M/head > Becky High? Anyone got in? How to travel etc
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Re: M/head > Becky High? Anyone got in? How to travel etc
I'm glad you were quite surprised. I like to surprise people but I'm not a mind reader.nazishadnan wrote: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...
No, you weren't clear in your preference for your DD, hence my reply. I'm not telling you you shouldn't have put your DD into a "good grammar school" and should be looking for other options in Maidenhead. You asked about the good schools in Maidenhead so I pointed you towards a useful source of information for a quick comparison. I thought that might be helpful, but it seems you didn't appreciate it.
I haven't forgotten this is primarily an 11+ site but I also haven't forgotten that the grammar-at-any-cost approach sometimes has its casualties, usually the children on the receiving end of it.nazishadnan wrote:What other good schools in Maidenhead. My son will be giving 11+ next year so that would be helpful.
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Re: M/head > Becky High? Anyone got in? How to travel etc
I am indeed thankful to another dad but the feeling iv got is of constantly being bashed up as if made a very bad choice ... we all know there’s not much that can be done now and I would have liked more positive comments ... besides I appreciate all those who wrote back trying to help out and share their experiences...
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Re: M/head > Becky High? Anyone got in? How to travel etc
I shall take your advice into consideration for my son:) I do appreciate it! It’s just that this whole 11+ process is such a stressful one and there are so many parents who go for reviews & appeals that it’s the last thing one would want to hear that didn’t make a good choice
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I'm glad you were quite surprised. I like to surprise people but I'm not a mind reader.
No, you weren't clear in your preference for your DD, hence my reply. I'm not telling you you shouldn't have put your DD into a "good grammar school" and should be looking for other options in Maidenhead. You asked about the good schools in Maidenhead so I pointed you towards a useful source of information for a quick comparison. I thought that might be helpful, but it seems you didn't appreciate it.
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I'm glad you were quite surprised. I like to surprise people but I'm not a mind reader.
No, you weren't clear in your preference for your DD, hence my reply. I'm not telling you you shouldn't have put your DD into a "good grammar school" and should be looking for other options in Maidenhead. You asked about the good schools in Maidenhead so I pointed you towards a useful source of information for a quick comparison. I thought that might be helpful, but it seems you didn't appreciate it.
I haven't forgotten this is primarily an 11+ site but I also haven't forgotten that the grammar-at-any-cost approach sometimes has its casualties, usually the children on the receiving end of it. [/quote]nazishadnan wrote:What other good schools in Maidenhead. My son will be giving 11+ next year so that would be helpful.
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Re: M/head > Becky High? Anyone got in? How to travel etc
Yes we might actively consider that infact have already started thinking along those lines ... but would like to wait and see how my son does when he takes the 11+ next year ...
ToadMum wrote:You could always think about moving to Beaconsfield?nazishadnan wrote: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.
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Re: M/head > Becky High? Anyone got in? How to travel etc
It's not necessarily a bad choice, but perhaps a not fully informed one? Chasing grammar school places on the basis of them supposedly being magical places where every child succeeds and them always being better than good alternatives on the doorstep carries risks. There are a number of children every year who surrender their school place early on because the journey is simply not practical. What looks possible on google maps or a bus timetable can be very different in reality when traffic, weather, dark mornings, etc all kick in. As others have pointed out, mixing with friends outside of school hours is an important part of school life, as are clubs, sports, etc. Difficult travel impinges upon all of these.nazishadnan wrote:I am indeed thankful to another dad but the feeling iv got is of constantly being bashed up as if made a very bad choice ... we all know there’s not much that can be done now and I would have liked more positive comments ... besides I appreciate all those who wrote back trying to help out and share their experiences...
Not much that can be done now. Are you sure? Is it possible for you to move closer to the school? This is a journey your daughter will be making every day for seven years. A move now could save her hours every week and make participation in wider school life possible. Plus, you'd be better placed to try for a grammar school place for your son should he qualify. You might even take a look at those good Maidenhead schools to see if one of those is suitable instead, although you have made it clear that grammar school status comes above everything else.
