Different positive dilemma

[Thiru]

Hi

First of all thanks a lot for this forum to which I have been a silent reader for the past 3-4 months. We returned to the UK from overseas this summer and had to relocate directly to West Midlands due to our work. West Midlands is a new place for us. Our daughter is a clever girl but she had not prepared particularly for this grammar school exams. Thanks to this forum we were able to identify the appropriate materials and was able to help her over the summer holidays. We registered her in a rush to Birmingham and Walsall consortiums for all the 7 schools possible for girls but she never visited any of the schools except Sutton girls and QM for sitting the tests. She has now done very well and has the choice of any of the 7 schools but neither she or us are sure about which one to chose. (She scored 262 in Birmingham and got the sure indication of all 3 schools in the Walsall consortium.) Can you please kind enough to give some advice on which one to select if you are in the same situation? Location is not important as we need to re-locate any way depending on the school.

Thiru

ps.
I will now contribute to this forum for parents of next year kids to pay back the free help I received here which had been a key factor my daughter's success.

[hermanmunster]

Goodness - what a nice dilemma ! and well done to your daughter - particular after all the relocating etc.

I suspect you may have narrowed things a bit in your mind - would you like to live near where you work - and hence find a school nearish that?

Would you like he to go to a mixed school (eg Five Ways) ?

Do you want to be a bit more rural ? eg Newport....

Only way is visiting!

[Turtlegirl]

Hi Thiru - and well done to your daughter and you! My suggestion would be to go and visit all the schools and make a decision based on that - you'll have a much better feel once you've seen them. All the schools are very good, although my take is that FW, Camp Hill and KEVIHS send more girls to Russell Group universities than the other schools. Have a look at their Yr13 leavers' destinations as I think this gives you a picture of the type of emphasis that you'll see at the school.

You will also have to decide where to live and that's a massive consideration. Our daughter's day is now 2hrs longer than it was in primary school - and her journey to school is pretty short - just 20mins or so on a public bus. And your neighbourhood will obviously have a big impact on the whole family - and your daughter as she grows up. If you have the choice it's worth taking into account too.

All the best for some big decisions ahead!

[MSD]

Thiru, well done to you daughter. It's a fantastic score.

Agree with Turtlegirl and Herman regarding viewing the schools.

MSD

[Thiru]

Hi all

Thanks a lot for the replies. Schools, we called them up today but they have not been very helpful. Only one agreed to allow a visit before 31 Oct deadline. I work in Stafford so Newport is obviously closer if we want to move there (At present we are in a rented house in Streetly / Sutton). But my other half is scary of quiet rural life:-(.

Location is very important as well as you say but again we are not sure about the areas except Sutton / Streetly we are in now - quite like it here. But Sutton girls we called up today and they have been very abrupt on the phone and refused to allow our daughter to have a quick visit before 31 Oct.

Please PM me or post some more advice. It is really appreciated.

Thiru

[hermanmunster]

Which one agreed to you visiting before the deadline ??..

I think it is bad that schools won't let you have a look.. it is such an important decision and you haven't been in the area long enough to go to open days etc...

[Thiru]

Wolverhampton Girls tentatively agreed for a quick visit, after my wife read out the letter to them. But Five Ways said they are in Half-term and asked us to call back after 29 Oct which is pretty close to the deadline.

Thiru

[hermanmunster]

yes looks like Camp Hill are starting half term this friday - though newport have theirs a week later. You are really up against a time constraint here! I think you may have to pester a bit more on the phone - otherwise it is going to be a case of trying to match where you are happy to live to any special interests that she may have - here we would be relying on people who have daughters at the schools to advise you!


PS have sent you a private message

[Turtlegirl]

Oh how awful - I'd forgotten about half term - which is this coming week in Sandwell and Birmingham and the following week in Wolverhampton. Hope you manage a couple of useful visits before having to make your decision.

[Professor Yaffle]

Newport break up on Friday for half term too.

All of the schools are excellent schools and your DD would do well at any of them.