sets of results and DS's realistic options are HGS or QMGS. Can't decide which would be better. Can anyone add some experience/insight on either school that might help inform our decision? Thanks.

You need Ricky74 - they have a DS at each! They still use the forum so will see this and reply. Where do you live as that may have a bearing?

You will need to visit. We visited both and if it was between those QMGS would win hands down. I don't have a child there to give first hand experience though.

Important issues are travel to and from each school and where does your son want to go.These should go a long way in determining your ultimate destination

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In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

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I agree with previous posters, you will need to visit both schools and look into transport options for both.
We wanted Qmgs last year, the score was borderline, so we looked at HGS as this was our nearest Birmingham GS. DS and I visited HGS on the Oct open morning, but needed to persuade DH as he had not visited and was put off by the area. We wanted to list it as 2nd option on the CAF and DH wasn’t keen. Eventually got DH to visit and he loved it, he preferred it to QM.
We didn’t get QM on offers day, in fact not at all, DS is very happily settled into HGS and absolutely loves it.
If Qm had been an option, we would have taken it before the summer holiday, but now we know that DS is in the right place. Transport-wise Qm may have been easier, but the tram links that we will need in the future for HGS are on commute routes for me, DH and the primary school pick up for the younger DD.
Feel free to ask any questions, but my best advice is to go and see again, then look at transport.

We live nearer to HGS but there's no green bus west side of B'ham so he would have to get public transport. We asked DS and he would prefer to get green bus to QMGS even though it takes about 1 1/4 hours !!! He's quite shy though and I think some 'bus training' would take away his concerns about getting public transport.

We are going to QMGS open afternoon on Tues. We missed the HGS open day which was in September. We didnt want to get him too involved in choosing schools before because we really didnt expect him to get good enough results. He's really surprised us though as he got 208 and 341 which should give him a reasonable chance of both HGS and QMGS.

Rooroo - I'd be interested to know why you thought QMGS 'won hands down'. What was it for you that made the difference?

The feel for the place and the available green space. HGS is still listed on our preferences but 4th.

If you give HGS a ring on Monday morning I’m sure they organise small tours for when the results are out - they certainly did a couple of years ago.
You may find one school caters more for what your DS wants to do - one reason we ranked HGS higher than BV was because they did German and football - you may find one does something your DS really wants to do and the other doesn’t.
I am happy to answer any queries you have about HGS (have one in Y9 and one in Y7), but it does need to be which is right for your son.
There are many boys who get public transport to HGS so he wouldn’t be alone - 1 1/4 hours each way adds a lot to a school day and needs to be considered.

I second this too! helen and Ricky have provided me with much sensible advice over the past year. Whilst the idea of the green bus is quite comforting when they are “little” year 7’s, a 1 1/2 hour commute is quite a chunk out of a day. Public transport might be a better option in the long run. We have chaperoned DS home on the metro many days now, with the view that he can start to travel back on his own around Easter time. By year 8 I can see that he will be getting himself to and from HGS.

It may be worth looking at all travel options for both schools and thinking ahead to when your DS will be a confident public transport user. It’s also worth considering how long it may take you to get there to pick them up if they are ill, starting from home and any workplaces.

Just a word(s) of warning about the green bus after our experience last year. Our ds isn’t shy but he doesn’t love really busy/noisy environments and he found the green bus quite stressful at times. It got very rowdy and the boys could be quite rough at times.

I’d also bear in mind that it’s very restrictive. This year ds is doing public transport and it’s so much better as he’s able to stay behind after school for clubs/table tennis on the playground/homework in the library with friends. Or alternatively he can run for the early tram and get home extra early!

His journey on the green bus was officially just under an hour and he did moan sometimes - especially when it got stuck in traffic! As I’ve said on other threads if we’d had a choice I’d have gone for a nearer grammar but HGS was our only option.

We’re really happy with HGS though. I’ve never been round QM so I’ve no knowledge there. If I had a choice between any two schools though, knowing what I know now is go for the nearer one as long as it was accessible by public transport. I wouldn’t want to be tied to the green bus if I could avoid it. It’s also really expensive!

On the other hand, it is safe and it can be a good way to make friends.