help for preferences in CAF

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freemum
Posts: 17
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2011 10:59 am

help for preferences in CAF

Post by freemum »

Hi I have visited Langley, Burnham, William Borlase, Tiffins , Kendrick, Newlands ( Comprehensive schools). we like all the schools except Kendrick which is without play ground (green grass). I don't know how to choose the best from these schools. All the schools in one or other way they are good.
As we live in maidenhead we are ooc to all schools. After visiting to schools, searching in this forum and getting information from all the possible sources I came with the following options and now i need to sort out from these. Please can anybody help me ?
1 Tiffins/ Kendrick
2 Langley/ Herschel
3. Burnham/ william Borlase
4.Newlands
Jules7
Posts: 248
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2010 7:55 pm

Re: help for preferences in CAF

Post by Jules7 »

Hi freemum, I wonder if this post might be best moved to Berks and Bucks forums where you may get more specific advice? (the mods can do this if they think it appropriate).

Regarding your list, if you live in Maidenhead I think you get only 3 choices on the CAF? Which would mean quite a bit of whittling down. Personally I would make sure you have at least one school on your list which your DD (assuming DD as you mention Newlands) will be able to get into irrespective of 11+ result and any catchment issues. I would also check out the historical intakes for each school wrt allocation distances and also any speciality status for each school and how these suit your DD.

Lots of luck.
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: help for preferences in CAF

Post by Etienne »

Moved to Bucks via Berks, leaving behind a 'shadow' ........
Etienne
Jeepers
Posts: 73
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 12:06 pm

Re: help for preferences in CAF

Post by Jeepers »

Hi Freemum

It's a very stressful time trying to put them all in the best order for your child and we are currently in the same boat.

For what its worth here are some the things we are considering in our choices.

Travel - if you are in Maidenhead. Tiffin is a long haul. Yes people do do this kind of thing, but are you prepared to and how? If you are planning to be in the car every day can you afford the time and costs to commit to that twice a day for 8 years. Can it be done on public transport, how long, how much, what about when it snows, what time would she leave the house etc Or would you move house? And for all of the above is your daughter academically competitive in herself enough to thank you for this or is she likely to feel pressured by it.

Kendrick - is much closer to you (assume you would go on the train somehow) and from what I understand a top school. Can't comment on the lack of green space nor whether that would be a problem for your daughter.

Langley vs Herschel travel comes into it again I would think, as she could do Langely more easily on public transport. But they are very different schools from what I undertstand although I know people with dc at both and they speak highly of them.

Borlase vs Burnham - can't really help you I'm afraid (although fwiw we did like Burnham a lot when we looked round).

Did your daughter see the schools too? What is her view, at the end of the day she will be going there?

I read on the forum elsewhere to cover dream/realistic/banker options on your CAF. This seems like good advice to me and is what we will be trying to do. All the best. J.
Booklady
Posts: 522
Joined: Mon May 19, 2008 10:39 pm

Re: help for preferences in CAF

Post by Booklady »

Good luck in your decisions! Worth really looking at catchment / what is usually offered in terms of usual distance and transport. Partly will depend where you live in Maidenhead.

For example - William Borlase has parts of Maidenhead as an OOC catchment - and is a lovely school! They also run a bus from Maidenhead Bridge.

Our DD goes to Becky High - and girls from Maidenhead have also got into there - I think their open evening is coming up - would encourage you to take a look. Our DD loves it - just started in Y7.

Newlands I also loved - and if you are in catchment / likely to get this as your non-grammar option you are, in my opinion, lucky - as its a great non-grammar choice. The able girls do really well there - and I thought it had a lovely feel to it.

Burnham Grammar is our local catchment grammar - and is also a really good school - we just didn't think it was so well suited to our DD as its not so strong in Music, Drama etc - which BHS is.

As other have said - look at them all - consider transport carefully as your DD has to make the journey day in and day out for many years! We wanted our DD to be able to get to and from without either of us having to get into a car - as we both work and also have a younger DD to consider. So a school bus she could walk to was essential (if she couldn't actual walk to the school itself).

Good luck - its a stressful time :wink: :wink: !!
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