Why CCHSG and not any of the other grammar schools (or excellent comprehensives) your child would be passing on the way to Colchester every day?
How will your child socialise with their friends, get to school early for school trips and stay late for after school clubs and rehearsals? Will they have the time and energy to do the level of homework and commitment required? How will you get there for parents evenings, school plays, school meetings, early starts, late pick ups, emergencies? How much school will she miss through tiredness, travel problems, bad weather etc? What happens if she misses the coach? How will she deal with potentially being late for school- will she be anxious or stressed? Will she be able to manage all those early mornings for seven years or will it be a continuing source of stress for both of you?
CCHSG is a good school, but some of the projected journeys I hear about are insane to consider for children who are not even teenagers yet. That sort of commute is really tiring, I can't imagine putting an 11 year old through it. Every year several year sevens drop out because the journey just isn't manageable for them. The level and speed of the teaching is very tiring, they are under a lot of pressure to perform and attain high grades. It increases every year, more homework, more pressure, more activities, heavier rucksack.
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