Topic: Schools

[west_london_red]

We still have a couple of years before we need to do something but I have just become aware how shit the local secondary schools are. One friend managed to get his daughter transferred to a school outside of the local authority it was that bad (always taught by substitute teachers, no homework ever set) another friend has put their house on the market after their daughter ended up being given a place there for this September and that made me think I should look into the secondary schools myself. While the OFSTEAD ratings are all currently good, they are all a few years old and the exam results look absolutely awful, the one nearest us (the one my friends daughter went to and other was due to start) is the nearest one to our house which is particularly worrying. The two decent schools in the area are Christian schools but we’re not Christians.

Any ideas? The area we live in is nothing special but we have a nice house and is perfect for our needs, has loads of space both in terms of inside the house and garden and is not too bad in terms of commute, distance from my in laws, brother, grandparents etc. Also my mum lives with us and we are absolutely loathed to move but I can’t think of any other alternatives right now.

[TepidT2O]

I  genuinely wouldn’t worry about a Christian  school for your kid if they’re not Christian. They will be very very relaxed about it.

Which schools are they?

[west_london_red]

I  genuinely wouldn’t worry about a Christian  school for your kid if they’re not Christian. They will be very very relaxed about it.

Which schools are they?

So Spelthorne is our local authority, so the good Church’s Schools are St Paul's Catholic College and The Bishop Wand Church of England School, other good one is Thamesmead School but that’s far and were probably out of the catchment.

The bad ones are Sunbury Manor (the ones my friends kids got which is really bad), Thomas Knyvett College (a black kid got recently stabbed by a gang of white kids while the teachers did nothing) and The Matthew Arnold School.

[LuverlyRita]

The two decent schools in the area are Christian schools but we’re not Christians.

That is one of the reasons why religious schools should be banned. Schools should be left to educate children about the various religions. If parents want their kids to be indoctrinated, it should be done outside of the school day.

[TepidT2O]

So Spelthorne is our local authority, so the good Church’s Schools are St Paul's Catholic College and The Bishop Wand Church of England School, other good one is Thamesmead School but that’s far and were probably out of the catchment.

The bad ones are Sunbury Manor (the ones my friends kids got which is really bad), Thomas Knyvett College (a black kid got recently stabbed by a gang of white kids while the teachers did nothing) and The Matthew Arnold School.

Hmm I don’t know the better ones.

But Sunbury manor isn’t great and the head at Thomas Knyvett quit after the incident and their OFSTED didn’t go well.


I’m sort of against religious schooling in principle, but in practice they end up being really good at teaching ethics and things like that. Which I think is really important in a school.

If your kid is bright you could try for the selective schools just outside your area I guess

[west_london_red]

The faith schools are both near Sunbury Manor, and while I’m not particularly supportive of religious schools needs must so I think we might have to put them as our first choices and see what happens. If we don’t get them, then maybe we have to consider moving.

Slightly amusingly there is a really good Sikh school in Hounslow but we’re possibly not Sikh enough for that!

There’s no selective schools near by and I’m not sure either my daughter is bright enough for that, she’s doing ok at school but isn’t exceptional either.

[west_london_red]

That is one of the reasons why religious schools should be banned. Schools should be left to educate children about the various religions. If parents want their kids to be indoctrinated, it should be done outside of the school day.

I’m not for them, but their academic records speak for themselves in the local area, maybe it because they attract all the good kids and the state comp ends up with the rest or maybe the moral/ethical part of the education at a religious school means the kids behave better, I don’t know but it’s a shitty decision to have to make as to where to send the kids with this additional element to consider.

[MrGrumpy]

West London Red

If as your name suggests you live on London, you should be aware that there is a surplus of school places in London these days.

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/school-places-londons-challenge-could-soon-be-everyones/

We got our daughter in to her first choice primary school without issues, friends of ours got their daughters in to the previously impossible to get in to Henrietta  Barnett secondary school.

Either way, good luck.

[Wabaloolah]

The faith schools are both near Sunbury Manor, and while I’m not particularly supportive of religious schools needs must so I think we might have to put them as our first choices and see what happens. If we don’t get them, then maybe we have to consider moving.

Slightly amusingly there is a really good Sikh school in Hounslow but we’re possibly not Sikh enough for that!

There’s no selective schools near by and I’m not sure either my daughter is bright enough for that, she’s doing ok at school but isn’t exceptional either.

it probably depends on their Admissions policy as to whether or not you get accepted and the number of applicants.

I imagine higher priority is given to children who are "of that faith" and most of them have really complex policies, I suspect you will come under 'Distance' which will be the last criteria on the policy so will likely depend on the number of applicants. It will likely be easier for a second child to get in if your first one does, providing they are still at the school when the next child starts.

Faith schools are usually responsible for ranking their own places based on the Criteria in their policy document.

I think you come under Surrey County Council so will have to use the Online Admissions Form on their website