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Re: M/head > Becky High? Anyone got in? How to travel etc
That is risky. You can see from the allocations in recent years that distances are shrinking so if your son were to qualify, there's no guarantee he'd secure a Bucks GS place. You'd then have him presumably attending a comprehensive in Maidenhead and your daughter making that difficult journey to BHS every day for up to seven years. As you are clearly a grammar school enthusiast, why not look at moving to an area nearer BHS that has a good upper school alternative should your son not qualify and a grammar if he does? That is one of the risks one takes when committing to Bucks. In the event of non-qualification, upper schools can be of variable quality.nazishadnan wrote:Yes we might actively consider that infact have already started thinking along those lines ... but would like to wait and see how my son does when he takes the 11+ next year ...
If it were me in your circumstances (with a son in year five) and moving to be nearer BHS wasn't possible, I would be rapidly seeing whether I could get my daughter into a good local school instead.
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Re: M/head > Becky High? Anyone got in? How to travel etc
It is very much possible to move and like I mentioned we have already started considering the allocations that we’re made this year and the distance we should be in so that our son stands a chance. But having moved recently only I’d wanna wait a few months before we move again and look at various factors.... house budget, primary school for my 4 year old and like u said good secondary comprehensive schools as a backup. It’s certainly not something that I’d do right away .... commuting might be difficult in the beginning but we are considerate parents and will do what’s best to make it easy for the children. You call me grammar school enthusiast.... well there are many like me on this forum as well as outside this forum
Iv been to the various appeals and review threads on this forum but no where does it tell parents to not go for an appeal or review and settle down for another comprehensive .... everyone wants to try to get into the grammars im sure... Besides I feel nothing comes very easy in life ... u do need to make a few sacrifices here and there keeping in mind various personal factors )
Iv been to the various appeals and review threads on this forum but no where does it tell parents to not go for an appeal or review and settle down for another comprehensive .... everyone wants to try to get into the grammars im sure... Besides I feel nothing comes very easy in life ... u do need to make a few sacrifices here and there keeping in mind various personal factors )
anotherdad wrote:That is risky. You can see from the allocations in recent years that distances are shrinking so if your son were to qualify, there's no guarantee he'd secure a Bucks GS place. You'd then have him presumably attending a comprehensive in Maidenhead and your daughter making that difficult journey to BHS every day for up to seven years. As you are clearly a grammar school enthusiast, why not look at moving to an area nearer BHS that has a good upper school alternative should your son not qualify and a grammar if he does? That is one of the risks one takes when committing to Bucks. In the event of non-qualification, upper schools can be of variable quality.nazishadnan wrote:Yes we might actively consider that infact have already started thinking along those lines ... but would like to wait and see how my son does when he takes the 11+ next year ...
If it were me in your circumstances (with a son in year five) and moving to be nearer BHS wasn't possible, I would be rapidly seeing whether I could get my daughter into a good local school instead.
Re: M/head > Becky High? Anyone got in? How to travel etc
You are entirely allowed to have differing views from others on this forum, and to decide as a family to ship your children any distance you wish for their education. It is your time, expense and effort. The posts on here are not meant to be personal, they reflect others’ experiences of difficult travel decisions, and are aimed to help you decide what will be manageable for your DD. No-one wishes you to feel unhappy or trapped should her travelling prove to be stressful: it will be tiring for you both, compared to a short and independent journey.nazishadnan wrote:... commuting might be difficult in the beginning but we are considerate parents and will do what’s best to make it easy for the children.
“Settle down”, huh? You do realise that comprehensives can actually be oversubscribed, and in some cases outstanding? And do very well for their pupils? Take a look at the Ofsted report and website for Westgate School in Cippenham, or Newlands Girls School in Maidenhead.nazishadnan wrote: Iv been to the various appeals and review threads on this forum but no where does it tell parents to not go for an appeal or review and settle down for another comprehensive .... everyone wants to try to get into the grammars im sure...
My DD2 is about to attend an Ofsted “Good” comprehensive school, they had almost 600 first-preference applicaitions for a PAN of 180 and their cachement distance is under a mile due to their popularity. Is this inferior to a GS? They try just as hard as the GS to instil pride, drive and achievement in their pupils, but they don’t discriminate on ability grounds. Therefore their results are never going to be everyone-gets-11 grade9s.
