School choices

Eleven Plus (11+) in Kent

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

Just1-2go
Posts: 523
Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2009 4:43 pm
Location: Twells

Re: School choices

Post by Just1-2go »

sherry_d wrote: The only exception I have seen is TWGGS despite taking ordinary passes from its very small catchment the girls outperform most superselectives and do amazingly well but I think thats down to the well heeled parents. :lol:

Ooooh I don't often get referred to as "well heeled"!! :lol:
spooky69
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon May 17, 2010 4:37 pm

Re: School choices

Post by spooky69 »

sherry_d wrote:Spooky I hate to say this but you dont really have a choice. Its either TWBGS which he is most likely get into but there is a possibility it may not even be on allocations but off the waiting list or you should be prepared for your son to travel further for a grammar or else it is your local comprehensive or going private. So you take your pick.

You can still go for St Olaves too but you have to realistically look at the chances for your son to get in. Its a hard pill to swallow but this is from someone who was twice beaten so be very realiastic.
I realise that he needs to improve his result for St Olaves but believe he has the potential to do so - his score was achieved with English not having originally been his first language and with a year of school missed - the problem he needs to overcome is not a lack of knowledge or ability and there is no reason not to give it a go. If he doesn't manage it then he will know he has tried and if the worst result is him going to TWBGS then that is hardly the worst thing that could have happened and I am certain he would be very happy there.
spooky69
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon May 17, 2010 4:37 pm

Re: School choices

Post by spooky69 »

SSM wrote:spooky69, the chances are that your DS will get a place at TWGSB, maybe not on 1st March, but from waiting list or appeal.

What about Wilmington, not much further than the TW GSs and there is a coach that goes from Otford pond, not sure where it starts from.
Interesting - I had presumed that Wilmington was too far. Not sure it is the right place for him though.
sherry_d
Posts: 2083
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:38 pm
Location: Maidstone

Re: School choices

Post by sherry_d »

Nothing ventured nothing gained Spooky so definately go for St Olaves. You are not alone pondering on the schools, I am still in the school maze battle too. One day thinking she will be absolutely fine and the next morning panicking how on earth she will manage in a school on a 1000+ if she has struggled in the small school. Its very hard to be take things in perspective but I am so sure our kids can recover, persue and overtake. Oh dear what more can I say :oops:
Impossible is Nothing.
U400JB9
Posts: 778
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 5:29 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: School choices

Post by U400JB9 »

Sherry-d.....my mouse of a child has gone from a primary with less that 100 children to a Grammar with 160 ish in each year.....she is coping well, well more than coping TBH, whereas she struggled in primary, having a bigger mix of children to chose friends from has lead to her having a group of friends for the first time if I`m honest.
From this point of view...bigger is better....
sherry_d
Posts: 2083
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:38 pm
Location: Maidstone

Re: School choices

Post by sherry_d »

U400JB9 wrote:bigger is better....
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Are you trying to let me feel better U400JB9 :lol:

...but the clientele is different though :?
Impossible is Nothing.
U400JB9
Posts: 778
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 5:29 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: School choices

Post by U400JB9 »

sherry_d wrote:
U400JB9 wrote:bigger is better....
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Are you trying to let me feel better U400JB9 :lol:

...but the clientele is different though :?

Yes

and maybe,but she can`t be the only bright, dedicated child that didn`t pass.I went to a diabolical Comp...and have some lovely friends...who are medics and lawyers now.
And like I say, we failed the KT too and she is happily attending her GS of choice.
sherry_d
Posts: 2083
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:38 pm
Location: Maidstone

Re: School choices

Post by sherry_d »

How about this U400JB9 can you still manage any happy news to tell me. :lol: Last year pass rate was 19% and it magically jumped to about 38% this year because they do those courses where a vocational subject can be equivalent to 3 GCSEs
Academies make up just 6 per cent of secondary schools in England, but now account for 17 per cent of those in the National Challenge programme. In one of these schools – the New Line Learning Academy in Maidstone – 27 per cent of pupils are "persistently absent"
As if I didnt know I put my postcode here http://schoolsfinder.direct.gov.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and woop woop the above is my nearest.

How nice for it to not only to have the worst absentism in the country but to be forward thinking thanks to a £35million makeover. Now they are just waiting for punters to start rolling in.
It has dropped French in favour of Mandarin, children wear their own slippers in lessons and there are 60 pupils to a class.

Welcome to the educational revolution that is New Line Learning Academy.

Children and staff are settling into their smart and modern learning environment after years of preparation and building. The site looks slightly unfinished with constructors still there but to all intents and purposes it’s fully functional and open for business.

And in fact business is the operative word as much of the innovation in the way children are now being taught at NLL is taken from the world of commerce. The academy has a strong relationship with Apple, which has had an influence on the design.

I was invited on a tour of the academy by the head Guy Hewett and you can’t fail to be quite awestruck by what going on.

Whether it will benefit children in the long run remains to be seen. The school is convinced it will improve results markedly (to be fair it’s starting from a fairly low base from a couple of years ago).

Much of the teaching is based around large groups of children taught in ‘plazas’ by teams of three teachers. The classes are then given tasks and pupils split into smaller groups.

Toilets and locker areas are integated within the learning environment to prevent potential ‘enclaves’ where misbehaviour and intimidation can occur. Each pupil gets an all-encompassing fob which gets them around the building, buys them lunch, and opens their locker. A recipe for disaster given children’s knack of losing things, I suggested to Mr Hewett, but he was confident it wouldn’t be a problem.

NLL executive head Chris Gerry suggests the academy is setting the trail for modern teaching away from the one teacher addressing rows of desks occupied by bored and disengaged children. We’ll see if he’s right.
I have learnt to manage my nightmares now, when it gets worse I turn the pillow over and that helps for a short while at least :roll:. This aint funny argrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Impossible is Nothing.
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: School choices

Post by yoyo123 »

NLL executive head Chris Gerry suggests the academy is setting the trail for modern teaching away from the one teacher addressing rows of desks occupied by bored and disengaged children. We’ll see if he’s right.
true, , you can;t argue with that..

according to the first article 27% of them aren;t occupied at all...
doodles
Posts: 8300
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: School choices

Post by doodles »

Sabhasri - I really do think that the journey from Folkestone to Judd needs serious consideration. What happens when there is an after school club and it is a dark wet and cold November night? It's a long journey for an 11 year old especially if they don't have any friends doing it with them. Please don't say that he won't do these clubs because he WILL want to and they are an integral part of school life and are important to the boys.

Also if he plays in a team and plays "away" matches they often don't get back to school until 5.30 / 6.00 p.m. and then to have to do that journey on top. There are also Saturday matches too.

There is so much to consider.
Post Reply
11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now