Beaconsfield High School 2014-15

[Booklady]

Well the rumours about BHS having an extra class this September may well come true.

This is in an email which came from the school tonight :


Beaconsfield High School is well regarded and in demand. It is regularly oversubscribed with a long waiting list of students who want to study here. Currently we have 5 classes of 30 girls in each year group, although, in the past a year group of 6 classes of 30 girls has been successfully accommodated. There is physical space and timetable capacity for 6 classes of 30 girls for one year group only without the construction of additional classroom space. In view of this, we are considering taking a 6th class of 30 girls in the 2014/2015 academic year. This would provide additional funding to the school (albeit payable several months after the students join!), which will help us to protect the broad academic curriculum we value so highly.

The school is having a significant funding issue at the moment. Anyhow - thought some people on the waiting list might like to know that! Actually gutted myself as my younger DD is in Y5 so would be the following year - and as we are right on the edge of catchment (50meters out!!) it would have been helpful for there to be extra places next year!

[Booklady]

And this is now on the home page of the school website



Year 7 Admissions September 2014

In response to a number of enquiries following the BBC League Tables publication, showing BHS to be the ‘best state school in Bucks’, the Governors have agreed to admit a further 30 girls to the school in September 2014.
The Local Authority is aware of this decision. The date for the second round of allocation of places is 22nd April and so parents should notify the Local Authority if they wish their daughter to be on the waiting list for the school.

[Guest55]

Did they ever repay their debt to the LA?

[Sally-Anne]

In response to a number of enquiries following the BBC League Tables publication, showing BHS to be the ‘best state school in Bucks’, the Governors have agreed to admit a further 30 girls to the school in September 2014.

Really? Please ...

If (and I have no idea how big an IF that might be), the school has genuinely got the capacity to admit an additional class of 30, this appears to be a very welcome decision at face value.

Excluding the 3 Aylesbury schools and RLS, and assuming that the mixed schools attract roughly 50/50 girls and boys, the position at present across the southern part of the county is:

Girls: 690 places
Boys: 752 places

For single gender schools, the position is:

Girls: 450 places
Boys: 512 places

This development will go some way towards redressing that balance, which has always struck me as being a historical and highly discriminatory anomaly, given that the 11+ qualification rate is almost 50/50 (there is a very slight bias in favour of boys in most years.)

There are implications for the mixed schools, but I will need to think on those!

[Guest55]

I've always wondered why only those who qualify get the choice of single gender education ...

[Sally-Anne]

I've always wondered why only those who qualify get the choice of single gender education ...

No real idea, but I do know that other counties retained single gender education in some schools after they abandoned the tri-partite system.

I think it came down to how ferocious the Head was in many cases, especially in the case of my GS!

I think the demographics then just settled down, and the status quo remained thereafter. Too much hassle to add male/female loos, etc.

[southbucks3]

I've always wondered why only those who qualify get the choice of single gender education ...

My ds reckons it is because the boys going to grammar are intelligent enough to want to be divided from the alien species that girls apparently are his dad has trained him well.

There does seem a bit of a weird historical link for gs gender division, there was an article in the paper last week showing that division of the species at secondary school does not improve scores for girls as highly as was once thought, it was a teeny tiny difference. (Cannot find article now of course!) Obviously our young girls are getting fairly proficient at making themselves heard above their loftier, somewhat deeper voiced companions. Hurrah!

[kittymum]

My ds thinks the thought of single sex schools is just horrid - he's at a very small school and all his year play together - he is at pains to point out however that he doesn't like them in "that" way (I'm not 100% sure exactly what "that" way is!)

Dd however has gone completely off message and announced that she would like to go to the girls school, should she qualify (largely I think as her best friend will prob follow her sister there). Whilst WHS is clearly a v good school I don't think it would be a good fit for her so am now subtly trying to brainwash her. She remains convinced at the mo that boys are just trouble who chat when they should be working and should be punished severely (she's quite hard line).

[southbucks3]

She remains convinced at the mo that boys are just trouble who chat when they should be working and should be punished severely (she's quite hard line).

Which is the exact reason ds1 feels as he does about girls in school.

Actually really happy that Becky high is levelling up the numbers though, I did not realise there was a difference, it clearly had to be addressed, and if Becky high can get more cash that way then good. Though personally I would have just reduced the boys numbers.. that would teach 'em! Does Becky high only take from catchment? Where are the extra girls likely to live?
I would really hate to think that a BBC league table and the inevitable shallow minded public reaction, was the reason behind the decision, rather than several years worth of local demographic research and a need in the brownfield catchment area.

[Booklady]

Actually - just to say - the extra form is apparently only for this year!! To get the extra funding it will attract. They don't have space for extra forms in any more years apparently!

And yes they did pay the debt back I think - by selling off the land they have for houses. They remain very underfunded though - which is why there is hefty parent support required!