Government inspector called in to review Highcrest's admissions policy (From Bucks Free Press)

Aristocrats and out-of-touch politicians and authoritative people, playing with childrens' futures to better their own reputations, meet targets and increase their own funding. they give no considerations to hard pressed parents and the children that only deserve an education without all the commercially viable and governmental greed policies attached. And then these same children grow up to fall into a trap of everlasting long-term debt via tuition fees, only because the authorities need to fill their own pockets! Education is now widely available for sale here in UK ! top prices only .

So if several non-grammar academies follow suit and pick out some of the "better" pupils in the area, which of the remaining secondary schools will become the sink school where all the "unwanted" children get sent?
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Shena Moynihan's idea is designed to move the school up in the rankings ... without having to change much. Go up in he rankings and more parents will want their children to go there and more will then take the "not the 11+" test. More to pick from, better ranking.
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Highcrest will not improve from better teaching or better leadership from the Headteacher, but by shipping in "better" pupils. The lazy head's way of making "progress".
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If you take these pupils away you lower the ranking of the other schools, but that doesn't matter as long as Shena Moynihan and her school look better.

... shipping in "better" pupils. The lazy head's way of making "progress".
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If you take these pupils away you lower the ranking of the other schools, but that doesn't matter as long as Shena Moynihan and her school look better.”

What kind of existing 'selective' system does that remind you of?

geoffW wrote:
So if several non-grammar academies follow suit and pick out some of the "better" pupils in the area, which of the remaining secondary schools will become the sink school where all the "unwanted" children get sent?
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Shena Moynihan's idea is designed to move the school up in the rankings ... without having to change much. Go up in he rankings and more parents will want their children to go there and more will then take the "not the 11+" test. More to pick from, better ranking.
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Highcrest will not improve from better teaching or better leadership from the Headteacher, but by shipping in "better" pupils. The lazy head's way of making "progress".
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If you take these pupils away you lower the ranking of the other schools, but that doesn't matter as long as Shena Moynihan and her school look better.

What's the matter with a bit of excellence then?

As a contractor to many schools in the area I have found the team at Highcrest is up there with all the Grammar schools in its efficiency and professionalism.I have no doubt that its admissions policy has been thought out and discussed in the greatest detail and they have made the decision in the best interest of not only their school but the primary pupils , most who come from the surrounding area. The school and its team have done an amazing job up there. I have never experienced an air of elitism from anyone up there. Out of over 100 schools that I have had very close dealings with , Highcrest is one of the most down to earth and most approachable of any Schools. I would suggest visiting there on an open day to see what they have acheived up there.

RenegadeJ007 wrote:
Aristocrats and out-of-touch politicians and authoritative people, playing with childrens' futures to better their own reputations, meet targets and increase their own funding. they give no considerations to hard pressed parents and the children that only deserve an education without all the commercially viable and governmental greed policies attached. And then these same children grow up to fall into a trap of everlasting long-term debt via tuition fees, only because the authorities need to fill their own pockets! Education is now widely available for sale here in UK ! top prices only .

"and authoritative people"
Oh dear, I sense a touch of resentment for high acheivers and law and order! Dont think your own down falls in life are mirrored by everyone! Some people actually want to do well and for their children to do well, just because you were never encouraged to do well does'nt mean everyone else is the same. Now climb back into your pram, put your dummy in and get someone to rock you to sleep!

I will not get into a spat with a pathetic, childish idiot who follows people around on here and trolls on every bit of comment they make. Here we had an important issue with the future of our precious kids and instead, a waste of human life dives in with its foul mouth, nonsense comments!!
Did your mother not love you enough that you have all this hate towards everyone else ?

Wehey! And they come out fighting with even a worse foul mouth than anyone!! LOL!! Go on, show everyone you are no better than you say I am!! Wow! you do have a foul mouth dont you little one!! LOL!!! Come on, back to your pram!! Ah bless, our own little renegade! I feel quite touched! xx

trolls are quite ugly to watch. maybe someone should maybe visit the school or do some research before they make any comment that could influence other peoples image of the establishment. I have never met anyone who was aristocratic or cut services to fit a budget at the school.
They don't play with peoples futures, they get paid to forge peoples futures and they work very hard. That goes for most of the schools round here. True you get one or two pariahs in some schools but mostly they are very dedicated and competent people who should be given some credit

I can't work out why the defenders of 'selective' education who defend grammar schools on grounds of 'choice', 'freedom of choice', 'excellence' and 'different abilities' haven’t stepped up in defence of the ideas of Ms Moynihan and the other supporters of this scheme using this terminology once again.

