St Micheals, Garston

[handbag50]

Hi, has any one got any experience of St Micheals in Garston?
I`ve moved into the area and would like to find out about it.

Many thanks

[tense]

I know many parents / children from this school. They all seem very happy with it. I believe it is rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted. Although it does pretty well academically, my friends usually rave more about the family ethos, high standards of care, good discipline, the range of activities on offer etc (it has fab facilities & grounds).

Some of the children I know there are very bright & I think could have easily gone to one of the local selective schools. However, their families preferred a catholic education. I assume you are a catholic I think you've just missed the open evening but the school does day tours too - why not book on to one & have a look round?

[handbag50]

Thank you, that was really helpfull.
I guess that is the position that we are in. I have quite a bright child so
its weather to go for the St Micheals or try for the more selective ones ????
of course it all depends on the test results next week !

[2Girlsmum]

St Michael's is pretty selective too....My dd and 2 of her classmates qualified for places at Latymer (dd came 23rd there) and St Michael's but chose the latter due to the more nurturing environment and because there are only 96 in each year.

It is excellent up to GCSE (and often has better results than HBS, QE Boys and Latymer at that level), but slips a bit at A level, partly due to about half the students coming into the sixth form from outside, and partly because some girls leave to study elsewhere (Latymer and NLC being the main choices). There is a new head this year who seems to be shaking things up a bit as he's already planned an overhaul of ICT and invited a specialist in self-motivated education skills to talk to parents next month.

The tests are NVR, VR, English and Maths and all the tests are taken over a full day.

[WP]

The OP was asking about St Michael's Catholic High School in Garston (northern edge of Watford), which is non-selective, not St Michael's Catholic Grammar School in Barnet.

[2Girlsmum]

OOPS!

[RomaWhelan]

Hi. St Michaels Catholic school in Garston Watford is a great school and has been awarded outstanding on Ofsted. It is heavily oversubscribed and has a special relationship with 8 catholic feeder primary schools. Children from these 8 schools have priority in the schools entrance criteria. Your family also need to be practising Catholics and you will need to obtain written confirmation of this from your local parish priest. The children do not need to sit an 11 plus exam to get into this school. Hope this information helps you.

[herty]

My local paper featured a story about a student there who got 6 A*s at A Level (yes, really) and is off to Cambridge - so can't be a bad school...

[handbag50]

Thank you all very much, that was really helpfull

[Cozen]

No success at 11plus so DC will be ending here.

This is hoping that he gets in under criteria 3 (practising Catholic from feeder school)