RedMaple wrote:
I have a DD in Y11 at SHS who was ranked in the (then) Top 120 for all of the girls' schools (not Pates) and a DS in Y8 at Marling who was right in the twilight zone for Marling only (this was the year that Crypt didn't qualify enough and only filled circa 75 places on Allocations Day).
I agree with your two groups, but I would also add in logistics/proximity.
We live in a village in the Cirencester area and traditionally those passing the 11+ mainly go to the Stroud schools or Pates. Both OH and I work 20+ miles away from home in opposite directions and we needed kids to be able to get home under their own steam from the bus stop. TBH we never even considered the Gloucester schools for either child - luckily we all liked the Stroud schools. Certainly SHS has been absolutely the right choice for DD who has thrived there; DS seems fairly happy a year in. If they hadn't liked them, we probably would have sent them locally to one of the Cirencester schools.
I agree. Logistics / transport / length of day played a massive part here. We also live in the Ciren area and only considered Pate's and SHS for DD1 (who is now in Year 7 at Pate's) and same for twin DDs 2 and 3 (currently Year 5). It will be local for them if not Pate's or SHS.
(They - and I - would actually rather they come to the school I lead if it's not Pate's or SHS but too far away plus I don't think they realise how much being my daughters will cramp their style as they get into the teenage years!!)