Good luck to Highcrest, they have transformed the opportunities for children in East Wycombe and beyond.
Opponents should focus their ire on grammar schools if they don't like the 'selective' system. This such a bonus for those parents who send their children to comprehensive schools outside Bucks. Also those who want their children to attend the same school. Keep going Ms Moynihan!

faircuppa wrote:
Good luck to Highcrest, they have transformed the opportunities for children in East Wycombe and beyond.
Opponents should focus their ire on grammar schools if they don't like the 'selective' system. This such a bonus for those parents who send their children to comprehensive schools outside Bucks. Also those who want their children to attend the same school. Keep going Ms Moynihan!

You seem to be in agreement with me there.

Perhaps that would have been better phrased: ‘WE seem to be in agreement there’!

Yes, we are. There seem to be a gaggle of misguided 'old Labour' out to get Ms Moynihan and Highcrest for daring to be different. This is a real chance for an alternative in Bucks without having to have pots of money or 11+ 'coaching'.

faircuppa wrote:
Good luck to Highcrest, they have transformed the opportunities for children in East Wycombe and beyond.
Opponents should focus their ire on grammar schools if they don't like the 'selective' system. This such a bonus for those parents who send their children to comprehensive schools outside Bucks. Also those who want their children to attend the same school. Keep going Ms Moynihan!

Hear hear. Don't understand why there are objections. The only people with a reason to complain are the grammar schools who will no longer be able to take it for granted that they will get the best pupils.
Onwards and upwards for Highcrest.

Headteacher Shena Moynihan says the fledgling system gives parents a new option to the 11+ enabling them

Surely that should be 'a new alternative' or 'an alternative'?

faircuppa wrote:
Yes, we are. There seem to be a gaggle of misguided 'old Labour' out to get Ms Moynihan and Highcrest for daring to be different. This is a real chance for an alternative in Bucks without having to have pots of money or 11+ 'coaching'.

You may be mistaken about Old Labour - this is being spoken of as if it weakens the foundations of grammar school selection (though this seems unlikely as it is difficult to imagine C/conservative 11+ supporters objecting to an establishment that was not a grammar school choosing children with special educational needs).

I may be mistaken, but the names of the handful of objectors and complainants will soon become public, I expect. Then we will see. If there were an Olympic Gold medal for School Improvement we would be cheering Highcrest to the rafters.

The only way is up. Well it is if you want to be cheering Highcrest to the rafters.
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Unfortunately I was taught in a dark damp dismal dungeon of a place in Dorset.
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I did get an education of sorts but was left with a permanent Corfe

People are objecting due to the fact that this is the likely scenario: there are 100 places, 200 children take the test 150 from the local area 50 from outside of the local kids 90% fall within the first 3 bands so 75 places get given to those 135 children with the remaining 60 being offered places at Cressex School as amazingly this is also a catchment area school for East Wycombe! 10% of local children are in the top band, just 15 places need to be offered to these kids so there are 10 spaces left to be offered to kids not within the local area and this percentage will only get worse as the current crop of children grow up as children wont be offered a place under the sibling criteria which indecently was only added later after much complaint from local parents.

This school has a troubled chequered past and now moves closer to Ofsted's previous concerns and special measures if necessary. The school is partly malfunctioning, as staff will tell you.
I also note that Tigeran makes strange outbursts unfit for proper normal debate here and on other topics.

Scarletto wrote:
This school has a troubled chequered past and now moves closer to Ofsted's previous concerns and special measures if necessary. The school is partly malfunctioning, as staff will tell you.
I also note that Tigeran makes strange outbursts unfit for proper normal debate here and on other topics.

I thought that the last Ofsted report for Highcrest stated that this school was / is outstanding (ie top) in the main categories.
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Do you not like that ? If not , why not ? Has it deteriorated spectacularly since the last assessment ? Have you got personal experience of what is / has happened at this school ?
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Please answer at your convenience.

People still think its hatters lane. Chinese whispers and ill informed rumors abound.
If you don't know whats going on there then please don't guess and write it down here. I believe they got outstanding too.
They also have achieved many awards over the past few years.