The Alsop High School is the largest secondary school in Liverpool, now merged with St. Mary's High…read moreSchool. The amount of pupils currently studying there is huge. This shows how popular this state school is and so it should be. The school is constanly undergoing improvements and is in a much better since state the last time I could recall. With the school being a technology and applied learning specialist college, they have plenty of useful facilities to benefit pupils all set in the perfect learning environment. Whilst the school is not a private institution and pupil behaviour is not the best, it is certainly a winner in terms of ambitious teachers and facilities. The Alsop High School deserves full praise for its developments and their strive to catch up and be the best.

This school is over subscribed every year as it is in a sought after location with an excellent…read morereputation. Most Ribble Valley schools achieve a similar standard of exam results but this school is well known for it's dicipline and caring, Christain atmosphere. A child who wants to go to this school must live in the catchment area and be in a Catholic feeder school. There are 7 or 8 feeder schools and children automaticall get aplace ifthey attend one. The school is in a rural setting and feels like a small country school.

Re; Above post from 2010…read more I have two children at this wonderful school and I do not recognise the description from Charly. I think it caters for children of a wide variety of interests - this is not a criticism - it is a strength. The staff are fantastic and there is lots going on in sport, music, dance drama and lots of other activities. Parents should not be surprised that Religious Education is on the curriculum. The clue is in "Roman Catholic High School"!!! It is not a good school - it is an outstanding school, which is what the last Ofsted report says.

Westwood High School has now changed its name to Westwood College, to reflect the fact that it…read moreencompasses a range of courses not usually found at school. It is proud to be a comprehensive but still strives to maximise the academic ability of the children who go there, and is very successful in helping kids of all abilities to achieve their potential. Children have the opportunity to undertake a range of school trips (my daughter will be visiting New York in February!) and activities, including visiting the battlefields in France, as well as taking languages as diverse as Latin, French, German, Spanish and Mandarin. The school is proud to encourage children with artistic ability and produces a school play every year which is of high quality. There is a new astroturf, refectory and science labs, and building is under way to replace the mobiles with a new block for English classes. It is a very good school and my kids have flourished there.

This was my high school so I'll try not be biased!…read more Sacred Heart recently gained specialist status in maths and IT which promoted the good reputation of the school and allowed for evolution of the site and the departments of the college. A new IT suite was built within the grounds of the upper site which is a very modern, technologically equipped building and a very comfortable teaching environment. The main building has three floors which vary in departments and aesthetic. There are plenty of IT facilities throughout, a well equipped music room, tennis courts and football field, home economics building and good laboratory facilities. I think the library is a little impoverished and there is some reliance on local libraries. Sacred Heart has good connections with the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth, and encourage able students well. The sixth form is well reputed and a great proportion of the students go on to university with their results.

Sacred Heart is a great school! The best bit about it is there is a real sense of 'community' -…read moredespite the fact the school has well over a thousand pupils everyone seems to know each other, which is really comforting, especially for the younger pupils who might feel a bit lost and confused with what is going on! The school also enjoys being - literally - the 'Heart of Crosby', taking every opportunity it can find to pun on the school's fortunate name. Even the school newspaper is called 'Heartbeat'. There is plenty of references to the Heart dotted around the school for those with attentive eyes - a heart-shaped greenery display in front of the school's main entrance, a statue of the Sacred Heart of Mary in the staff car park and, most recently, a stained glass mural of an abstract heart done by professional glass artist Julie Langam. The staff are all lovely (in my experience) and there are no real 'weirdos' - most of the teachers are really down to earth and you can tell that all of them want the very best for the children they take care of. Of course they have to punish naughty kids but that happens in every school, not their fault really. I've been to some staff only areas in my time and what really touches me is that on the walls there are some pictures of former pupils and teachers - they remember every kid that they've ever taught. In terms of facilities, I have to agree with the previous commenter. the school does have better than average I.T, Music, Art and Technology facilities and even has separate buildings dedicated to Maths, Food Tech and Sixth Form facilities. Because Upper Site is so big, it really has a campus/boarding school feel. I helped out recently at an arts day for primary school children and heard one child say about the school 'It looks like Hogwarts!'. However, may I just say about the previous commenter's concerns about the library, the library since that comment was posted has been refurbished. It looks a bit neater now and there are computers in there too. In contrast, Lower Site is a bit small and is a bit more 'blockish' compared to upper site - the building is very square and is painted shades of white and grey. It has it's own Sports Building, but lacks the facilities that Upper Site offers. Fortunately, the distance between the schools is a short walking distance so children can easily access the facilities. To conclude, Sacred Heart is a very good school and I recommend strongly to any prospective parents that you send your child there if you have the means to. The school has exceptional facilities, kind and welcoming staff, many notable former pupils (comedian Kenny Everett, Team GB gymnast Daniel Purvis, X - Factor 2011 hopeful Marcus Collins, Everton and West Brom player Victor Anichebe, dancer Jane Caulfield and opera singer Danielle Louise Thomas), great academic records, a good religious and ethical education and MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL - You really feel part of a community and feel loved. What more can you want for your child?

