SueW and Thirtysomething (and anyone else in East Mids making private school TC/NHS decisions)

[fishnet]

Can I join in? DS1 has both NHS and TC interviews next week and I don't know what to do for the best

[Sonnet]

I presume you have looked around and taken DS - what were your gut reactions?

Where do other siblings go to school and where will they move on to?

Both q's I have asked myself {grin}

[fishnet]

Hi sonnet. He is our eldest so I have no other experience. We used to live very close to TC and went to look around last year and were very impressed. The children were happy and friendly, the teachers were great and the facilities fantastic. Went to NHS (infant unit) and have a strong feeling that they value interactive whiteboards and laptops over class sizes and teachers etc.

NHS would mean I could work full time which impacts on being able to pay for private education in the first place. TC would mean an hour and a half round trip to get DS to school and then get to work.

I am agonising over this. He'll end up at NHS since its easier.

[marialuisa]

Unless you have a really strong preference for one or the other, I'd start with the school that makes life easier and see how it goes. But it doesn't sound as if you're comfortable with NHS really? Did you look at St Joseph's or Greenholme?

My experience of private schools in the East Mids is that despite what they tell you, so long as your child is "up to it", (and I suspect schools' definitions of that is fluid) there is always a space. DD was offered places at short notice and when the schools should have been full.

[thirtysomething]

What sort of child is he? sporty? academic? quiet? extrovert? We were VERY impressed with TC in terms of ethos and facilities....were definitely going to go for TC despite length of day/saturday school/long us journey but when DS went to take the exam he so went off it! We don't know why - didn't like the general feel, competitiveness amongst the children, how the teachers were. It scared him. He loves the feel of NHS and even though my gut instinct says TC will be more laid-back and less pressure, he is desperate to go for NHS. Loves the teachers, loves the kids he knows there already and just feels it's more "him". I am worried though as I just hope he doesn't change his mind....

[thirtysomething]

just realised you are talking junior school Sonnet not senior? From what i';ve heard there's little difference between the two in terms of pressure at that age; the difference kicks in from year 7. However bear in mind that the day/journey will be more of an issue in the senior school at Trent (my DS wouldn't be home till 6.30). I know someone who's taken a DS out of TC junior school as he just wasn't ready for the amount of work involved....I think you really need to know your DS is up to that amount of homework on top of the journey....We know several boys at NHS juniors who are v. happy and they don't seem to overworked!! But that's all just hearsay...

[scrooged]

I didn't like NHS. I took ds to the junior open day, I didn't like the way they spoke to him, they tried to belittle him when he tried to join in the conversation (it was about him, I did take him aside later but I thought their comments were quite nasty), he felt ignored so started messing about. It was just the junior school though, I have no idea about the senior school but if this is how they treat the young ones..... It's also in a red light district I've been told.

[fishnet]

Hi everyone

Thanks for your comments. I'm still stressed over this. DS1 liked NHS (Lovell house) but then he's only three and knows nothing about school. He actually said after we'd done the tour " Mummy when I am 4 and go to school I will burst with happiness and be happy for life"

My main problems with NHS are

the fact that they are taking double the amount of boys this year but no extra teachers, just double the class size

the fact that the library is rubbish but they have laptops coming out of their ears

the location (although it is convenient for work)

the cost compared to TC, GH and StJ

the fact that DS1 can't continue to get his grant because they're not ofsted inspected (which makes me suspicious)

Benefits are:

more likely to get into the senior school

location

Decided to take him to both sets of enytrance asessments at TC and NHS but worried that its just going to confuse him.

[SueW]

I bet Lovell House will be working on the inspection thing - it's a very new school. We got a partial refund on DD's fees at The Elms when she was in Nursery (and first term of Reception iirc) because of the grant thing and it was also a new school - one year old when DD joined. But they had Ofsted in fairly quickly.

Unless you know someone else's children well, it's difficult to relate how your child will cope - and if your child is only 3yo, even more so. e.g. We've had years of DD having 5 mins of homework whilst other parents have complained of too much (weekly spellings which have to be worked on each evening, daily subject homework, times tables, music practice plus the inevitable after-school activities). But DD would look at spellings and know them, picked up tables easily, shirk on music practice, knock off daily homework in moments. I'm honestly not boasting, just trying to show the difference in perceptions of how pressured children are.

