Info on state secondaries: Graveney, Chestnut, Hurlingham etc Post Reply

[Entitled]

Goodness me, from experience, I know that secondary selection is fraught but this post takes the biscuit. I wonder if this is a serious request for information, given entrance criteria related to distance no one would be eligible for a place at all of these schools.
This is a social message board, not a work platform. Do not be surprised if others give their opinion of a given school, even if you expressly say you don’t want to hear it. Schools are very much horses for courses, reputations lag behind current experiences.

[happy woman]

The reason they prohibit cycling to school at Ashcroft is due to the heavy traffic around the area and out of concern for their pupils' safety.

[StCs mum]

Just fyi re St Cecilia’s, I think feedback on lack of homework in years 7-9 has been addressed. My year 8 definitely getting a lot more than their older sibling did at the same stage. Years 10 and 11 ramp up too. I think my kids have a nice balance which is important for us as they have sports and other clubs outside of school. They’re also happy at school and I like the people they’re becoming. It’s not perfect by any stretch. I wish they had their own textbooks (we’ve bought them ourselves), I wish they were spoon fed more. I don’t think they’re taught to pass exams but actually encourage independent thinking which works for some and not others. I hear Harris wimbledon is a lot more pushy with online revision seminars before and after school in gcse years. Great school trips there too.

[PForSWParent]

@PrettyInPink check the official source
https://www.atacademy.org.uk/page/?titl ... icy&pid=65

Ashcroft's official behaviour policy states on page 10 that students who are absent will complete an hour after school for every hour they have missed through absence. They call it "catch up" but it's bs: there is no learning, no catch up, they just lock you in a room. It's basically a detention.

Teachers at the open day and families who send their kids there confirmed that's the case.

I understand that attendance is important and I disagree with holidays taken during term times.

But I find this abusive. It's one of the reasons why I'd never send my kids to Ashcroft.

To all those who say that Ashcroft is outstanding, my reply is that so were Holland Park and Mossbourne, and that those cases prove how useless Ofsted's ratings are.

To be clear, I made these exmaples not to berate the parents who disagree with me, but because clarifying what is important for me is crucial in getting useful feedback. If someone tells me they like another school because it has a very similar philosophy to Ashcroft, then I know it's not for me.

[PForSWParent]

@happywoman, no that's simply false.
As the reddit post clarifies, the policy banning bicycles was created before the school in its current form even existed. And there is no process in place to check if it's still current or if it should be updated.

It is a policy driven by ideology, not by evidence nor real concern.

How many other schools have this kind of policy??

And, by the way, given it's oversubscribed, many students live in quiet back roads which would make for perfectly safe cycling.

The point is not whether my child would cycle. The point is that a headteacher who thinks he can punish students cycling to school is a huge red flag and signals to me that there is a very high risk of the same kind of emotional abuse that was well documented at Mossbourne and Holland Park.

[PForSWParent]

@Entitled, I have already explained school by school what our odds are. Rest assured I have done my homework and not listed schools where the odds are zero

Graveney only via the Wandsworth test.

Chetsnut we have a chance if she does well in the test, because the max distance for the top band is always greater etc.

And no, I am not surprised that people disagree.
I was simply trying to clarify what the question was.

Again: I know that many people prefer Indian food over Chinese, but, if someone asks for recommendations of Chinese restaurants, do you try to convince them that Indian is better?

[PForSWParent]

@happywoman to clarify, I unfortunately have plenty of direct and indirect experience of bullying and coercive behaviour, and of the kind of damage and scars it can inflict on the mental health of people.
This means I am incredibly sensitive to potential red flags which signal a higher risk of said behaviour. The cases of Mossbourne and Holland Park are sadly perfect examples.
We wouldn't tolerate this stuff in the workplace so it's beyond me why we tolerate it in schools.

I won't judge you if you had different experiences and disagree.
Please do not judge me for having reached these conclusions after my experiences.

[Prettyinpink]

Yes, you are incredibly sensitive.

I've looked at the document and it doesn't specify that the catch up sessions are also obligatory for children who are off sick.

Also, perhaps they are not a bad idea to make sure children don't stay behind and can catch up with what's covered in class. As long as they are productive. You say nothing happens during these hours and it's like detention. I would love to hear from an actual parent if it happens and if these sessions are good or punitive. If a child misses school as an unauthorised absence then fair enough.

