On 18 May 2015 at 4:42pm Mojo wrote:
Hello there, we are moving to Lovely Lewes next year and my children will hopefully be attending Priory School . I wondered if any parents out there had any worries about the school being now classed as 'Good' by Ofsted rather than its previous 'Outstanding' ?
On 18 May 2015 at 5:50pm 8 miles from home wrote:
Single Dfl Mum! I'm sure your children will settle at Priory after a few months of teasing/bullying.
On 18 May 2015 at 6:18pm Joe 90 wrote:
Crap in the 60/70's as Mountfield Road Secondary School & then Priory, still crap now I'm told.
On 18 May 2015 at 6:36pm the kronic wrote:
Take no notice of the cynics above, Priory is a good school.
On 18 May 2015 at 7:45pm 70 thru 78 wrote:
Dun me know arm .
On 18 May 2015 at 7:51pm Priory Parent wrote:
I have one child currently at Priory and one who left last year. Both have been very happy there and I have been very pleased with the school.
Please don't judge everything on OFSTED, they are at the school for such a short time.
On 18 May 2015 at 8:28pm Parent of year 8 child wrote:
They moved the goalposts with Ofsted. Standards haven't dropped. It's a very good school. They're strict on uniform, which wasn't the case years ago. I was particularly impressed how they dealt with an incident of homophobic bullying last year.
On 18 May 2015 at 9:02pm Tipex wrote:
Very good school. Don't worry.
On 18 May 2015 at 9:05pm Paul wrote:
It's very nice - good kids and most of the children from the town go there.
On 18 May 2015 at 10:30pm Captain Scarlet wrote:
The Grammar/Priory wasn't all that either in the 60's. Unless you were genuinely bright and academic it failed miserably and was underfunded, a handful of excellent teachers held it together.
On 18 May 2015 at 10:34pm LewesRes wrote:
I have a child a Priory. I can say it is a poorly managed school in a diamond catchment area. Hence, the school is good; but the actual management is based on ticking ofstead charts.
If your child is very bright they don't have any gifted programs. If your child is struggling to keep up; they will keep your child bored until you decide to put your child into private education.
The school is fine, and your kids will enjoy it; but it is a boring middle class school that is only looking at improving ofstead scores.
On 19 May 2015 at 7:59am Zzz.. wrote:
Priory is a good school. There's too many drugs floating around but I imagine most schools in towns and cities suffer in the same way.
Don't you hate these troll questions?
On 19 May 2015 at 8:40am Teacher wrote:
What's the difference between an Ofsted inspector and a plastic surgeon?
On 19 May 2015 at 9:36am Sjep76 wrote:
2 of my children go to Ringmer scondary school and 1 goes to Wallands and they have had the same situation with OFSTED. After a few inspections of out standing in the last year or so OFSTED have changed all the criteria so they are now only measuring as good. I don't think this is a reflection on the school, more a reflection on OFSTED.
On 19 May 2015 at 12:16pm FromTheShire wrote:
Priory is a brilliant school, in-fact the students there act far more grown-up than '8 miles from home'
On 19 May 2015 at 1:40pm Pupil @ Teacher wrote:
PLeeeeese tell us
On 19 May 2015 at 2:02pm Zzz.. wrote:
@Sjep76.
The government have changed the Ofsted goalposts so many more schools like like borderline fails. At the same time they have introduced new policy that enables them to sack the head teachers and senior management team of any schools that do start to look less than 'good' and convert them to academies. It is a deliberate policy aimed to achieve the following:
1) Remove schools from local government control
2) Cut costs
and further indication of this government's relentless drive to reduce the state along right wing ideological grounds (much like gradually privatising the NHS by the back door).
We should be quite aware who runs these new academies, as some fairly dubious organisations, faith groups and neurotic parents have already caused a number to fail.
I don't think you'll find one teacher who is happy about these changes.
On 19 May 2015 at 3:09pm Mojo wrote:
Thank you for all your comments, that's really helpful. As I'm sure you can imagine finding the right school for my four children is very high on my list of priorities. So really appreciate your comments.
On 19 May 2015 at 3:20pm Doh wrote:
Four? All of secondary school age.
Definitely one of those troll posts. Hopefully no one will bite.
On 19 May 2015 at 3:23pm Mojo wrote:
I'm really not sure what you mean by troll post. No, not all at secondary school. One at college, one at secondary and two at primary . And I was simply looking for feedback on Priory, which some lovely people have given me. Thanks .
On 19 May 2015 at 5:10pm D'ohjo wrote:
Reckon you've got the forum sized up now, Mojo.
On 19 May 2015 at 5:33pm teacher wrote:
They both make massive boobs.
On 19 May 2015 at 5:43pm Priory Parent wrote:
Our experience is that Priory is very much 'teaching to the test' as they are so worried about Ofstead ratings and sticking to the narrowed curriculum with little opportunity for kids to read around the subjects they are interested in or to engage in deeper exploration or questioning on topics that they like. They have a real problem with keeping their brighter children interested and many are just treading water, which is not so bad for the better-off ones whose parents can supplement the school day with other activities, but not so good for average earners. They are good at managing the children towards a moderately good showing in exams, but do not seem to have any aspirations towards creating an atmosphere where enthusiasm for learning is the predominant culture. As a previous poster mentioned there is very little in the way of extension activity for academically inclined. Major discipline problems such as obvious bullying are well dealt with and they manage the problem of providing lessons and other activities within buildings that were designed for many fewer pupils remarkably well. They seem just as lost on the more insidious problems of drugs, self harming and nasty sexting amongst teenagers as all the other local schools. Friends with children at Ringmer and Uckfield have almost identical concerns. We have an older child who went to Chailey who had a much better experience, but that may have been because it is substantially smaller and has a more nurturing and less formal culture under Head Lesley Young ( although she is a stickler on uniform and behaviour)
On 19 May 2015 at 7:06pm Fairmeadow wrote:
There is only one state secondary school in Lewes, so you don't actually have a choice! Except to go private. Good luck with that - worse schools for more £££.
None of the surrounding state schools within any reasonable distance are any better. Why don't you be a sensible parent and focus instead on helping make your local school as good as it can be?
On 19 May 2015 at 11:13pm Belladonna wrote:
Priory is a good school, but like all secondary schools is now teaching to the test. Individual, experimental or inspirational teaching ? Forget it - those poor teachers don't have time. The demands of government and Ofsted has seen teachers leave the profession in droves - 40pc of nqt's leave within 5 years. Recruitment of senior staff is a real issue .
Priory seemed to forget about its middle ability learners a, allowing them to coast and sink. I know, my child was one of them. If your child isn't a natural learner or academically bright be prepared to be a pushy parent if you want them to pass 10 GCSEs.
Also they are a languages college , but a second language is not compulsory for GCSE - but RE is - how mad is that !!!!
On 20 May 2015 at 9:28am Mark wrote:
@teacher 6/10 for you. That's a similarity not a difference, surely?
On 20 May 2015 at 10:03am former pupil wrote:
I used to go to Priory - found it very cliquey - also lots of pupils there seem to have "problems" - perhaps as a result of drink/drugs. Facebook doesn't seem to help either. I was very glad to leave.
On 20 May 2015 at 1:39pm Pedant.......... to Mark wrote:
You are correct, but those jokes always starts with "What is the difference between........"
On 22 May 2015 at 8:24am lewes resident wrote:
Priory is ok if your child has a decent group of friends. course it's far too big and impersonal. if your children are good at sport or music forget Priory, the sport is practically non existent and the music very low standard. Disappointingly only one school theatre performance is put on a year. If you can get into Chailey I do believe it is better.good luck