Schools in Stafford - Discussions & opinions

[Admin]

Just creating this thread to avoid derailing this thread.

All general discussion of schools in Stafford in here, please.

Thanks.

 

[Admin]

For reference, and to continue discussion:

Apart from not liking your attitude when you replied earlier because for some reason you seemed to assume my post had been aimed at you personally, hence my high horse comment, I don't believe that I am being rude.

I would say that your post was aimed at those that think Walton is a good school.
I am one one those therefore your post was aimed at me.

To call someone gullible and plain ignorant just because they have an opinion which you dont share IS rude.

Would you say it to my face if you were standing before me?

I think all the comments about a child's education not solely being provided by a school really go without saying. So taking that as a given point, that education goes beyond schooling, most parents want their child to achieve good exam results, (because rightly or wrongly that is what most employers look at)


Adams Grammar and NGHS which have both been cited as good schools are both in Newport.

There are lots of comments about what people consider a good education to be and whether league tables are important but everyone is avoiding the question.

What would be considered the best school IN STAFFORD without going private?

 

[Floss]

I think the best school in any town is the best one that is suited to your own child's needs

 

[Admin]

For reference, and to continue discussion:

My sister has recently started working for The Sutton Trust (http://www.suttontrust.com/) It's all about promoting social mobility in education; which is quite pertinent in this thread I think...

 

[Gramaisc]

Two of my schools had debating societies - does that sort of thing still go on?

 

[Floss]

I think the best school in any town is the one that is most suited to your own child's needs

 

[proactive]

I would say that your post was aimed at those that think Walton is a good school.
I am one one those therefore your post was aimed at me.

You are at perfect liberty to choose to take this personally if you wish, however wrong that interpretation is, I will no longer stand in your way.

Would you say it to my face if you were standing before me?

No, because as I have explained ad nauseam, that is not what I meant.

However, if it had been what I meant, then the answer is yes.

Simply for the sake of clarity, in case anyone else should feel I am personally attacking their choices, I will try and rephrase what I typed earlier.

It is true that I do not think Walton is a very good school. That opinion is based upon:

a) being a former pupil there
b) comments I hear from friends who are staff at Walton
c) experiences of some (not all) of my friends who have kids there
d) MOST IMPORTANTLY, dealings that I have had, in a business and coaching capacity concerning Walton Sixth Formers

I simply don't think Walton is all it's cracked up to be. An academically gifted child will do well in any half decent school, for the reasons many other contributors to this thread have pointed out. Therefore an academically gifted child is just as likely to do well in BWH, SGB, Weston Rd etc as it is in Walton. The fact that the catchment area makes it more likely for Walton to have more academically gifted children and more motivated parents mainly accounts for its position at higher up the league tables than the other, local schools.

Having said that, why should we see the fact that 'only' 19% of their students fail to meet basic academic standards as a measure of success. If it is such a great school, then that 19% has been seriously let down.

My comment about gullibility and ignorance (again aimed generally) was that in spite of the fact that Walton is probably no better or worse than any other Stafford school, people are perfectly prepared to pay a substantial premium to live in its catchment area, compared to say BWH, which strikes me as odd. However, as I have a vested interest in people so doing, because it increases the value of my own property substantially, I shall shut up about it

 

[db]

You are at perfect liberty to choose to take this personally if you wish, however wrong that interpretation is, I will no longer stand in your way.

to be fair, you told @Carole to "get off her high horse," so one could argue that is kinda personal..

It is true that I do not think Walton is a very good school. That opinion is based upon:

a) being a former pupil there
b) comments I hear from friends who are staff at Walton
c) experiences of some (not all) of my friends who have kids there
d) MOST IMPORTANTLY, dealings that I have had, in a business and coaching capacity concerning Walton Sixth Formers

in the interests of balance:

1. i'm a former pupil there.
2. i have friends and family who currently have children there, of various ages, so i also hear comments.
3. see above.
4. i have had no dealings with 6th formers, in either a business or coaching capacity, other than being one many, many years ago.

i intend to do everything in my power to make sure my little girl goes to walton..

I simply don't think Walton is all it's cracked up to be. An academically gifted child will do well in any half decent school, for the reasons many other contributors to this thread have pointed out. Therefore an academically gifted child is just as likely to do well in BWH, SGB, Weston Rd etc as it is in Walton.

possibly true, but clearly other factors will have an effect on that child..

Having said that, why should we see the fact that 'only' 19% of their students fail to meet basic academic standards as a measure of success. If it is such a great school, then that 19% has been seriously let down.

yeah, but how does that percentage compare to other schools in the area? as you said yourself, every student is individual and has individual capabilities, desires and motivation.. no school is ever going to get 0% failure..

My comment about gullibility and ignorance (again aimed generally) was that in spite of the fact that Walton is probably no better or worse than any other Stafford school, people are perfectly prepared to pay a substantial premium to live in its catchment area, compared to say BWH, which strikes me as odd. However, as I have a vested interest in people so doing, because it increases the value of my own property substantially, I shall shut up about it

if you look at the "who we've arrested this week" section of the local papers, you will notice that pupils of certain schools crop up more often than others.. walton is not one of those..

