a possible move to Birmingham

[nc03]

I have a son and daughter (8), and my son is preparing for 11+ for King Edward schools in Birmingham.
I would list KECH as 1st choice, for I was there on the open day and was impressed. The area is also reasonably nice and close to train station, for if we move there, I may need to commute to Derby. Another thing is, if my son gets in, I need to find a comprehensive school for my daughter.

For 2nd choice, is 5 way kind of too far to train station and are there any reasonably good comprehensive schools for my daughter, if we move there? I heard 5 way is kind of out of the way and, I also missed the open day.

I phoned and was told that this year, there were 6 oxbridge offers for 5 ways students, whilest for CH the no. is 15. Is that a big difference?

Waiting for some insights here. Shall I list 5 way as 2nd choice, or just try one CH? Is Bartley Green a nice area too?

[um]

Bartley Green isn't a completely great area. And you may be in Worcestershire, meaning you have only 3 choices of schools on your form - a big disadvantage.
if you want an excellent comprehensive then I would go for Kings Norton Girls. but I understand you need to be within about 1.2 miles to gain entry.

[mike1880]

Are we talking about in-year entry for your daughter? In any case, is there any reason why you wouldn't be entering her for grammar school as well?

edit: sorry, just re-read and realised your daughter is 8. So why a comprehensive? Do you mean primary?

Mike

[nc03]

Thanks for your replies.
The struggle I am having is, whether just let my son attend a comprehensive school in Derby, or to apply for a grammer school in Birmingham.

I think I am more or less decided that if he can pass the exam to Camp Hill or King Ed school for boys (and hopefully get some scholarship to ease the finance burden), then I am willing to relocate to B and commute to Derby from there.

However, that will mean my daughter need to settle in a comprehensive school there first, before she can apply for a grammer school in 2 years. That will mean that a relatively good primary school in the area I am going to live will be a consideration.

Another consideration is the commuting time. I think if I live close to 5 Ways, the commute time will be at least 20 min longer than from the Camp Hill area, which is a lot, considering I need about 1 hour's drive to reach Derby.

These seem to against putting 5 ways as 2nd choice. But leaving only Camp Hill will limit my son's chance to enter grammer school. So difficult choice there...

I heard Camp Hill area is ok, not so expensive and comprehensive schools are also of good quality, by the way.

[ews147]

There are some very good primary schools in the Camp Hill area. As for secondary schools, the choice for girls is definitely better than for boys with a reasonably good girls school in the neighbourhood.If you did put five ways down as second choice and it was offered, there is always the Green Bus option which stops at several points in Kings Heath.Several local lads use it to get to Five Ways.

[mike1880]

There's also the obvious possibility of Bishop Vesey, since Sutton Coldfield is a whole lot nearer to Derby than either Camp Hill or Five Ways, if not having quite the cachet. In fact the only time Master 1880 saw BV was when we were on our way to Derby. And there's the girls school handy in 2 years.

Mike

[tokyonambu]

it's worth noting, for non-Birmingham residents, that the Camp Hill schools aren't in Camp Hill, and Five Ways school is nowhere near Five Ways (both are legacies of post-war moves from central Birmingham). Specifically, although there are good primary schools near the Camp Hill schools, things are rather different in Camp Hill.

[um]

Just a warning that you may not necessarily just get your daughter into a good Primary in Birmingham just because you have moved nearby- they are massively oversubscribed, many already with classes of over 30. There are however excellent schools in Solihull and Sutton Coldfield that may well have places.

I know myself from having enquired, that there are huge waiting lists at the good primaries in Kings Heath and you may well be allocated one that is not so good at all. If you are Catholic (St Dunstan's) or C of E (Moseley) you may be in with more of a chance. I have to apply for ds3's Primary place now and was told that last year, the cut off for Colmore was 0.4 miles

Not trying to put you off - just thought I would mention it.

My son says that a boy in his year at CH comes from somewhere round Derbyshire - he commutes in with his Dad, who works in Brum. Another lives in Wolverhampton, also with a dad who works in Brum. But I do feel that they must struggle with the commute. One parent in Sutton Coldfield said her son gets home about 5.30pm from the Green bus. My own son gets home about 4.15pm - which gives him a full hour and 15 minutes extra for homework - it really is a lot easier if you don't have a massive commute.

[mattsurf]

If you move to Four Oaks / Mere Green (Sutton Coldfield), you will have access to excellent primary schools, excellent comprehensive secondary (Arthur Terry) as well as King Edwards consortium, Bishop Vesey and Sutton Girls Grammar - I used to commute to RR in Derby, it is 35 minutes on a good day.

Be careful that you live within the Arthur Terry Catchment - it extends not much more than 1 mile - the new estates in Harvest Fields and Bishops meadow are more than likely out of catchment, depending on year, DO NOT BELIEVE estate agents who say that they are in catchment, we know of several families who were shocked by their school allocation this year..... if DS or DD does not pass the 11+ the alternative comp is Castle Vale - due to all the other Sutton Coldfield Comps being over subscribed

[nc03]

Thanks for all of your kind notes. Now I will see how the exam will go for my son and it seems there is way back if he gets into any schools there. I have listed KECH and KE 5 Ways school for him.
I will keep you posted. thanks again.

From Derby