Proposed new secondary school in Croxley Green

[ajooba]

Just a plea to support the proposed new secondary school being sponsored by St Clements Danes school in Croxley Green. They need 90 parents with yr 3 children and 90 parents with year 4 children to complete the parental support survey for the proposal to get through the next stage. I understand they only have around 90 completed surveys at present and they only have until the end of this month. I'm sure most Watford/Croxley parents will agree we need more good quality secondary school choices for local children as we are being edged out of the Grammars. The Parental Support Survey can be found at http://www.croxleygreenschool.org.uk/pa ... urvey.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Mgnmum]

although the form says that you would put the school as your 1st choice, it is not binding, and unless they get the 180 they will not be able to progress to the next stage. Many local parents would probably not put it as their 1st choice, but it will be a great 2nd or 3rd choice if the exams dont go well or you are just too far for a distance place at your 1st choice.

by 2019 it is predicted that the local school population will be over 300 places short per year and that is if the Reach Free school is full!

[noonynunu]

although the form says that you would put the school as your 1st choice, it is not binding, and unless they get the 180 they will not be able to progress to the next stage. Many local parents would probably not put it as their 1st choice, but it will be a great 2nd or 3rd choice if the exams dont go well or you are just too far for a distance place at your 1st choice.

by 2019 it is predicted that the local school population will be over 300 places short per year and that is if the Reach Free school is full!

I registered my interest some weeks ago.

SCD is an excellent school and would likely be my first choice if it was closer to where I live. This new school, for me is a excellent option.

The problem is that many year 3 parents don't yet have secondary schools on their radar or they are still under the very mistaken impression that the Grammars are an easy option for them as they live close to the school.

Many year 4 parents still think they have plenty of time before they need to seriously look into the options. The mind set is often that the exams are sat in year 6, however, people often overlook the fact that it is the very beginning of year 6 so, in my mind, it is best viewed as the exam being at the end of year 5. It is often not until parents are faced with the imminent arrival of 11 plus exams that they actually start realising how hard it is to get a place in a ranked school, as the availability of school places diminishes, this realisation is going to come too late.

I had parents who had DCs sit the last round of the 11 plus telling me I was preparing way too early last year (time spent looking at schools, putting DCs name on tutor lists and getting my head around the whole 11 plus process). Since the results have come out, a number of them have done a U turn and said that they wished they had started preparing much more in advance.

The best way to get the school the votes it needs is through playground talk. For anyone who has registered their interest, pass on the word to any year 3 and 4 parents you know. The school has a FB page too

If this school doesn't happen those DCs in year 4 are going to be fighting for insufficient places to guarantee them ANY SW Herts school. I'm not sure many people will revel in the prospect of being allocated a random school, miles from where they live that way under performs even the lowest achieving school in their local area (which actually do very well by national standards).

It may be a new school but that will give people the opportunity to get involved at the get go and help shape the future. It will be easier to help mould a new school than it will be to try to change and improve an existing one.