M/head > Becky High? Anyone got in? How to travel etc

[justkeepmoving]

Try Finlan Travel in Maidenhead. They run various mini-buses to Becky High from that direction. Or ask the school directly

[nazishadnan]

Hi , we did consider distance and travel options. For us school was the top preference. We are aware that there are private coaches that take children from Maidenhead and burnham but was looking for more specific info. Burnham grammer is a good school but ours as well as our DD’s preference was Beaconsfield. What other good schools in Maidenhead. My son will be giving 11+ next year so that would be helpful.

[anotherdad]

Hi , we did consider distance and travel options. For us school was the top preference. We are aware that there are private coaches that take children from Maidenhead and burnham but was looking for more specific info. Burnham grammer is a good school but ours as well as our DD’s preference was Beaconsfield. What other good schools in Maidenhead. My son will be giving 11+ next year so that would be helpful.

What specific information do you need if you know about the private coaches already? The bus drivers' names?

For schools in Maidenhead, have a look at the Ofsted page and search for secondary schools in Maidenhead. Ofsted ratings aren't everything and you should beware those schools that hold good or outstanding ratings from many years ago awarded under different inspection frameworks. Go and see them for yourself, it really is the best way to make judgements.

[ash]

Hi , we did consider distance and travel options. For us school was the top preference. We are aware that there are private coaches that take children from Maidenhead and burnham but was looking for more specific info. Burnham grammer is a good school but ours as well as our DD’s preference was Beaconsfield. What other good schools in Maidenhead. My son will be giving 11+ next year so that would be helpful.

May I ask if you considered Wycombe High for your DD? There are a couple of private buses that serve that school and John Hampden. WH is right next to JHGS, so that would serve your son if he considers that next year.

[ToadMum]

Hi , we did consider distance and travel options. For us school was the top preference. We are aware that there are private coaches that take children from Maidenhead and burnham but was looking for more specific info. Burnham grammer is a good school but ours as well as our DD’s preference was Beaconsfield. What other good schools in Maidenhead. My son will be giving 11+ next year so that would be helpful.

You could always think about moving to Beaconsfield?

[BlueBerry]

What specific information do you need if you know about the private coaches already? The bus drivers' names?

Apologies for this, but this really made me laugh out loud

[loobylou]

I started at BHS 30+ years ago
Even then there were at least 5 girls in my year who came from Maidenhead/close to Maidenhead which would probably have translated into 30 across the school, in an era where there were no exam tourists and the furthest anyone else traveled was from Denham or the Chalfonts.
I'm surprised it's now thought of as a difficult journey, though I suppose the traffic has probably worsened.

[nazishadnan]

I am quite surprised at your reply ) It doesn’t take a lot to be polite! By specific I meant any private bus company names or if anyone is sending their DD to Beaconsfield. I’m sure there must be quite a few out here any I meant to reach out to them through this forum rather than be bashed up on my homework. Besides are you telling me that I shouldn’t have put my DD into a good grammar school and looked for other options in Maidenhead? Your forgetting most of the topics in this group revolve around 11+ and it’s preparation... Burnham grammar is a good school but not in the league of Becky High which is one of the top grammar schools in Buckinghamshire:)) You can see the statistics why it’s increasing in popularity and the first preferences have gone up by 30%
Our first priority was school and transportation can be managed even if it means spending money on hiring a private coach/taxi ) I hope I am clear in my preference as a parent for my DD...

Hi , we did consider distance and travel options. For us school was the top preference. We are aware that there are private coaches that take children from Maidenhead and burnham but was looking for more specific info. Burnham grammer is a good school but ours as well as our DD’s preference was Beaconsfield. What other good schools in Maidenhead. My son will be giving 11+ next year so that would be helpful.

What specific information do you need if you know about the private coaches already? The bus drivers' names?

