Dame Alice Owen's Allocation Thread. Historic Ranking Info

[Angelcake]

I also feel that there is a difference in culture between DAO and the independents. Given the reputation of the school, I was extremely surprised by the poor behaviour that we saw when touring DAO on open day, with pupils completely ignoring staff who were trying to teach and throwing stationery round classrooms in ways that would not be countenanced at my DCs' independents. I can only hope that they were acting up for visitors. I also preferred a single sex education and that might well have been enough by itself to reject a place at DAO. Of less concern to me, but possibly more so to others, is the fact that DAO is not completely selective and does not set in the traditional way in year7.

[ToadMum]

I also feel that there is a difference in culture between DAO and the independents. Given the reputation of the school, I was extremely surprised by the poor behaviour that we saw when touring DAO on open day, with pupils completely ignoring staff who were trying to teach and throwing stationery round classrooms in ways that would not be countenanced at my DCs' independents. I can only hope that they were acting up for visitors. I also preferred a single sex education and that might well have been enough by itself to reject a place at DAO. Of less concern to me, but possibly more so to others, is the fact that DAO is not completely selective and does not set in the traditional way in year7.

It is, after all, a partially selective comprehensive school. Which is not to say, so of course you should expect disruptive behaviour, more that it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to anyone that it isn't fully selective.

The way that the school is written about on this forum (sort of in the same terms as HBS / QE by some posters ) probably doesn't help.

[loobylou]

Just to say - and not wanting this to get into a tit-for-tat thread - I don't recognise the picture of disruptive behaviour in classes. I am not saying there are no behavioural issues at all (my ds has a child with difficult behaviour in his class) but they appear to be limited to (very few) individuals rather than a wider disruption. The school have responded very quickly and very well to the issues in ds's class, they are on top of things and very honest and open when it is addressed by parents/other students. 6 months in (ds is in year 7), he reports that the issues are far better than they were.
My ds is a child who has always struggled with other children's behaviour. He was in a class for 7 years with an extremely disruptive child at primary school and was intensely frustrated by that and by the teachers' apparent lack of ability to deal with it. He was very upset to discover that his was the "only" class with someone like that at secondary school. He is so much more impressed by the teachers' management of the situation. And I know that I would be hearing about it all the time if there was other disruption in the class/school generally because he would not keep quiet about it.
In fact the general standard of good behaviour without creating automaton-like children is one of the appeals of the school for me.

[tiffinboys]

I also feel that there is a difference in culture between DAO and the independents. Given the reputation of the school, I was extremely surprised by the poor behaviour that we saw when touring DAO on open day, with pupils completely ignoring staff who were trying to teach and throwing stationery round classrooms in ways that would not be countenanced at my DCs' independents. I can only hope that they were acting up for visitors. I also preferred a single sex education and that might well have been enough by itself to reject a place at DAO. Of less concern to me, but possibly more so to others, is the fact that DAO is not completely selective and does not set in the traditional way in year7.

Reading through your past posts, it appears that you are set for indies. Never heard or read about such behavioural problems as depicted by you. May be on that day they were let loose to discourage more applications.

[thisisnuts]

22 places are allocated to applicants living nearest the school - so not the most comprehensive of comprehensives!

[tiffinboys]

I believe that DAO's largest intake is Siblings and then selective places from a catchment area - not open like QE or HBS, not even like 14km Tiffin's one.

[loobylou]

22 places are allocated to applicants living nearest the school - so not the most comprehensive of comprehensives!

No and it doesn't pretend to be - Usually about 70-80 siblings, 65 academic places, 10 music places, approx 25-30 "nearest" places.

[loobylou]

My friend has given up the HABs place and is going for DAO.

[bobh1]

Heard from DAO that the next round of offers will be on the 23rd.

[schoolsearcher]

Offers have gone to at least 139 - weve heard today that DS has been offered a place at DAO - we and he are delighted! The information we got from the forum was a great help - though most of the posters probably won't see it - I'd like to say thanks!