Ribston or Cleeve

[thisisall2much]

My daughter and I are quite torn between Cleeve which is a 20 minute walk from home and Ribston which would mean a 07:15 bus each morning. The travel is probably not a huge problem. The new head at Cleeve has done amazing things and I've heard nothing but positive things from parents who have children at the school at the moment. They have a huge subject offering, small class sizes, infinite numbers of sport, music and science clubs and great teachers. I can't help wondering if she'll do better there than at Ribston which is smaller and has a smaller offering in terms of both subjects and extra-curricular activities. Also, it's kind of at the bottom of the heap when it comes to the grammar schools. Cleeve is a huge school but that doesn't put us off one bit as it's so well-run with dedicated heads of colleges (dedicated in the sense that they don't teach) and only two year seven classes per college. I'd love to hear some opinions.

[hermanmunster]

I don't know the schools but 0715 is ugh in the winter

[Brackenboo]

You mentioned small class sizes, I know there is a lot of building around there so is the school expanding and will they get fuller? If there is no real pull for Ribston, then the shorter day where she can walk seems to make sense. It's such a hard thing to decide

[chumba]

What about all girls vs co-ed? My girls have all had a preference for co-ed, even though they liked the girls grammar schools.

It doesn't sound like either of you loved Ribston and it's a long way to go just because it's a grammar. I would say the 07:15 bus feels worse as they become older teenagers and you have to work harder to get them out of bed!

[KKK]

Hi,

I might be a little controversial in my opinion but here goes.

In Ribston your daughter will be working and making friends with a peer group of children who passed the grammar school test whilst in Cleeve she is with and maiming friends with children who either failed it or had no interest in taking the test. I personally as a parent would be more concerned with that last fact.

The other thing you may want to check out is what are the average GCSE results between Ribston and Cleeve. Even if Ribston is the lowest Grammar school and I’m not saying it is, its likely that over the medium to long term it has overall better results. Which means that the expectations are higher. Personally I prefer that because that is the realism of the world we live in.

Finally I think culture is really important. Go worth your daughter to both schools and really look at how the children act in both the class and when walking around the school. The feeling you get of the typical pupil is what likely your daughter could end up being like. I would not be too concerned with what the head says, as some are more polished then others in presentations. But the culture is certainly something to think about.

Anyway that’s my thoughts.

KKK.

[kenyancowgirl]

Hi,

I might be a little controversial in my opinion but here goes.

In Ribston your daughter will be working and making friends with a peer group of children who passed the grammar school test whilst in Cleeve she is with and maiming friends with children who either failed it or had no interest in taking the test. I personally as a parent would be more concerned with that last fact.
.

A peer group of children who may have been tutored to within an inch of their lives, with no social life to speak of etc etc just to pass the test....

A group of children in Cleeve whose parents may be don't agree with the flawed grammar school 11+ system so refused to put their children in for the test? A group of children, who just failed - literally by one mark - or got the same mark as the lowest person in but live the other side of the street so failed to get a place on distance measures - obviously far more stupid than the child who got the GS place....? A group of children who had amazing parents who wanted them to have a fabulous childhood ouside of formal education - or in a primary school that was doing its best, or a child who suffered with ill health and got a little bit behind - but when they get to secondary school, it clicks, they focus, they want to learn, they find their subject or their skill or their sport....

Meanwhile in the GS you might have a peer group of children who happened to be above their primary school cohort so expect to just get it...but the work is harder, and they don't and they plateau - as all children do eventually....or children who are very spoiled and badly behaved but bright - and don't want to work and disrupt others (but still do OK themselves) - you get all this is GS too...

Please don't fall into the trap that a GS is somehow "better' or a "better class of child" because it has grammar school in the title. It isn't and it doesn't. Your child is not "better" because they passed a somewhat arbitrary test one day when they were 10.

And there is a lot to be said for going to local secondary schools which tend to open Widening Participation/Access schemes to university, which GS do not. Being able to walk to school is a massive bonus - especially if your child wants to fully embrace the wider school opportunities.

[KKK]

As I said my post may be controversial to some. I won’t respond to the previous post as it’s going off subject apart from to say i expected that kind of response. Did make me laugh. Haha.

Going back on subject I’ll reiterate if I was in your position I would think about these factors.

1. Average GCSE results over the medium to long term.
2. The culture and feel of the school and if that fits what you want for your child
3. Linked to #2 how does your child work best and be happiest in, in terms of culture
4. What everyone else thinks in the family as this impacts everyone and not just one person
5. Travel time although remember this can also be an advantage in terms of making friends on coach’s.

KKK.

[Brackenboo]

As Cheltenham only has one grammar, and the hardest one to get into at that, I would imagine a lot of parents choose not to put their children forward for the test if they have a good local catchment school. I'm sure the top performing children at Cleeve perform as well as some of those at the grammar.

Ribston doesn't have the biggest spread of GCSE options as you have to take R.E but at the end of the day children only egg to choose 2 or 3 anyway.

I guess it's thinking about why you took the 11+, were you hoping for a different school?

[cazien]

As Cheltenham only has one grammar, and the hardest one to get into at that, I would imagine a lot of parents choose not to put their children forward for the test if they have a good local catchment school. I'm sure the top performing children at Cleeve perform as well as some of those at the grammar.

Ribston doesn't have the biggest spread of GCSE options as you have to take R.E but at the end of the day children only egg to choose 2 or 3 anyway.

I guess it's thinking about why you took the 11+, were you hoping for a different school?

Brackenboo I think you have been misinformed. You have stated "as you have to take R.E" at Ribston. My DD has just started Yr10 - yes she is studying RS for two lessons in the 2-weekly timetable, but certainly will not be taking it for GCSE. She had to choose 4 subjects on top of the compulsory ones.

[Brackenboo]

Thanks Cazien I had read something that implied they say a GCSE in RS. Thanks for the clarification