School

[Lunar Scorpion]

Just an update, after saying ignore league tables, I need to re-emphasise this. King Eddies finished one place behind Walton in the recent published ones based on year 9 pupils who achieved level 5 or above in their SATs, this made them 7th in the County apparently, and comfortably ahead of the other secondary schools in Stafford. Does this mean much? ... of course it doesn't, but it didn't stop me pasting the article on the locker of my colleague who had informed me that he wouldn't let his kids go to Eddies' because it was "sh*t". He did look rather embarrssed when I pointed out that that's where my kids go!

No! lets hope we don't get any more of this kind of good publicity for Eddies, we'll have all the muppets who moved to the Walton catchment area, begging to be let back in to our slum. Well I am building a wall to keep them out, "Eddies for Highfields Kids, not for softy Southerners" We'll have people scrabbling to buy ex-council houses before you know it!

I agree 100%...

 

[shazbo]

my daughter goes to st leonards i decided to send her there after looking at osted reports this was 5 years ago she leaves next year hoping to send her weston or walton even though we live round corner from riso . which would be in walking distrance. dont want her to go there. i think it all depends on the child really if they want to learn or mess around like i did at balfour

 

[Lucy]

Exactly. I went to Rising Brook, and myself and all my friends are all professional people with very good jobs, we didn't mess around therefore we did well. My brother and sister both went too, although a long time before me, and my sister is now a director for a major publishing firm, so I don't think Riso should have as bad publicity as it does.

 

[shoes]

Thanks for all the help guys

I think John Wheeldon will be best for my daughter as it will be very close and she will have time to get used to the fact that she is not bussed to and from school everyday Now i just have to find a preschool/nursery for ma lil boi.

Luv
Tori X

I dunno Tori, I mean the school is a good quarter mile from your house, walking is dangerous. Isn't it abuot time you bought a Range Rover or a Land Cruiser?

 

[Mrs M]

I have four children at St Leonards, its a brilliant school and has a great pre-school attached (Leo's). All are doing brilliantly. I couldn't ask for more from them. Can't say more than that.

Previously I have said that the school best suited to my eldest sons needs was Walton. This has now changed and he is looking forward to going to Weston in September. I have heard many good and bad reports about the school and I am sure I have made the right decision.

 

[shazbo]

Daughter Goes Into High School Next Sept When Do You Have To Apply I Come From Rickerscote But Want Daughter To Try Get Into Weston But Not My Catchment

 

[basil]

i also went to Riso and i blame everyone at that school pupils ,teaching staff, dinner ladies, cleaners, parents, the caretaker , for the way i ended up......

 

[Mrs M]

Daughter Goes Into High School Next Sept When Do You Have To Apply I Come From Rickerscote But Want Daughter To Try Get Into Weston But Not My Catchment

www.staffordshire.gov.uk/education/admissions

Best have a look here.

 

[Rikki]

My girlfriends currently Doing her primary PGCE and from what i hear from her ofstead reports aren't the best indication of a school at all. Her current placement school got an excelent ofstead report but since working there she's been shocked at how terrible it is in almost all departments. Its actually the worst school shes ever worked in (out of about 6 i think) by a long way in her oppinion.

As for best Schools in stafford all i can say is i have good memories of John Wheeldon and Weston but that was a few years ago now so probably means nothing. Ive been told that Balfour is excellent facilities wise but i know little appart from that. Ive also been told by GF who went to walton and worked there its not as good a school as it used to be.

 

[Gramaisc]

... ofstead reports aren't the best indication of a school at all.

A friend of mine was subject to an Ofsted inspection a few years ago and two of the main criticisms were the German accent of the Geman teacher and the French accent of the French teacher. These teachers were in fact, German and French respectively, but, apparently, didn't speak their own languages as well as we might expect. That's how high our foreign language standards are in this country.

The report was pinned up in the staff room for all to see and honour.

