Just can't make decision!!!
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rubyhettybetty
- Posts: 344
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 2:26 pm
- Location: Rochester
Just can't make decision!!!
I really can't seem to choose betweeen the girls grammar schools in Medway 
Before we started the process of looking round I'd have said
1 = FP
2 = RochGSG
3 = Chat Gram
But now I am flummoxed. FP is my least favourite, although we are going back tomorrow for a look in the daytime...CG is *my* favourite, but husband does not agree, and I am completely undecided about Rochester - I didn't like the feel of the school so much as Chatham, but then the results are pretty hard to argue against, and I don't want to do my DD a disservice by not sending her there!
Aaaargh! It's so hard (yes, easier than selecting which local comp, but hard all the same!!!)
Before we started the process of looking round I'd have said 1 = FP
2 = RochGSG
3 = Chat Gram
But now I am flummoxed. FP is my least favourite, although we are going back tomorrow for a look in the daytime...CG is *my* favourite, but husband does not agree, and I am completely undecided about Rochester - I didn't like the feel of the school so much as Chatham, but then the results are pretty hard to argue against, and I don't want to do my DD a disservice by not sending her there!
Aaaargh! It's so hard (yes, easier than selecting which local comp, but hard all the same!!!)
Re: Just can't make decision!!!
What about your DD does she have a preferance for one or the other? How about transport are they all easily accessible. Perhaps these are the least things to consider in a school but if you are trying to decide between two good school that may just swing you one way or the other.
How about having a look around again at CG and RGS, since RGS was at the weekend it maybe better going round on a working day and see how you feel. Could it also be that perhaps CG are trying harder to sell themeselves a bit more as they normally have empty spaces and RGS know the school sells itself?
How about having a look around again at CG and RGS, since RGS was at the weekend it maybe better going round on a working day and see how you feel. Could it also be that perhaps CG are trying harder to sell themeselves a bit more as they normally have empty spaces and RGS know the school sells itself?
Impossible is Nothing.
Re: Just can't make decision!!!
I know you have a younger dd and you mentioned she may be as borderline case at 11 plus. well chatham girls would be the school most likely to offer on a non-qualification appeal or after a unsucessful review.
However you also need to pick the school that suits dd1 without bringing dd2 into the equation. I feel that each of the girls grammars suits a different personality type - what is your dd like? and which school is she warming to most?
I also agree that for me transport played a part at which school dd;s could go to. Ath the end of the day dd2 chose her school and she was right - RGS suits her down to the ground. The concerts, performing, choirs - very confidnet girls - this would soo not have suited dd1 though. She would have cringed with it all.
FP suits those who want to just get on with their work and those that enjoy music and concerts - but not to the extent of RGS.
I think chatham girls suits those that need that added bit of nurturing/caring - with wide curriculem.
Arnt you lucky to have such a choice!
However you also need to pick the school that suits dd1 without bringing dd2 into the equation. I feel that each of the girls grammars suits a different personality type - what is your dd like? and which school is she warming to most?
I also agree that for me transport played a part at which school dd;s could go to. Ath the end of the day dd2 chose her school and she was right - RGS suits her down to the ground. The concerts, performing, choirs - very confidnet girls - this would soo not have suited dd1 though. She would have cringed with it all.
FP suits those who want to just get on with their work and those that enjoy music and concerts - but not to the extent of RGS.
I think chatham girls suits those that need that added bit of nurturing/caring - with wide curriculem.
Arnt you lucky to have such a choice!
Re: Just can't make decision!!!
tiredmum wrote:Arnt you lucky to have such a choice!
...and I am drooling in envy at RHB for having such a nice problem.
Impossible is Nothing.
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rubyhettybetty
- Posts: 344
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 2:26 pm
- Location: Rochester
Re: Just can't make decision!!!
Cheers guys...we live miles from anywhere so any school is gonna be a trek, we both are flexible with our hours so we will ferry them about wherever they will need to go.
Yes, Chatham has the big advantage re DD2, although her form teacher says I am doing her a disservice talking about her being borderline. I am not convinced! DD2 really liked Rochester!!! DD1 said no, when we were there, but has since said it's not so bad...
DD1 definitely not a performer at all, she dances like an ironing board and is self conscious..she is a big swot though, so would be able to keep up, but she is also lazy and needs a push. She is terribly disorganised, have no idea how she will make the transition to secondary at all!!!
I really did like the Yr7 Latin offering, and the technical stuff they did at Chatham Grammar, but Rochester were saying their A level results were light years ahead of the other grammars, I can't deduce this from the league tables though...
Yes, Chatham has the big advantage re DD2, although her form teacher says I am doing her a disservice talking about her being borderline. I am not convinced! DD2 really liked Rochester!!! DD1 said no, when we were there, but has since said it's not so bad...
DD1 definitely not a performer at all, she dances like an ironing board and is self conscious..she is a big swot though, so would be able to keep up, but she is also lazy and needs a push. She is terribly disorganised, have no idea how she will make the transition to secondary at all!!!
I really did like the Yr7 Latin offering, and the technical stuff they did at Chatham Grammar, but Rochester were saying their A level results were light years ahead of the other grammars, I can't deduce this from the league tables though...
Re: Just can't make decision!!!
rubyhettybetty wrote:I really did like the Yr7 Latin offering, and the technical stuff they did at Chatham Grammar, but Rochester were saying their A level results were light years ahead of the other grammars, I can't deduce this from the league tables though...
You need sherry here ruby, she is good with all the league tables and which ones give the best indication.
