Hamsterhouse

We have two set of friends who did not get their children into the catchment area secondaries last year. They were both offered places at next one along, a failing school. Admission criteria gave priority to children at feeder schools which left not enough places for catchment area.

One family went private, the other went on the waiting list for the catchment area school, but they seem to be sliding down as more houses are built closer to the school than they are.


Of course it varies from area to area.

englishrose

thats prob it then, only one high school here,and that has to be filled by bussing kids in from 30 mins away.

eurotramp

We live in a suburb of London..lots of schools here..not all good though

ann m

This might worry me too. The Canadian curriculum generally runs about a year behind the UK one for kids of the same age. So technically, my daughter may have just completely missed out on the equivalent of UK Year 5 !! She's bright as a button, but both my girls would have to play catch up for a while.

Ain't hindsight a wonderful thing?! If I had in any way thought we would consider returning, I would have more seriously thought about pushing them both up a year. I decided against this option to keep them with their peer group (which has worked out well and they have good friends and have settled in well).

I'm starting that slippery road and sounding like all the other confused souls in this section - I've always maintained great empathy for the pickle we get ourselves into wouldn't life be so boring if we were certain of things all the time ?

Ruby Murray

Aww - I can't believe how many of us are feeling like this right now. It has to be the weather or family losses making us think alternatively. I wish you well in your talks and decisions, however they might end up. I can't say 100% that we will be returning back, but I sure feel like it right now.

Ruby

gryphea

Oh Ann

Sorry to hear things may come to this. I'm pretty sure secondary schools are like primary schools in that once full they won't accept you even if you move next door to the gates. What you need to do is forget about Met, Join west yorks and rent out our house whilst you get settled!!!!!!!

Echo Smelly, in fact I was thinking of posting anyway - what ever happened to the Cochrane girls night out?

Lucy

gryphea

PS

Is it an option that you return to a middle school?

ann m

Sorted - Done - Sold. Now then, what are the schools like ?

Yes, if we did return later this year, Daughter number one would go into Year 6 - but I fear if we leave things too late, we won't have posted that golden 'choice' form in time .....
aaagghh - I don't want to be thinking of stuff like this

joelsa

I am OK thanks but i am a little unsettled, just think i need a trip back to touch base with everyone, really missing my family.

gryphea

[QUOTE=ann m;5871334]Sorted - Done - Sold. Now then, what are the schools like ?



Fabulous! Well pretty good!

gryphea

PS

Forgot to mention I can rent you some friends as well!!!!

gryphea

Actually have decided I will throw the friends in for free!!! Kind of a ROG OFF , rent one get one free deal.

JAJ

And things are now so bad (at least in England and Wales) that the Labour government is encouraging popular schools to use lotteries to select their pupils.

Hamsterhouse

Which means you could end up with one child in a good school and the sibling in a failing school some miles away. It also puts an end to placing kids in 'friendship groups' which some schools still try to do to ease the transition from primary to secondary. The Brighton experiment was a disaster.

In the local news last weeek, on current estimates, in our area there will be more than 300 children without school places in 2010.

englishrose

Try not to worry too much. My daughter was average in canada,in grade 6 with kids two yrs older than herself.I worried that coming back here she would be behind.But in fact its been the opposite,she is getting top marks in most stuff,even french and maths,which she struggled with in canada.My son was held back a year in AB, and here they have let him into year 2 until christmas and now he's gone into year 3 and is doing great.I know he's had this support b/c its a small school,but theyve done great.
Once you get back here,you realise it isnt as bad as you think.
Good luck!