Is Silverdale a good school or not?

i am supposed to be looking into silverdale for a sixth form but i have heard quite a few bad things about it such as it is full of Edited and everyone is full of themselves! it looks quite a good school but if the people in it are no good then what is the point in it!!

RPG - edited out masked swearing

A colleague did her teaching practice there and absolutely hated it - she says it's just an exam factory. OK if the only thing you care about is good grades, I guess.

what exactly is meant by exam factory? i do care about good grades but i think that u need to have a good atmosphere to do it in! which department was your colleague working in?

She was in the maths dept. 'Exam Factory' means that the school isn't interested in turning out well-rounded individuals, just staying at the top of the league tables. She says the kids are just constantly pushed all the time - but not to actually learn the stuff or develop an interest in a subject (let alone anything extra-curricular!) just to memorise what you need to know to pass the exam. (there's a subtle difference between learning and memorising)

Of course that's only one person's opinion and there's nobody more idealistic than a student teacher...

Maybe if you can arrange to look round then you'll get some idea of the atmosphere of the place.

Originally posted by "gogojojo123"

 

i am supposed to be looking into silverdale for a sixth form but i have heard quite a few bad things about it such as it is full of Edited and everyone is full of themselves! it looks quite a good school but if the people in it are no good then what is the point in it!!

 

RPG - edited out masked swearing

If you get a place at Silverdale take my advice and grab it. One of the best state schools in Sheffield.

Hi gogojojo123,

I'm currently on the waiting list for Silverdale's sixth form I've heard quite a few bad things too like stephstellar, who had been told it was just an exam factory. The impression I got of the school is that they work hard to stay top of the league tables, but in a supportive and friendly atmosphere. I felt quite at home when I visited Silverdale, I wasn't looked down upon because I don't come from Dore/Totley areas, I was treat the same as everyone else and felt very much at ease.

The problem with Silverdale is that they don't have many places to offer to students who dont already go to their school. I think the number is around 40 places, and when I attended my interview I was around number 70, but was informed that others lower down on the list had already confirmed places at other 6th forms.

I would most certainly advise you to get a college place sorted, as a sort of safety net, incase Silverdale don't offer you a place. I have a place sorted for college, as a second choice incase Silverdale doesn't pull through. Fingers crossed that they do!

Update:

I received a letter a few days ago offering me a place so I snatched their hands off! Yay!

Originally posted by "caprice"

 

Update:

 

I received a letter a few days ago offering me a place so I snatched their hands off! Yay!

Good for you Caprice

you seriously think the school your in or the teachers your taught by has any bearing on your intelligence?

if you get the material you'll either learn it or you won't admittedly environmental factors can contribute both positively and negatively however if you are already an intelligent person which i like to think i am, i am very sure i would get the same grades no matter what school i went to...

edit:

i've just finished Y12 at eckington sixth form btw i start Y13 in june... currently on study leave...

Originally posted by "dave-"

 

you seriously think the school your in or the teachers your taught by has any bearing on your intelligence?

 

if you get the material you'll either learn it or you won't admittedly environmental factors can contribute both positively and negatively however if you are already an intelligent person which i like to think i am, i am very sure i would get the same grades no matter what school i went to...

 

edit:

 

i've just finished Y12 at eckington sixth form btw i start Y13 in june... currently on study leave...

No Dave I don't. You can't make a person intelligent but you can bring out the best in them and some schools are definitely better at doing this than others. For instance, if you are at a school where there is no discipline then forget about learning anything because the yobbo element will make sure that it is impossible for you to do so. The teachers time will be taken up by the kids who don't want to learn while you will be left on the back burner.

Teaching is no different to any other job in the sense that you do get bad teachers as you get bad doctors and bad lawyers. Your potential has really got to be held back if you get a teacher like this.

So I totally disagree with you dave.

as i said...

as long as you get the material needed then it doesnt matter...

admittedly some teachers can be better than others and some can bring ur learning skills into practice more but essentially its the student who dictates how much they learn eg.

if i was given all the notes needed for this year im sure i wud have managed just as well as not going to school

Originally posted by "dave-"

 

as i said...

 

as long as you get the material needed then it doesnt matter...

 

admittedly some teachers can be better than others and some can bring ur learning skills into practice more but essentially its the student who dictates how much they learn eg.

 

if i was given all the notes needed for this year im sure i wud have managed just as well as not going to school

Except perhaps in English grammar.