For schools in Maidenhead, have a look at the Ofsted page and search for secondary schools in Maidenhead. Ofsted ratings aren't everything and you should beware those schools that hold good or outstanding ratings from many years ago awarded under different inspection frameworks. Go and see them for yourself, it really is the best way to make judgements.

[Guest55]

I am quite surprised at your reply ) It doesn’t take a lot to be polite! By specific I meant any private bus company names or if anyone is sending their DD to Beaconsfield. I’m sure there must be quite a few out here any I meant to reach out to them through this forum rather than be bashed up on my homework. Besides are you telling me that I shouldn’t have put my DD into a good grammar school and looked for other options in Maidenhead? Your forgetting most of the topics in this group revolve around 11+ and it’s preparation... Burnham grammar is a good school but not in the league of Becky High which is one of the top grammar schools in Buckinghamshire:)) You can see the statistics why it’s increasing in popularity and the first preferences have gone up by 30%
Our first priority was school and transportation can be managed even if it means spending money on hiring a private coach/taxi ) I hope I am clear in my preference as a parent for my DD...

Your daughter would do just as well in a good school in Maidenhead. Grammar schools aren't 'magic' their results reflect their intake not the quality of teaching which can vary.
Becky High has had a number of difficult years in recent history; presumably you researched extensively? Popularity tends to be a very fickle thing and not something to choose a school by. Going to a school is far more than organising transport. What if your daughter want to stay for a club or has a detention? Many students who travel long distances are really not integrated in school life as they leave as soon as the bell goes. Will you actively support the school you have chosen by attending events? My experience is that commuting students are rarely seen in school activities of any kind.

[mad?]

I am quite surprised at your reply ) It doesn’t take a lot to be polite! By specific I meant any private bus company names or if anyone is sending their DD to Beaconsfield. I’m sure there must be quite a few out here any I meant to reach out to them through this forum rather than be bashed up on my homework. Besides are you telling me that I shouldn’t have put my DD into a good grammar school and looked for other options in Maidenhead? Your forgetting most of the topics in this group revolve around 11+ and it’s preparation... Burnham grammar is a good school but not in the league of Becky High which is one of the top grammar schools in Buckinghamshire:)) You can see the statistics why it’s increasing in popularity and the first preferences have gone up by 30%
Our first priority was school and transportation can be managed even if it means spending money on hiring a private coach/taxi ) I hope I am clear in my preference as a parent for my DD...

Hi , we did consider distance and travel options. For us school was the top preference. We are aware that there are private coaches that take children from Maidenhead and burnham but was looking for more specific info. Burnham grammer is a good school but ours as well as our DD’s preference was Beaconsfield. What other good schools in Maidenhead. My son will be giving 11+ next year so that would be helpful.

What specific information do you need if you know about the private coaches already? The bus drivers' names?

For schools in Maidenhead, have a look at the Ofsted page and search for secondary schools in Maidenhead. Ofsted ratings aren't everything and you should beware those schools that hold good or outstanding ratings from many years ago awarded under different inspection frameworks. Go and see them for yourself, it really is the best way to make judgements.

In the circumstances I think Anotherdad has been polite and restrained. You are of course able to make your own choices, although assuming because lots of other people apply to one as 1st preference and it is popular is a bizarre criterion IMO. You were given helpful advice about good schools in Maidenhead and perhaps a thank you would be a more appropriate response?
On a separate point, I have no horse in this race, my DDs are both past secondary now. What I can tell you with the benefit of experience (and expertise) is that the opportunities to participate fully in school life or pursue outside school extra curricular activities thereby developing a wider skill base than just few extra exam results (which frankly can be gained in most schools) are key differentiators in the employment market. We currently have far too many graduates for the (good/fast track) jobs available. Weeding out those who have developed no independence, have spent their time studying hard/travelling at the expense of developing soft skills, a wider perspective and who have contributed little outside the scope of their familial responsibilities is an easy job. And it is a job that top employers do very well.