The days are long at TC (8.30-4.15pm) and there are Saturday morning school and Saturday afternoon sports commitments from Y9. Buses leave at 5.40pm Mon-Fri. DD opts (really honestly opts, she could walk home if she chose) to stay in prep most nights until 5.30pm and so only very rarely brings work home. They have tea (bread and jam, I think but it's optional) 4.15-4.35, a prep session, a break, another prep session. So thirtysomething your DS might not get home until 6.30pm but it's unlikely he'd have homework to do then - just eat supper and unwind with the family.

FWIW from the moment I moved back to Nottm I was convinced DD would go to NGHS as I loved my time there. Then TC announced it was opening The Elms and it was on our doorstep - why put DD & me through a daily commute into town, or her onto a bus (if allowed, some only allow from Y3 up I think) for a couple of hours a day?

Maybe pure laziness but I opted for the 'walk-to-school' option.....

DH's quite sensible view on this could probably be summed up after he'd been round TC and one other school I dragged him to - "the kids who show us round are great. I'd be happy if she turned out like any of them"

They are all good, long-established schools. I think we are very lucky in this area that we have schools like this and that there is pretty much a place for anyone who chooses to pay. There are also, within limits partic at senior level, places for people who can't. But I don't know whether any of the schools are wealthy enough to support a huge amount of bursary money.

[SueW]

Oops sorry. I did say I could go on a bit about this....

[scrooged]

If you look at the displays at NHS(junior)and pictures they have up, they are all a few years old. This rings alarm bells with me. Why show pictures that are three years old? Have the children not done anything worthy in the past two years? I found this odd.

[SueW]

Which pics scrooged?

We go to NHS junior (on main campus) every Thursday evening for orchestra and I've not noticed that.

I recently commented to someone that they (NHJS) have changed their corridor displays to photos of the children and not children's work, which is what was displayed last year but was told (not by anyone connected to the school other than the loose capacity that I am!) that 'all schools do that in their public areas now'. They then suggested I look around the classrooms and I did and saw some great stuff- children writing about themselves, what they thought life would be like in the next year group, what their interests were, their pet names, etc. And also their topic work. I know TC junior school does this too. Can't remember about O what it has in corridors vs. classrooms.

NHJS also display their current school council stuff, their instrument lessons, their music comps, their prowess at chess, etc.

I'd highly recommend doing things like orchestra to get the chance to have a nosey round schools!

For NGHS might be a bit more difficult but I know a music teacher who runs a music summer school on their premises. And of course all three schools have summer childcare courses running on-site (not by the school though AFAIK)

[scrooged]

Geography visits. I asked the child showing us round if he had a nice time, he said he didn't go as the picture were taken a couple of years ago. I hope they have changed them. For did this aswell, the child who was showing us round was in them and was alot smaller. Even the teacher said they were a couple of years old, they were unable to go anywhere the previous year because of the weather .

How's your dd getting on? ds's school have had an erm...interesting boy from the elms start his school. I'm moving ds (again ), I've filled in the forms for a couple of really good state schools close to home. ds's dad may be made redundant in March, the travel to school is too much and it's costing way too much with the travel. They are unwilling to split the fees into monthly payments and I don't get a bursary. I'm so pissed off. I was thinking of TC for when he's 11, he's not being stretched where he is either and there's alot of 'boysterous' boys. ds is copying them. I'm not sure what to do.

[marialuisa]

Scrooged-is this of any interest?
www.sanselms.co.uk/school.asp?section=152&parentID=116&article=62

would be boarding though

[MollieO]

Maybe it is a regional thing but at my ds's school and the attached senior school lots of children's artwork is displayed. Senior stuff is amazing, less so at my ds's level .

[scrooged]

Thanks for that maria. I did email the head last year but I didn't get a reply back. I'll have a think.

[thirtysomething]

scrooged you should go to NHS senior school open day in the autumn - the artwork is awesome and there were really good displays in history/geography/latin etc too. Sports and music are fab there and the library is very well resourced and librarian v. helpful. One thing I like about it is that there aren't TOO many computers - they do have and use them but still do loads of work in exercise books with proper pens (unlike our local comp where it's computers for everything). I haven't looked at Lovell House or the junior section but I think they are quite different in scope. However all the junior boys we know are happy and well-rounded.

Sue I know what you mean about TC but the journey etc just doesn't appeal to DS - he would really need to feel swayed by the school to contemplate the journey I think and he just doesn't!! It's all about vibes they pick up and he just didn't like it enough to want to go there. I suspect he may regret it in a year or so but I don't want to force him to go even if I sense it may be the wisest choice overall as he might never get over that?

