Secondary schools in Stafford

Sylvester

Newbie
Hi
Does anyone have any recommendations for Secondary schools in Stafford - need some advice for which one to send my son to

Thanks
:)
 

Wormella

Well-Known Forumite
Whichever one his friends are going too? I don't have children, and I'm a relative newcomer to this town, but I've met people who have gone to every school in Stafford, and they have all appeared to have done alright.

It is interesting how deep school allegiances go in this town - to the point where I have at times, just piggy backed onto conversations about peoples schools and pretended I've been there to make conversation easier. (It's very easy to do, pretty much all school stores are the same, every school had a tirp to France, or a castle, there was always something to a chorus in and there's always a weird maths teacher)
 

basil

don't mention the blinds
Hi
Does anyone have any recommendations for Secondary schools in Stafford - need some advice for which one to send my son to

Thanks
:)
1. Depends where you live

2. Compared to some secondary schools in major conurbations then you won't go wrong with any school in stafford.

3. Hope this helps..........
 

Yalla

Well-Known Forumite
As basil says - it depends where you live and your starting point will be which school catchment you are in. Walton High School is well regarded but it is a very BIG school with 1300 plus pupils. Blessed William Howard had a bad OFSTED a few years ago and had a very low intake in September 2011 - not sure how things are there now. Graham Balfour has just had an OFSTED and is now rated as satisfactory (down from good with outstanding features). You need to visit the schools to see what you think and then go from there. Weston Road is now an academy, King Eddies is much improved and that's all I know.
 

Zylo

Well-Known Forumite
i Don't think much difference between them to be honest, apart from Uniform obviously and location, as a poster already said does your son want to go anywhere Specific ?

Oh and Weston had a recent offsted too, satisfactory.
 

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
Riso, or Stafford Sports College in metric, has just been rated 'good with outstanding features' - from being rated 'inadequate' in 2007.

As others have said, they're all reasonable schools - choose the one closest to you and make him walk/cycle so you don't have to ferry him around.

Having said that, Walton is quite clearly the best school in Stafford, just as it always has been...
 

70-plus

Well-Known Forumite
Riso, or Stafford Sports College in metric, has just been rated 'good with outstanding features' - from being rated 'inadequate' in 2007.

As others have said, they're all reasonable schools - choose the one closest to you and make him walk/cycle so you don't have to ferry him around.

Having said that, Walton is quite clearly the best school in Stafford, just as it always has been...
 

70-plus

Well-Known Forumite
Walton should be best school in Stafford because of the catchment area. However, it is said that it is a coasting school, i.e. it should do much better. Blessed Bills was quite a failing school recently and the rest are about the same. Look at the results, but particularly look at the results in the areas where your son/daughter will be interested in. It does depend on the individual teacher - so visit the schools
 

citricsquid

Well-Known Forumite
Riso, or Stafford Sports College in metric, has just been rated 'good with outstanding features' - from being rated 'inadequate' in 2007.

ha, they improve after I leave. I guess it's good news, that place was a god damn shit hole when I was there (03 - 08)
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Having said that, Walton is quite clearly the best school in Stafford, just as it always has been...
You trying to start a fight?

That was a thing that I never understood, fighting kids from some other school for the honour of yours? Weird.
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
Compared to some secondary schools in major conurbations then you won't go wrong with any school in stafford.

That about sums it up.

OFSTED inspections vary from year to year depending on the political whims of whichever government is in power or what is seen as the time as 'trendy' issues.

So many schools go from Good or Outstanding, to Satisfactory and Poor, or vice-versa that either the quality of education varies beyond belief over a 4 year period (the usual inspection period) or the inspection themselves vary their standards and therefore are not an accurate reflection of what constitutes a good education.

Get a feeling for what parents think of the schools they are sending their kids to, look at the schools yourself (not just at open evening, but ask to be shown round during a normal working day as well, any decent school will do this for you by appointment) and consider where your son's friends are going, as without any mates he will take longer to settle.
 

Jade-clothing

Well-Known Forumite
Both my eldest went to Weston Road and both did really well, never had a single complaint with the school, really happy with it. My younger daughter went to king eddies and again no complaints but I wouldnt rate it quite as highly as Weston road.
 

grumpystaffordguy

Well-Known Forumite
I don't think any of the schools are bad. So I would say send your child to the one closest to where you live. At the end of the day if they are say year 7 then a school that has good results now may not be the best by the time they are at GCSE age. You just don't know really do you.
We know people that wont send kids to the school that are children attend. Its daft as its a good little school and its just snobbery on behalf of the parents as the school is on a council estate. They will all feed in to the same high school anyway. Plus we always think its better to have mixed with some of the rougher kids at an early age rather than be confronted with them for the first time at high school! :-D
 

Floss

Well-Known Forumite
It's almost impossible to get an outstanding in ofsted! Majority of teachers have to gain an outstanding within the school in order for the school to recieve it and when some of the targets set are having all the children in your room arrived and seated on time is one of them, when there will always be a little johnny in a class wondering in a few minutes late! as well as any printed resources that have to be perfect e.g if you tell the class look at the red box on your handout and that red box is considered by the inspector to be red/orange then that becomes unfit for purpose! The standards are so high and sometimes out of the teachers control, especially if the printer is on the blink! I take my hat off to any school who recieves outstanding! Problem is nowadays schools may get results, but I would be looking to see the quality of the work first especially if there are btecs involved, where it is all about meeting a criteria rather than skill and technique based!
 

AA Silencers

Well-Known Forumite
My daughter has gone to Graham Balfour and having toured around the schools I was blown away by how good Balfour was. it just didn't seem like the traditional oppressive institutional schools that I remember. She's doing brilliantly there and they have some wonderful systems for both helping students advance and supporting those who are 'less interested in integrating into learning'.

Having said that my personal view is your children should be allowed to see the schools, see where their friends are going and decide themselves.
 

Florence

Well-Known Forumite
My son started Graham Balfour last September and has settled really well. He has ASD and I was told it was the school that most parents with children on "the spectrum" choose. Luckily we are within the catchment area. The teachers there seem very clued up, and the support he gets is excellent.
By the way, I went to Riso in the 80's if anyone wants a fight.
 

AA Silencers

Well-Known Forumite
I'm warning you, I was 'educated' in Cannock. So as part of my heritage I must duly accept your challenge of a skirmish of some variety. Might I also add at considerable volume and with more than a slight inflection of aggression 'come and 'ave ago if ya fink ya 'ard enough'.
 
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