Brighton school snobs - Oh it has to be Balfour

[Deleted User X18H]

Now I have no idea where little HB&B's are going to go but Mowden seems unlikely now as does Windelsham.

So what is all the fuss about Balfour? We are just out of the scope apparently, but are in the area for Stanford.

But we have various neighbours who's kids go to school at West Blatch, Aldrington and Westdene.

Our nearest non fee paying school is Cottesmore St Mary's, is it not religous discrimination that our kids can't go there as we are not catholic?

 

[skipper734]

West Blatch. didn't do us any harm. Or did it.

 

[Beach Hut]

Standards are seriously slipping should they not have a place booked at Eton and a nice prep school lined up ?

 

[supaseagull]

Now I have no idea where little HB&B's are going to go but Mowden seems unlikely now as does Windelsham.

So what is all the fuss about Balfour? We are just out of the scope apparently, but are in the area for Stanford.

But we have various neighbours who's kids go to school at West Blatch, Aldrington and Westdene.

Our nearest non fee paying school is Cottesmore St Mary's, is it not religous discrimination that our kids can't go there as we are not catholic?

Mate of mine is a primary teacher at st marys in Portslade and I asked him about whether kids had to be RC to go there and he said no, so I guess it'll be the same for Cottesmore...ring up the head they'll let u know.

 

[Mtoto]

Mate of mine is a primary teacher at st marys in Portslade and I asked him about whether kids had to be RC to go there and he said no, so I guess it'll be the same for Cottesmore...ring up the head they'll let u know.

Only happens at Cottesmore if not enough RC children to fill two classes of 30, and that hasn't happened for years. Barring some very odd demographic blip, you stand no chance.

 

[Train Spotter]

Now I have no idea where little HB&B's are going to go but Mowden seems unlikely now as does Windelsham.

So what is all the fuss about Balfour? We are just out of the scope apparently, but are in the area for Stanford.

But we have various neighbours who's kids go to school at West Blatch, Aldrington and Westdene.

Our nearest non fee paying school is Cottesmore St Mary's, is it not religous discrimination that our kids can't go there as we are not catholic?

I don't know why you are calling Balfour snobs - I would have thought with your name you wouldn't want to be seen dead in Brighton. I am no snob & neither are my kids all of whom have been to/ are at Balfour - Stringer - Vardean VI form.

The problem with the ever shrinking catchment area is the DFL's (Down from London) moving into the area buying up all the houses from old grannies etc.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

 

[Gwylan]

There are five outstanding primary schools in B&H according to Ofsted: Balfour, Coldean, St Andrews, Westdene and Woodingdean. My kids go to Coldean (and very good it is too) but in all honesty, I reckon there's not to much difference between school at that sort of age. You can pick one at random and I'm sure it will be fine.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I seem to remember a large number of pupils at Varndean Boys were from Balfour. It was elitist 40 years ago because all the posh kids went there. In my school year there was only a handful of us whose parents were lower working class. I guess that today its much the same with the youngsters at Balfour being driven 400 yards to school in a 4X4 by their mummy.

 

[LadySeagull]

There are loads of good ones:

School search and nursery search with Ofsted inspection report league tables

And Cottesmore has less stars in its latest Ofsted report than several above it. My vote goes to Aldrington 'cos I am biased and it's a lovely school - most years they take kids with no Church connection these days although it's a risk with only one class intake of 30.

 

[HovaGirl]

Our nearest non fee paying school is Cottesmore St Mary's, is it not religous discrimination that our kids can't go there as we are not catholic?

No, it's a Catholic school which teaches and follows the Catholic faith. We were always popping over the road to Mass when I was there. My kids couldn't go there because we had married in the Church of England and in the eyes of the Catholic Church, and the school, we weren't married at all, and thus, the children were illegitimate. In order for our children to attend Cottesmore, the school required us to be married in the Catholic Church. As I'm not a hypocrite, I didn't bother and the kids went to another school.

 

[HovaGirl]

I seem to remember a large number of pupils at Varndean Boys were from Balfour. It was elitist 40 years ago because all the posh kids went there. In my school year there was only a handful of us whose parents were lower working class. I guess that today its much the same with the youngsters at Balfour being driven 400 yards to school in a 4X4 by their mummy.

Forty years ago, Varndean was a Grammar School, so it wasn't the "posh" kids that went there, but bright working- and middle-class kids who had passed their 11+.

 

[The Fifth Column]

West Blatch? Only if you want your child to learn English as a second language Tim!

Hangleton Infants is also rated Outstanding and I can tell you is a fantastic little school.

 

[Bigtomfu]

I guess that today its much the same with the youngsters at Balfour being driven 400 yards to school in a 4X4 by their mummy.

Or walking across the playing fields from the Surrenden Road end.


Oh I see your point.....



In all seriousness my sister and I both went through the Balfour mix and came out ok - don't think it's a question of what's all the fuss about it as much as i'ts just a ruddy fine education establishment.

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

I seem to remember a large number of pupils at Varndean Boys were from Balfour. It was elitist 40 years ago because all the posh kids went there. In my school year there was only a handful of us whose parents were lower working class. I guess that today its much the same with the youngsters at Balfour being driven 400 yards to school in a 4X4 by their mummy.

My kids go to balfour, yes it is a good school, the parents however are not the 4x4 crowd more the middle class new hippy type. At junior school level I think kids will do well if bright enough, the problem comes at secondary school where they can be easily led.

 

[skipper734]

West Blatch? Only if you want your child to learn English as a second language Tim!

Hangleton Infants is also rated Outstanding and I can tell you is a fantastic little school.

Blimey. It must have changed a bit in the last 53 Years!

 

[1234andcounting]

Excuse me. I went to Balfour and Varndean (1963-76, in total); my dad was a painter and decorator; my mum an office clerk. Both had left school at 14. Middle class I was not, at that time. Although, thanks to being a beneficiary of the post war settlement (universal free health care and education to degree level) I am now, unashamedly (although I still vote Labour).

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Forty years ago, Varndean was a Grammar School, so it wasn't the "posh" kids that went there, but bright working- and middle-class kids who had passed their 11+.

Spot on. When I was at Balfour only one child in our year failed the 11+. Most of us went to VGSB & VGSG

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Forty years ago, Varndean was a Grammar School, so it wasn't the "posh" kids that went there, but bright working- and middle-class kids who had passed their 11+.

Only 3 of us at Whitehawk Junior that passed the 11+ in 1971 went to VGSB , 1 went to VGSG and 4 went to BHGS. 2 of the boys that went to Varndean from WJS that year didn't live in Whitehawk.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

I left VGSB 39 years ago and would struggle come up with more than one or two you might call posh. I certainly wasn't and the catchment area certainly included many from Woodingdean to Saltdean & Peacehaven. Many too from Patcham/Hollingbury. It certainly wasn'y elitist (although I'm ashamed to say we weren't discouraged from looking down on those apparent unfortunates who were consigned to Dorothy Stringer). And indeed the rivalry wasn't all that friendly either at times!