[scrooged]

Thanks thirty. It's worth looking at again. I did meet some boys from the senior school whilst at the open day we went to a couple of years ago, they seemed really nice, however, I know that they are not going to allow the 'lively' ones to represent the school to perspective parents. I know that the school ds currently attends (he's not going back next week) has alot of disruptive pupils in year 7, there appears to be alot in the school and ds doesn't need any encouragement to join in so it makes the guidance I'm trying to give him twice as difficult. He'd benefit from being around quieter boys. I'm not sure if they would benefit from being around him though , he's infectious!

[thirtysomething]

don't know which school you are referring to but there are some v. good schools in Nottingham where they work with lively boys and use their energies positively....my DS's infant school(state)didn't however - they hardly ever did PE and the lively boys got livelier....in the end no-one learnt much as the teacher was always telling them to calm down...at that age I'd look at levels of physical exercise, opportunities for model-making etc as a guide to whether there will be good discipline. A boy who has had the chance to run around is bound to knuckle down more in class, but not all schools recognise that!!

[scrooged]

Ds is at a school in Derby. He's very, very bright but doesn't cope too well in a large class IYKWIM. I'm trying to find an activity to use up his need for 'entertaining'. He's not being challenged in his current school, it's a PITA to get to aswell. He does PE twice a week, runs around in playtime and lunch time but if he's with a group of children that are loud and silly he'll always try and go one better. I can't pay his fees in the lump sum the school requires and they have asked me not to take him back after half term unless I have all of the terms fees. I'm paid monthly so this is a problem, hence the need for a new school (and the travel). The state schools where we live appear to offer the same as his current school, they are alot closer so I'll be saving 2 and a half hours a day, they are also free so I can take him on holiday!! The first one ever. As he's not being stretched in his current school (gramm) then I'll have to see how this panns out, it will give me time to save or another year and a half of regrets.

[thirtysomething]

Well one advantage we've found in a state school is that they stream for maths and literacy and - if the teacher is good and not obsessed with SATS targets- they will take a "sky's the limit" attitude and set your DS work at his level - this might be something to ask about? In fact DS did best at a time when he was in Y1 in a Y1/Y2 class as the brighter Y1s did the Y2 work and the Y2s set a good behaviour example to the Y1s. However he did have two whole school years at juniors where he wasn't stretched as his teachers just taught to the test and he got v. bored. Good luck with finding a new school!

[scrooged]

I've been lucky enough to find 2!, one is closer then the other, they both have excellent G&T provisions, class, group and individual work, encourage individuality (up to a point I assume), support individual learning. Sounds lovely so I'll have to see how it panns out. ds is a lovely kid but everyone views him differently. He picks things up very quickly and likes to discuss things, which doesn't always go down well in the class as the teachers don't have the time to do this. He was assessed at his old school last year and has a maths age of 14 and a literacy age of 16+ (it only goes up to 16). I don't think the current school believe this, he's in the top group in his class for things but he's whizzing through the work as it's so easy for him. He's 9 by the way. I imagine it will be really difficult for any school to cater for him, I find him intimidating at times as he knows alot more then me and asks questions that I have no idea about. It's never easy! There's a couple of male teachers in one of the schools so this will be good for him. He behaves alot better when he has a man teaching him, strange.

Where is your son now?

[SueW]

thirtysomething it sounds as though NHS is the best choice for you - better journey and your son's vibes, the latter being hugely important. There is some movement between the schools, should he change his mind later (although fierce rugby competition between the two schools might well rule that out in his own mind!!)

There's a sort of 'Sliding Doors' thing that goes on in my head from time to time about how different our choices would have been had we chosen either of te other two houses we looked at when we bought this.

[Breedinglikeone]

Hi Ladies - this thread is porobably dead - but just in case - anyone knbow anything about Greenholms - we might be moving Notts way and this would be just round the corner from where I hope to work...DD just turned 3. Looks a bit tiny?! But its mixed which I want for DD and the newsletters all seem very parking focussed - not so much about the kids?! BTW new to this game - do independant schools not have to be ofsted-ed?

[Breedinglikeone]

DD brighter than might be suggested by my spelling in previous. Trying to roast a chicken, sew up a swim bag and MN simultaneously.

[Breedinglikeone]

And its the school that looks a bit tiny, not DD!