Would I be mad?

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Iamunanimous
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 8:05 am

Would I be mad?

Post by Iamunanimous »

Anyone have a view on selecting an OFSTED outstanding faith school in the state system when child gained entrance to indies (without needing tutor) Is there an argument child would do well anywhere and benefit from a more comfortable life outside of school (money, hols, time for extra curricular etc?)

Perhaps this is the wrong site for this as it is not even comparing indie with grammar but a sought after comprehensive and suspect I will not get much in favour, but would be interested in views/experiences!
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Would I be mad?

Post by Guest55 »

I don't see a problem with it.

Just check how many A/A*s at GCSE and A level to make sure they are extending the more able.
mad?
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 6:27 pm
Location: london

Re: Would I be mad?

Post by mad? »

If I had an outstanding comprehensive near me I would go for that over and above any possible alternative. That said, I am mad?
mad?
TIDDLYMUM
Posts: 881
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:19 pm

Re: Would I be mad?

Post by TIDDLYMUM »

We had a similar but different dilemma.

Local outstanding Comp vs out of area ( well out of area actually- a good 50 minute bus journey and walk after that) grammar.

We plumped for the latter.Its been 5 years of early starts and late finishes, picking up and dropping off to bus stops, which we wouldn't have had otherwise. I don't regret it though as its been the right thing for my son, who have thrived and done well.

But if I had had to pay indie fees and it would have significantly impacted on finances as well, then I think the o/s local comp would definitely have won out.
browneyedgirl
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri May 28, 2010 11:34 am

Re: Would I be mad?

Post by browneyedgirl »

No not mad at all.
Why would you pay for something just for the sake of it?
My DD attends an independent but if we had an excellent school near us then our decision would have been different.
As you know there's lots to consider, the availability of good schools in your location (varies across the country some areas have excellent grammar and comprehensives. Your location to school and your finances!
There will be parents who love the state system and parents who love the independent sector and some in the middle with limited options which draw them from one sector to the other. I don't think there is an overall right choice just one that's right for your child and your family.
loobylou
Posts: 2032
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 5:04 pm

Re: Would I be mad?

Post by loobylou »

I don't think it's mad at all. I think it depends on 2 things - your child and the attitude of the o/s comp. If they are good at pushing the more able and they say that that's something they do (and their results reflect that) then that is a very good start (and some schools, even o/s ones, do better with weaker students so it is worth checking their attitude. The other thing is whether your child is self-motivated to push him/herself and do well in a larger class environment and do well when s/he is likely to be near the top of the class and some children migt be tempted to coast...
Lots and lots of bright children do very well in the comprehensive system and there are definite advantages to saving money on school fees in order to have more fun out of school!
berks_mum
Posts: 939
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:52 pm

Re: Would I be mad?

Post by berks_mum »

OP, first of all I am no expert on these matters and I am just working my way through the education system maze. From what I observed, the A/A* results suggested by G55 show a good variation between high end grammars and Comprehensives. The gap, however, becomes narrower or even reverse when it goes down to low end grammars and high end comprehensives.
This is a link for 2013 GCSE results - http://public.tableausoftware.com/profi ... esults2013
(I don't have a URL handy to check for 2014. Someone may have it)
I used this link to see the results of many comps and grammars in different areas as we had a relocation coming up. I was surprised by some of the comp results, e.g., Waldegrave school in Twickenham has almost 50% girls receiving A/A*. There are some other comprehensives with 30 - to 40% achieving A/A*.
Peridot
Posts: 2195
Joined: Thu May 16, 2013 5:02 pm

Re: Would I be mad?

Post by Peridot »

Yes, go for it, as long as your child wants to go there of course. We only went for grammars as first choice for our two as they seemed to be the best fit for them. Actually Waldegrave School was our daughter's second choice on the CAF after the grammar she now attends, followed by a reasonably local outstanding faith comp and only after that the other grammar she applied for. (We are very lucky to live in the catchment for Waldegrave and other excellent comps.)

I also strongly agree that, if you have the choice, having the time and money for family holidays and extra-curricular activities is very important - just as important as choosing the right school. We were never in a position to be able to afford private education, but, in our family, theatre trips, days out together and holidays (not expensive ones) are what we all look forward to; that's what makes the slog worthwhile, and helps the children understand that if we all work hard we should be rewarded for our efforts, adults and children alike.
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Would I be mad?

Post by mystery »

Iamunanimous wrote:Anyone have a view on selecting an OFSTED outstanding faith school in the state system when child gained entrance to indies (without needing tutor) Is there an argument child would do well anywhere and benefit from a more comfortable life outside of school (money, hols, time for extra curricular etc?)

Perhaps this is the wrong site for this as it is not even comparing indie with grammar but a sought after comprehensive and suspect I will not get much in favour, but would be interested in views/experiences!
It all depends on the two schools you are comparing and what you all want from the school.
mike1880
Posts: 2563
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Re: Would I be mad?

Post by mike1880 »

Absolutely go for it if you want to (we only went down the grammar route for our eldest because local schools are excellent to awful and we stood a real chance of being allocated the one that was awful). But be fully aware that what Ofsted calls an outstanding school might not provide what you think of as an outstanding educational experience.

As well as what's been suggested check the DofE schools attainment tables for: added value for high attainers; percentage taking EBac (tells you whether a broad academic curriculum is available); average GCSE grade achieved by high attainers; number of GCSEs taken (shouldn't be damn-the kids-best-interests-look-at-our-league-table-position-high but should be at least 8 GCSEs, and the fewer non-GCSE qualifications the better); Maths and English progress for high attainers. Look at as many years as you can get hold of, results for a single year can be misleading.

I wouldn't worry too much about details A-level results at this stage - you might want to move for 6th form after all - but have a look at the FTSE top 1000, which is based on academic A-level results. If the school is in there that's a good sign because very few non-selectives make it onto the list.
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