 

[proactive]

to be fair, you told @Carole to "get off her high horse," so one could argue that is kinda personal..

Only because of her attitude to me after she had misunderstood me.

Anyway, I'm sure your little girl will do well at Walton and I have yet to hear anyone with a bad word about Oakridge

 

[db]

Anyway, I'm sure your little girl will do well at Walton and I have yet to hear anyone with a bad word about Oakridge

well, indeed - as you and i have both said, there are so many factors that affect a youngster's upbringing and educational success, so i like to think she will do ok wherever she goes.. however, i would like to give her the best chance in life, as would any parent, and would rather send her somewhere that i am familiar with, i suppose..

 

[littleme]

'We' are in the process if choosing smallest child's high school as she's currently in year 6. To be fair its not really much of a choice... we are not in a position to move, & are not of any particular religious denomination so our choices are limited to 'catchment' area schools. We do though know people with kids in different schools across Stafford, Walton has a bad reputation both with parents with kids there & the kids view of the school....

 

[Gramaisc]

I think the best school in any town is the one that is most suited to your own child's needs

The best school, in an ideal world, should be the nearest one.

Mine varied from just climbing over two walls to spending over an hour going eighteen miles in the back of a death-trap van*.


* officially termed a "minibus" - wooden slatted seats where we all slid to the front if the brakes actually worked.

 

[Carole]

Only because of her attitude to me after she had misunderstood me.

Anyway, I'm sure your little girl will do well at Walton and I have yet to hear anyone with a bad word about Oakridge

I didnt have "an attitude" in my reply to you.

I just said that I didnt consider myself to be ignorant and then I quoted some facts and figures from the league tables. That's all.
I wasnt at all rude to you in any way.

But you then told me to get off my high horse.

Go back and re read my reply @proactive and you will see that my comments did not really warrant your vitriol.

 

[Floss]

The best school, in an ideal world, should be the nearest one.

Mine varied from just climbing over two walls to spending over an hour going eighteen miles in the back of a death-trap van*.


* officially termed a "minibus" - wooden slatted seats where we all slid to the front if the brakes actually worked.

Yes I think it would be difficult travelling 18 miles you wouldn't necessary make friends so well in your own neighbourhood, that's what happened to my OH still resents it now.

 

[markpa12003]

There doesn't seem to be a lot of love for Walton.

When I was about 14 years of age my parents were close to moving within the catchment area of Walton and I was enrolled at the school. However, the house purchase fell through and I went to another school outside of Stafford. Possibly a lucky escape, I have no idea.

 

[proactive]

I didnt have "an attitude" in my reply to you.

I just said that I didnt consider myself to be ignorant and then I quoted some facts and figures from the league tables. That's all.
I wasnt at all rude to you in any way.

But you then told me to get off my high horse.

Go back and re read my reply @proactive and you will see that my comments did not really warrant your vitriol.

Vitriol?

Vitriol - Bitterly abusive feeling or expression.

Oh dear...

 

[Gramaisc]

Yes I think it would be difficult travelling 18 miles you wouldn't necessary make friends so well in your own neighbourhood, that's what happened to my OH still resents it now.

Oddly, perhaps, the best school I went to was fifteen miles away - the journeys* there and back every day are something that I still remember with great fondness - one day I will retrace the trip - these were the only times that I ever looked forward to going to school (still not looking forward to actually getting there, though) - the 18 mile trip was in Lincolnshire and I doubt that I could ever be dragged back there...

* there is a video on YouTube of a chap doing most of that trip on a motorbike - I watch it to remember the good days.

As I said - in an ideal world......

It's not a simple thing.

 

[Carole]

Vitriol?


Oh dear...

ok @proactive

not vitriol.

unpleasantness, unkindness.

Either way, I dont think my reply to you deserevd your comments.
I am not a nasty person, and yes your remarks have stung me.

Edited to say, yes perhaps I need to harden up.

But we cant always change who we are.
Not having a good week one way or the other which is why I am being even more sensitive than usual.

 

[Mikinton]

Only because of her attitude to me after she had misunderstood me.

Anyway, I'm sure your little girl will do well at Walton and I have yet to hear anyone with a bad word about Oakridge

Well you would now if I was brave enough to go into detail, though it was quite a long time ago. Let's just say there was a reason their stats were so good at the time.

And for the record, both of mine went to Walton over 10 years ago, and did OK. One got 6 A*s at A Level.

 

[wildwood]

I went to Walton during the 90's with no problem whatsoever and looking back I enjoyed my time there. During 6th form there were a select few who got involved in drugs - some who were suspended pending police investigation or expelled - but I dare say that situation probably goes on across the county. It certainly hasn't put me off sending my eldest two who are now in years 10 and 8 and thriving.

Having said that there are couple of kids I know of recently who have only stayed for year 7 and then moved to Stafford Grammar.. and not being down to a house move.