And I suspect you have chosen not to “see” the threads on here where I and others have discussed not going for reviews and appeals. Grammar schools can be brilliant for the right child. But they are not superior to all other schools, nor a guarantee for success or a trophy to polish. They are often great schools. But there is more to them than just “grammar” versus “non grammar” or the number of Ofsted equating to a ranking.
Last edited by Aethel on Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: M/head > Becky High? Anyone got in? How to travel etc
If you've only just moved I can see why you're reluctant to move again, plus with the added complication of searching for a primary school for your younger child but do bear in mind that if you leave it for a few months after your daughter has started at BHS, it is your current address that would be used for first round allocations in the event that your son qualifies.nazishadnan wrote:It is very much possible to move and like I mentioned we have already started considering the allocations that we’re made this year and the distance we should be in so that our son stands a chance. But having moved recently only I’d wanna wait a few months before we move again and look at various factors.... house budget, primary school for my 4 year old and like u said good secondary comprehensive schools as a backup. It’s certainly not something that I’d do right away .... commuting might be difficult in the beginning but we are considerate parents and will do what’s best to make it easy for the children. You call me grammar school enthusiast.... well there are many like me on this forum as well as outside this forum
Iv been to the various appeals and review threads on this forum but no where does it tell parents to not go for an appeal or review and settle down for another comprehensive .... everyone wants to try to get into the grammars im sure... Besides I feel nothing comes very easy in life ... u do need to make a few sacrifices here and there keeping in mind various personal factors )
There are plenty of occasions on these forums where people have been advised that a review or appeal is unwise and even more where people have been urged to consider the good schools on their doorstep rather than considering difficult journeys into Bucks grammar schools. Absolutely loads of them in fact, including this one! People like me have no stake in the situation, we have nothing to gain or lose from people's choices, we simply offer a view that in some cases, people's heads seem unnecessarily turned by Bucks' grammar schools when there are better all-round options available in some circumstances. It's up to you whether to heed or ignore my opinions and advice. I hope it's helpful anyway, that's how it's intended.
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Re: M/head > Becky High? Anyone got in? How to travel etc
I didn’t even say any of what you have assumed ... yes I know some comprehensives are outstanding nor am I saying that their pupils don’t work very hard ) and in no way less than grammars but for us that was our first choice it’s as simple as that .... We know Newlands is very good and so is Desborough for boys ... this thread is going in a different direction don’t know why ....
Aethel wrote:You are entirely allowed to have differing views from others on this forum, and to decide as a family to ship your children any distance you wish for their education. It is your time, expense and effort. The posts on here are not meant to be personal, they reflect others’ experiences of difficult travel decisions, and are aimed to help you decide what will be manageable for your DD. No-one wishes you to feel unhappy or trapped should her travelling prove to be stressful: it will be tiring for you both, compared to a short and independent journey.nazishadnan wrote:... commuting might be difficult in the beginning but we are considerate parents and will do what’s best to make it easy for the children.
“Settle down”, huh? You do realise that comprehensives can actually be oversubscribed, and in some cases outstanding? And do very well for their pupils? Take a look at the Ofsted report and website for Westgate School in Cippenham, or Newlands Girls School in Maidenhead.nazishadnan wrote: Iv been to the various appeals and review threads on this forum but no where does it tell parents to not go for an appeal or review and settle down for another comprehensive .... everyone wants to try to get into the grammars im sure...
My DD2 is about to attend an Ofsted “Good” comprehensive school, they had almost 600 first-preference applicaitions for a PAN of 180 and their cachement distance is under a mile due to their popularity. Is this inferior to a GS? They try just as hard as the GS to instil pride, drive and achievement in their pupils, but they don’t discriminate on ability grounds. Therefore their results are never going to be everyone-gets-11 grade9s.
And I suspect you have chosen not to “see” the threads on here where I and others have discussed not going for reviews and appeals. Grammar schools can be brilliant for the right child. But they are not superior to all other schools, nor a guarantee for success or a trophy to polish. They are often great schools. But there is more to them than just “grammar” versus “non grammar” or the number of Ofsted equating to a ranking.