Children at Burford Secondary school?

Tue 10 Oct 2006, 10:57

Chippy and Burford?
Well is there a difference? the answer is yes a big one.
Chippy claims sorry is funded as a school for thr arts. Burford for technology. I had my son in Chippy for 2 years and moved him out. MY view of the schools are these:

1 In chippy if you are in the top or bottom sets you are activly encouraged to improve.(extra funding available)
2 Burford everyone is encouraged to do their best at all times.
3 Discipline is equal across the board @ Burford and not ad hoc.
4 Burford has a low turn over of staff, Chippy has had up to 15 in a term with teachers straight out of training being made form masters.
5 The thing that done it for me was when my son said on Friday night that the pupils in Burford where nicer and friendlier.

As for the OFSTED inspections I have never had great faith in them as anybody who has up to 6 months notice can pass an inspection,I would prefer a no notice inspection that way ther is no change or slipping of standards.

Tue 19 Sep 2006, 23:23

There are statistics and then there are statistics. The thing to do is look past them and decide what your child will gain the most from and where they will be happiest. Having experienced OFSTED checks I know that they mean naff all as to how a school etc is doing but just how well they check out on the criteria. My view has always been that a child will do well if they are happy in a place. Now I am living in France and our kids are in the French education system it is so easy to see the way that the UK is lacking in all areas like education, health etc

Tue 19 Sep 2006, 19:22

hi igor do you love me that much if so why do you think my daughter does not exist, ask any body in sturt close about jasmin they will tell you she is flesh and blood and not a figment of my warped imagination.if we had not moved to wales she would have gone to chipping norton school and learnt to spell like you yaki da boyo uncle giro

Fri 15 Sep 2006, 21:53

David, do you really think anyone actually believes that jasmine is other than you?

Are there mental health workers you can contact in Wales?

Get help fast.

Sat 2 Sep 2006, 00:28

hi im jasmin giles i went to charlbury primary school and it was the best time of my life any 1 who knows me get in contact plz im david giles daughter

Sun 20 Aug 2006, 13:06

People of Charlbury, you don't know how lucky you are. To have such good schools !!!

Tue 15 Aug 2006, 15:39

League tables, whether of value added or results, cannot decide which is the best school - for you. They do not give any indication of the extra-curricular strengths, ethos, discipline, or any other myriad things which make a good school. As I have said before, we are fortunate in West Oxfordshire, we do not have any bad schools. However, with growing population in the area, the option to express a preference for secondary schools may become more dificult.

Fri 11 Aug 2006, 12:19

League tables, in my opinion, need treating with caution! Attention should be given to the 'value added data' which gives a much more objective picture of the quality of teaching going on in an individual school.

Fri 4 Aug 2006, 16:59

In the league tables, Burford is head-and-shoulders above Chippy
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/05/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/931_alevel_lea.stm

Fri 19 May 2006, 21:46

I'm glad you posted that Pat! I was thinking the same thing when someone said there was no real difference between the 2 schools!
As we're moving this summer Burford and Chippy are now off the cards, but I know which one I'd have prefered for my children.

Kate

Fri 19 May 2006, 20:41

In the recent SATs results, Burford recieve the HIGHEST results in the county, while Chippy was 6th or 7th. The excellent teaching has also been recorded by a recent OFSTED report, where the school was given a 2, which is 'Good'. Although I am unsure of the Chippy report, I would hope this report shows the true strength of Burford teaching.

Fri 10 Mar 2006, 09:49

Cooch: thanks for such a concise answer to my question. For me you correctly identified the three key issues. It's so reassuring that there's no substantial quality difference in the academic offerings between Chippy and Burford. That does make me feel lucky to live in an area with high quality schools.

Likewise, your third criterion of peers is spot on. Ofcourse my daughter is going to want to go to the school that most of her friends are going to and that will be defined at the time.

As to the second criterion, thank you for your honesty and being brave enough to raise an issue that in my experience, often gets brushed under the carpet by my middle classes friends.

Class is unfortunately a prevelant issue in and around Charlbury and in my opinion, one of the most devisive ones.

Perhaps I am more acutely aware of class snobbery being an outsider, by it is disturbing to find vestiges of inviduals who still think of class as important part of their identity and cling to it in some mistaken notion of retaining their 'Englishness' or heritage.

Legally, class distinctions are discriminatory and counter to basic civil rights. Socially, it's about as far backwards as you can march to judge others on the basis of their birth or family rather than who they are as an individual.

Personally, I think class distinctions belong on the funeral pyre of failed social ills, along with racism and sexism.

Fortunatley, our children tend to agree.

Thu 23 Feb 2006, 21:56

What is the real difference, Igor asks. For what it is worth, here is my opinion.