I do think you are better looking at GCSE results though as students move at 6 th form time
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rubyhettybetty
- Posts: 344
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 2:26 pm
- Location: Rochester
Re: Just can't make decision!!!
Yeah, but I don't find those very easy to interpret either? They all get the 5 GCSEs grade A-C thing, what beyond that?
Re: Just can't make decision!!!
TBH i think that each of the schools you are talking about can offer your child the chance to work hard and achieve excellent results. You need to really pick a school because it is the place your dd will most likely be happy at for the next x years. If she is not happy she wont achieve so well.
Re: Just can't make decision!!!
With nothing better to do with my time part form clock watching I had a quick scan and here is what I deduced from their results alone. I had looked at RGS indepth before so I this time I mainly looked at CG.
CG is very strong is maths and statistics at GCSE 68% A*/A Maths which is pretty impressive but sadly this doesnt seem to translate to their A level maths results. For other subjects based on A*/A comparing them to other local grammar I have looked at they are on the low end. I know you liked the fact they do Latin but just 8 girls did it so it doenst look like a popular subject. They dont do triple science too at GCSE just core science and additional science. The additional science is a bit stonger but nothing exceptional. Apart from the compulsary subjects the popular subjects are Statistic (109students) taking it with rather impressive results 64% A*/A and media studies being the next popular but with a 30% A*/A (91 sudents). French is popular too 37.5% A/A* (80 students)
The A level results are less that impressive for a grammar. I didnt bother looking in detail but they arent too good. I had a quickscan of the subjects and I cant even see which subjects they are strong in. At about 42% A*/B thats pretty low for a grammar and probably on of the lowest in the country for a grammar. If you look here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/se ... chool.html you will see only Cypt and Boden as the only other grammars with those low results nationally. The telegraph list doesnt include all schools and CG isnt there but it gives a pretty good idea. The non selectives we are considering has 67% A-C GCSE and about 52% A*/B so you can see the CG A level results are on the lower end.
RGS is quite strong particularly at A levels 74% A*/B and thats very impressive even by national standards compared to 42% at CG. Even at GCSE just to show you how strong RGS is they have 62% A*/A across all subjects which equates to the best of just one subject at CG (maths). At GCSE RGS is quite strong in Physics, spanish, chineese, fine art, history. Its weaker subjects are D&T (which CG is rather strong in), dramma and latin (the few girls who do it at CG do much better). This also reflects on RGS's A level results where they perform badly in these subjects again. RGS is known for music but A level music is one of their weaker subjects. There is also the advantage of choosing IB which is becoming more popular now. Last year they had an impressive 6 kids who went to Oxbridge and 4 of these were doing IB.
Before anyone jumps and tells me how good CG is, this is purely my daft statistical analysis of results and doenst reflect on the ethos of the schools. I am sure RHB isnt going to be swayed by results alone
CG is very strong is maths and statistics at GCSE 68% A*/A Maths which is pretty impressive but sadly this doesnt seem to translate to their A level maths results. For other subjects based on A*/A comparing them to other local grammar I have looked at they are on the low end. I know you liked the fact they do Latin but just 8 girls did it so it doenst look like a popular subject. They dont do triple science too at GCSE just core science and additional science. The additional science is a bit stonger but nothing exceptional. Apart from the compulsary subjects the popular subjects are Statistic (109students) taking it with rather impressive results 64% A*/A and media studies being the next popular but with a 30% A*/A (91 sudents). French is popular too 37.5% A/A* (80 students)
The A level results are less that impressive for a grammar. I didnt bother looking in detail but they arent too good. I had a quickscan of the subjects and I cant even see which subjects they are strong in. At about 42% A*/B thats pretty low for a grammar and probably on of the lowest in the country for a grammar. If you look here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/se ... chool.html you will see only Cypt and Boden as the only other grammars with those low results nationally. The telegraph list doesnt include all schools and CG isnt there but it gives a pretty good idea. The non selectives we are considering has 67% A-C GCSE and about 52% A*/B so you can see the CG A level results are on the lower end.
RGS is quite strong particularly at A levels 74% A*/B and thats very impressive even by national standards compared to 42% at CG. Even at GCSE just to show you how strong RGS is they have 62% A*/A across all subjects which equates to the best of just one subject at CG (maths). At GCSE RGS is quite strong in Physics, spanish, chineese, fine art, history. Its weaker subjects are D&T (which CG is rather strong in), dramma and latin (the few girls who do it at CG do much better). This also reflects on RGS's A level results where they perform badly in these subjects again. RGS is known for music but A level music is one of their weaker subjects. There is also the advantage of choosing IB which is becoming more popular now. Last year they had an impressive 6 kids who went to Oxbridge and 4 of these were doing IB.
Before anyone jumps and tells me how good CG is, this is purely my daft statistical analysis of results and doenst reflect on the ethos of the schools. I am sure RHB isnt going to be swayed by results alone
Impossible is Nothing.
Re: Just can't make decision!!!
I think if you cannot decide between them academically, interest-wise, travel etc then sometimes gut instinct is the best decider.
We were all torn between RGS and FP last year but DD just "liked" RGS more although she couldn't actually tell us why. We were happy with her decision and so far, thankfully, she seems to have settled in well, doing well in her grades and, most importantly, is enjoying it.
We were all torn between RGS and FP last year but DD just "liked" RGS more although she couldn't actually tell us why. We were happy with her decision and so far, thankfully, she seems to have settled in well, doing well in her grades and, most importantly, is enjoying it.