We will be visiting the school for an open day too of course.

[Goldhawk]

"Do not allow your child to have time off for minor complaints or illnesses; if they are well enough to be up and about they are well enough to attend school                                                                                               

Send your child in to school even when they appear unwell, unless the illness is more serious. We will contact you to collect him or her if necessary, but better your child is in school feeling unwell than at home"

This is from the Ashcroft website 

 

[Scottishdad]

@prettyinpink No, it’s utter nonsense… like pretty much every school the teachers will take a balanced view on whether a child missing a day needs to catch up, and how best to do that. If that’s an hour after school then the teachers provide work that needs to be caught up and usually talk the kids through it in class beforehand. They’re certainly not just isolating and locking kids up. Yes there’s a room where they do catchup and detentions outside of the normal classrooms but it’s not Guantanamo Bay! Posters using emotive language like ‘locked up’ and ‘isolated’ is misleading.

My son is at Ashcroft and has had times where he has missed lessons and has had no catchup, and times where he has been given catchup to do. Our experience has been that Ashcroft is no more strict or trigger happy with detentions than Graveney or Harris Wimbledon (we have friends with kids at both).

@OP if you want a school that delivers good academic achievement then you need to expect they will have an emphasis on attendance and behaviour. You seem to have strong views on most schools and on what’s right for your child so I’d suggest you just engage directly with the schools you’re considering and ask them about their approach and ethos.

[PForSWParent]

@prettypink the policy very clearly states that students who are absent will complete an hour after school for every hour they missed.

The policy does not state there are any exceptions for illnesses or other reasons.

Teachers and families confirmed that, in fact, there are no exceptions whatsoever.

Teachers and families also confirmed that what they misleadingly call catch up is not learning time with the teachers : it's just a detention. So the kids who would have done some catching up at home will do so in that hour. The kids who would not will not.

Anyway, don't take my word for it: do your due diligence and ask the school and other families.

@Goldhawk further clarified that the school's philosophy is to send your child even when unwell.

Attendance is important, but this risks creating unnecessary anxiety attacks in children who are genuinely unwell - especially young girls who start menstruating.

@Scottishdad no, it's not Guantanamo, but the fact remains that they call it "catch up" but it's BS, there is no catch up, no learning with the teachers, etc. Does your experience contradict what teachers and parents told me about this?

How can you talk about a balanced view about a school which will give detentions for children caught cycling to school??

Of course attendance and behaviour are important. But you can be reasonable and strict without being unreasonable and crazy. Mossbourne, Holland Park and Ashcroft all fit into the unreasonable and crazy bucket for me. If your child is happy there I am happy for you but I know it's not for us.

Tell me, what is your opinion of the emotional abuse scandal at Mossbourne and Holland Park and what makes you think the same cannot happen at Ashcroft, since the ethos is so similar?

[PForSWParent]

Just fyi re St Cecilia’s, I think feedback on lack of homework in years 7-9 has been addressed.

Thank you, this is very useful feedback.
My strong opinion, which I know not everyone will agree with, is that if a school is a calm environment but doesn't push my kids enough academically then we can compensate with some tutoring.

If a school is very academic but is also crazy and condones emotional abuse, then it won't be the same to undo that damage with therapy and counselling.

Of course the preference would be to have a reasonable school which is academic, strict but fair and reasonable.

[Prettyinpink]

The teachers confirmed to you that "what they misleadingly call catch up is not learning time with the teachers : it's just a detention."... The teachers at the school...? I'm sorry but this thread is getting a bit ridiculous now

Thank you Scottishdad - reassuring to hear and we will visit and do research to make our own mind

[PForSWParent]

@Prettyinpink at the last open day I asked 3 teachers how this "catch up worked" and if there was any actual learning with teachers.
One was very vague and basically refused to answer.
Two teachers explained that it wasn't learning time with teaching stuff.
I spoke to a handful of parents who confirmed it.

Based on this, I drew the conclusion that what they call "catch up" is misleading.

I fail to see how any of this would be ridiculous. It is ridiculous that they call detentions "catch ups", not that I find this misleading.

[MummE]

You have completely derailed your own thread here, taking it from a strangely-worded request for info, to an Ashcroft-bashing thread. Really odd!