Page 1 of 1

Selective Comprehensive - Peterborough

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 11:58 am
by guezt
Does anyone have children going to The King's in Peterborough? I have a son who has succeeded the academic criteria for the school. He has also acquired qualifying scores for Lincolnshire Grammar school. As King's is nearer to us, I wondered how comprehensive compares with Grammar and How King's is comparably!

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 10:04 pm
by SJ
Hi, this is quite a difficult one. As you know there are only so many places allocated at Kings on academic ability, the rest can be on perfectly different allocation criteria and therefore you may have a range if abilities. However Kings has a good reputation, reasonably good facilities that are improving and a very sought after 6th form. Any child that is offered a place at Kings will be given great opportunities. To be honest it would really depend on the grammar school that you refer to and I assume that this is either Spalding or Bourne. Both will give your son great opportunities and a good all round education, have good facilities that are also improving. Be aware that Yr 7 pupils at Kings do not stay in their tutor groups for lessons and so they mix with a lot of new people from the word go and some can find this difficult.

I will be interested in your decision and the reasoning behind your decision, because it is quite a difficult one, one which we also thought about.

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 5:41 pm
by guezt
Still undecided! What school did you chose in the end? Are you happy with the choice you made?

Yes, the grammar school would be Bourne - and would require a move.

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 7:47 pm
by Alex
How near are you to Bourne? A lot of kids who passed last year did not get places because of distance. Some of these (6, I think) got in on appeal, but more didn't. The distance went out to Stamford environs on first allocation.

Which school did you put first on your form?

Choosing between good schools can be difficult - the best guide is to go for whatever you think will suit your individual child best.

Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 8:13 pm
by SJ
guezt wrote:Still undecided! What school did you chose in the end? Are you happy with the choice you made?

Yes, the grammar school would be Bourne - and would require a move.
We were out of catchment for Bourne and Spalding, but chose Spalding as this is where our son said he wanted to go when he asked if he could sit the 11+. We were lucky and he passed really well and got into Spalding. I think as Alex said you have to decide which is best suited to the type of person your son is. Obvioulsy the academic side is of importance, but with the fact that the schools both have things to offer, other facts must oalso be considered.

We chose Spalding over Bourne as that is where we thought he would be more suited.

Let me know what you decide.