Is it crazy to turn down Pates?

Eleven Plus (11+) in Gloucestershire (Glos)

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capers123
Posts: 1865
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: Is it crazy to turn down Pates?

Post by capers123 »

Reading Mum wrote:f you don't get place at your first choice then your second choice becomes your effective first choice and the first one just vanishes as if it had never been there so you would not be penalised for putting one second if you don't qualify for first choice.

sorry that is a bit rambling :)
But not as rambling as the journey from Tiffin to Pate's! There must surely be a good school somewhere between Richmond & Cheltenham?
Capers
fairweathergardener
Posts: 80
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 3:54 pm

Re: Is it crazy to turn down Pates?

Post by fairweathergardener »

Presumably most of the people there today hadn't seen Pates before today. Were there many there?
Last edited by fairweathergardener on Wed Oct 17, 2012 4:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
qip001
Posts: 73
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 11:40 am
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: Is it crazy to turn down Pates?

Post by qip001 »

We went there today. What did you think?
dr.watson
Posts: 153
Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2012 10:08 am

Re: Is it crazy to turn down Pates?

Post by dr.watson »

qip001 wrote:We went there today. What did you think?
We went as well. We have not been to any others in Gloucester or Stroud so cannot compare. But it was good to meet other parents.
suzanne

Re: Is it crazy to turn down Pates?

Post by suzanne »

Thriny_00 wrote:Need some advice....

my DD is within 120 ranks in Pates. We attended open morning today and were amazed with their facilities & achievements. We just received the result for Tiffin Girls school - DD is through to Stage 2 exam. We are not too sure which school to mention as first preference....

Can any one advice pls? In CAF If we mention
Tiffins as first choice
Pates as second choice

For some reason if she didn't get a place in first choice school will the LA will contact the second choice school - in this case Pates? Will Pates would turn down saying we didn't mention their school as first choice even though she is within 120?
Will you move house? Tiffin Girls' is in Kingston, Surrey and Pates in Cheltenham Gloucestershire.
Where do you live now?
Pates is coeducational and Tiffin Girls' obviously all girls. I doubt it that anyone has a child in each school to offer comparison!!
Frostythesnowman
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 4:53 pm

Re: Is it crazy to turn down Pates?

Post by Frostythesnowman »

I've been wondering whether to post or not as I don't have the full details, but I can say what I do know. Pates isn't necessarily the right school for everyone no matter how bright they are. I had a friend who a couple of years ago was going to move her daughter to Pates at age 12 or 13. She had never taken the 11 plus even though she was from the area so she took their relevant exam and because of her brilliant result she was moved to the top of the waiting list and was offered a place for the following Sept. She was delighted and went for a taster day. As it happened, she hated that day so much they turned the place down. She was going to have gone from a smaller school with relatively small class sizes, to Pates with its larger numbers, and a lot of hustle and bustle. She decided it just wasn't for her. There were other more specific reasons, but I don't remember them. All personal to her.
As someone said before, go with your gut. If you're not sure about the size, the fact that its co-ed, or whatever, don't let the kudos or whatever else it is that makes people come from miles away to this school, sway you. Do what's right for you, your child and your family as a whole. Again, as someone else said...it's a school.
Cup of tea
Posts: 139
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2012 10:19 pm

Re: Is it crazy to turn down Pates?

Post by Cup of tea »

Well said Frosty! It is only a school. We went round both Pate's and HSFG today. Fabric and facilities at Pate's are amazing (like a private school) but we preferred the friendliness of the children and teachers at HSFG. Just had "that feeling".

I am amazed to read that some children have done two tests (how can you put them through it twice.....??!! Once was enough for my nerves! :lol:
livviloo
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:45 pm

Re: Is it crazy to turn down Pates?

Post by livviloo »

I'm probably going to out myself but here goes....
I went to tiffin girls- twice!
First age 11. Left after one year to go to small less academic indie which I loved. Then dad made redundant and I ended up back there. That time I stayed 3 weeks and the indie offered me a bigger scholarship/ bursary so I went back.
I hated it. It was unfriendly, intimidating... I can go on.maybe it's different now.
I would also like to mention that the journey was long, either 2 buses or a 30 min walk followed by one bus. I didnt like that either and i lived a long way from friends who all lived in kingston area. My brother went to tiffin boys and had a better experience.
My DS is at Pates's and DD in top 120 this year. I love it. It couldn't be more different from my experience as a child. In factor feels much more like the indie school I went to.
Thriny_00
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:04 pm

Re: Is it crazy to turn down Pates?

Post by Thriny_00 »

But not as rambling as the journey from Tiffin to Pate's! There must surely be a good school somewhere between Richmond & Cheltenham?

We live in an area where there is only top & expensive indepedent school no Grammar School at all and compr schools are not that great so we will b moving close to either Pate's or Tiffin's which ever my DS gets in!!!!!
Okmum!
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:35 pm

Re: Is it crazy to turn down Pates?

Post by Okmum! »

Cup of Tea

So glad you got the feeling for HSFG. We loved it too and now have a very happy daughter who has finished her first half term there and loving it.

She didn't like Pates on visiting it and although she wasn't in the top 120 last year, we would not have sent her even if she had been.

xx
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