 

[Rikki]

A friend of mine was subject to an Ofsted inspection a few years ago and two of the main criticisms were the German accent of the Geman teacher and the French accent of the French teacher. These teachers were in fact, German and French respectively, but, apparently, didn't speak their own languages as well as we might expect. That's how high our foreign language standards are in this country.

The report was pinned up in the staff room for all to see and honour.

Ill tell the Gf that one think she'll like it.


The problem with ofstead reports imo is the schools know when they are and prepare heavily for them. If they were random you would probably get a far better indication of the schools actual quality or lack of it.

 

[basil]

I know it's an old thread, however i'd gauge that all the senior schools are pretty much the same, this is Stafford not Trafford or Catford or Deptford. No child could be deemed 'at risk' by attending a school within the confines of the borough. Once the offspring gets to the age of transfer the phase of 'nurture' for the child is usually complete and the phase of 'paranoia' for the parent kicks in. League tables, snobbery, unwarranted reputations are more damaging than the actual schooling itself......

 

[Kingy]

The problem with ofstead reports imo is the schools know when they are and prepare heavily for them. If they were random you would probably get a far better indication of the schools actual quality or lack of it.

Schools only find out two days in advance, although they do have some indication of what year Ofsted will arrive as the inspections happen a set number of years after the previous one depending on how the school was judged.

Ofsted are now more interested in school self evaluation. Strengths and weaknesses are identified by Heads of Department and the Senior Management Team. Ofsted then checks that the judgements made are accurate.

 

[tek-monkey]

In the college they don't know when they're due anymore, its any time within the next x years. They do get a few weeks warning though. Half the stuff needed to pass an inspection nowadays seems a bit, well, pointless. I dunno, just seems like its box ticking rather than helping the students in many respects. But without it funding is cut, so you have to.

 

[shoes]

A friend of mine was subject to an Ofsted inspection a few years ago and two of the main criticisms were the German accent of the Geman teacher and the French accent of the French teacher. These teachers were in fact, German and French respectively, but, apparently, didn't speak their own languages as well as we might expect. That's how high our foreign language standards are in this country.

The report was pinned up in the staff room for all to see and honour.

Ill tell the Gf that one think she'll like it.


The problem with ofstead reports imo is the schools know when they are and prepare heavily for them. If they were random you would probably get a far better indication of the schools actual quality or lack of it.

The other fundamental problem with ofsted is they're wrong. They told my physics teacher that his teaching method was antiquated and was not as good as current standards. He got the 11th best A level physics results (proportionally) in the country. Top class analysis there ofsted!

 

[shoes]

I have four children at St Leonards, its a brilliant school and has a great pre-school attached (Leo's). All are doing brilliantly. I couldn't ask for more from them. Can't say more than that.

Previously I have said that the school best suited to my eldest sons needs was Walton. This has now changed and he is looking forward to going to Weston in September. I have heard many good and bad reports about the school and I am sure I have made the right decision.

To be fair to western road, there are a lot of kids from disadvantages families who go there and can give a bad image but i know plenty of people who went there are are doing absolutely fine both in terms of career and being a well rounded individual. I think tek made this point earlier in this thread too.

One thing I do have to mention though is, if you can afford the transport which is currently around £15 / week on the bus, Adams' Grammar is a VERY good school. I know this because I went there and because its haberdashery funded there are no extortionate fees to swallow like you would get with other grammar schools. It is of course selective though so an entrance exam would have to be taken.

 

[Gramaisc]

I may have said this before, but I went to ten schools and it doesn't matter a damn what they're like. If you're going to rely on schools to educate you, then you're on a loser from the start.

 

[Wookie]

One thing I do have to mention though is, if you can afford the transport which is currently around £15 / week on the bus

That seems expensive to me; an adult pass to get me to Cannock and back five days a week is about £20. That is on Arriva public buses, though, while shoes's example may be on another service and thus be more expensive.

 

[basil]

I may have said this before, but I went to ten schools and it doesn't matter a damn what they're like. If you're going to rely on schools to educate you, then you're on a loser from the start.

good point well made.....

 

[shazbo]

its not the school being bad or not its down to the child if they are going to learn or mess about