There are 3 issues at stake:

1. The academic achievements at each school. Both are as near as damn it equal. As has been commented on, we are very fortunate in having such good schools locally. The difference in potential achievement in a given subject, whether it be music, technology, the arts or whatever is negligible, in my opinion. What matters is your child's attitude, and maybe chancing upon a teacher who can inspire. So choosing one of these schools over the other because of a reputation in any subject is not an option. A child with the right attitude will succeed at either.

2. Class. Oops, sorry - is that a dirty word? I may be wrong, but if you are are middle class, or aspiring middle class, you may tend towards Burford. Something to do with it's history, I suppose. The bus fare will set you back £600/yr, and the uniform (with Blazers, shirts, ties, sports kit etc.) is not cheap either. I have got into deep water before by suggesting that this is a factor - but look where the kids get picked up to go to their respective schools on the bus. Whether it be just or not - class plays it's part.

3. Peers. Forget the academic side, forget the class connotations of each school, forget the impressions of going to inductions. When it comes down to it this is what matters - where your childs friends are going. The step up to Secondary is not only daunting to a child, but a very major step for us parents too. We all want our kids to feel comfortable and secure on that first day in a big school. That is why, in the end, my choice (rather - our choice) came down to this factor.
And I can't think of any better reason to choose a school for a Charlbury child.

Fri 27 Jan 2006, 20:32

In the last GCSE results, Burford scored higher in the number of at least 5 A*-C grades, as well as the same number for A*-G. Also, although a new leisure facility has been built next door to the school, Chippy doesn't have as many team sports (Rugby, Hockey etc) as Burford. Burford has one of the largest numbers of sport fixtures per year, and new teams are being introduced every year (Girls football).

Fri 20 Jan 2006, 09:26

Can someone outline what the academic leanings are in each school?

It's hard to make a choice based merely on league tables which are more a reflection of a school's ability to achieve cirriculum targets than an overall approach to education.

What's the real difference between Burford and Chippy?

Mon 16 Jan 2006, 19:37

I can only agree with you Helen - I wasn't being biased. It is an enormous responsibility and you can only really be led by what you feel is right for your child. Yes, we are lucky, in a way, that we have the choice though, in some ways it does make it more difficult. I do have to add, though, that the whole idea of a forum is to start discussions and air thoughts and ideas, hopefully to help others.

Mon 16 Jan 2006, 19:16

The choice of secondary school is one of the hardest decisions we make for our children. We are fortunate in West Oxfordshire in having several good comprehensive schools. However,the right school for one student is not necessarily the right school for another; all students are individuals with different needs. Exam league tables and reputations are only a tiny part of the picture. We chose Burford for our eldest son, but made another choice for our younger son based on his needs. We are as content as we can be that we made the right decisions. I not sure that airing criticims or comparisons in the forum is especially helpful - it is such a small and self selecting sample. Visit as many different schools as you can and make up your own mind as to what you think is best for your child.

Mon 16 Jan 2006, 10:02

Hi,

Having just been in the position of making that all important decision, I would re-iterate what Nick said. I have just sent my son to Chippy having viewed all the options and I have been very impressed so far. One of the major deciding points was the lack of after school transport that Burford had. That along with the fact that the school transportation has to be paid for. Chippy also has excellent sporting facilities along with a sports centre right on the doorstep. I personally felt that there was no contest. Oh, and as an addendum - a family we know who have just moved from the other side of the catchment area, stated that in their neck of the woods Burford does not have the reputation it has here!

Fri 6 Jan 2006, 14:24

Looking at league tables may not help much but Chippy has been steadily improving while Burford seems static. Chippy has anew head about to start which could be good. The intake process to Chippy was excellent and my children are well settled there

Wed 28 Dec 2005, 01:07

Hi. I was a student there till the end of last academic year, and although there are certainly many positive aspects to the school I'm not entirely convinced it's especially superior to Chipping Norton as the exam results at GCSE are virtually identical and at A-level they're better at Chippy. The OFSTED report for Chippy, especially for the sixth form, was better I believe too.

Sun 7 Aug 2005, 12:01

That's great to hear Pat! Thanks so much for replying.
Kate

Sat 6 Aug 2005, 17:41

As a student of Burford School for 5 years now, I feel that the school has gone from strength to strength. A new maths block has been built, so creating excellent mathematics recources. The new library offers a quiet area where students can relax reading, or possibly to do homework. The school has also recently been given Technology School status, meaning it gets grants for recources in science and technology. The sports facilities are again excellent, with lots of sport teams running for all year groups. The music department is very good too, with 2 very good teachers who also give extra-curricular activities like a choir and numerous orchestras.

Sat 6 Aug 2005, 15:11

Do you have a child at Burford, or are you sending them in 2005/6? I'm thinking of applying for a place for my son and would love to hear what other parents think of the school.
You can email me on k.southey@ntlworld.com
Kate x