I went to Bury Grammar Girls school for 5 years and it really has its ups and downs. What I can say…read moreis that you will get a good education and work ethic from going there, which i suppose is what you pay for. But honestly, since starting public college, it turns out those great GCSEs I got don't seem to matter at all, it doesn't mean anything if you have 9s on your CV, useless for the working world. I was on a bursary, from a working class background, and I found it very difficult going to school with so many right wing middle class people. People tend to think you're made of money, you feel pressured to wear designer clothes and show up in a nice car. Being a girls school, it's also very bitchy. Some of the teachers are really lovely and care about the students, but others, especially the ones in higher up positions, can be extremely harsh and strict. I was quite outspoken in highschool, being one of the worst behaved despite my behaviour only being bad enough to earn me one detention the whole time I was there. The school really is pretentious, their main concern is grades and money, they don't seem to care about the pressure students are under and in fact add more. From what I've heard the sixth form is awful and just like highschool, unless of course you're one of the popular rich kids. The atmosphere is judgemental and focussed so much more on what you have rather than who you are. One of the girls I know who previously attended said she went to a teacher for help when she was having very bad problems at home, ones which I've seen really affect her self esteem and self worth. She once overheard a teacher on the phone to social services saying 'she seems to think we can help but she's going to have to deal with it we don't have a magic wand'. Another extremely bright and hardworking girl I knew went there for over 10 years and got kicked out when her parents lost her job, had to go to a different highschool in her last year. They don't tell you what goes on behind the scenes, they just wave their swan flags and have you hold a balloon with the 9 from your GCSE's on it. I wouldn't reccomend it purely for ethical reasons. Send your child somewhere where they will feel equal and they'll be treated like a person, not a test score. BRGS is a great choice as it's a free grammar school that you have to pass a test for, meaning it's less money focussed and more intelligence focused. In fact, the majority of high schools are good if you just have a good work ethic and want to do well rather than paying 12 grand a year for someone to force you to work because you can't be bothered in the first place. For a lot of people, hard work is the only thing that can get them places, and I am grateful that I don't have the fed-by-a-silver-spoon mentality.

My daughter is in year 7 at the Bury Grammar School Girls. It is an expensive option, once you…read morefactor in all the extra's you are looking at fees of £10,000 a year. We are lucky we recieved an inheritance and this is how we afforded it. The state schools were a poor choice and we felt this was our only option. The education she is now receiving is first class. The quality of teaching is thorough and importantly she has made some good friends who I think she will know for life. It is well served by local transport links and has many school buses. Academically, it does extremely well and I am sure my daughter will receive an education that will equip her for life. The teachers and staff are quick to respond to any queries and complaints and it has fantastic facilities and books. Importantly the girls are given confidence and taught how to give back to the community. I know it is not a choice for everyone - we were lucky - but for anyone considering it, I think it has been worth every penny!

Xaverian College...what a fantastic place…read more This is where I actually became who I am today. I know that sounds silly but this college is fantastic. I learnt more here in two years than I did in five years at high school. The teachers here really bring you out of yourself, they actually care about the students, not just about the grades. I'm still in touch with most of my tutors now, they care what I've been up to since I left and always get in touch to congratulate me on anything I achieve. The range of subjects is vast and the campus keeps getting bigger and better. It's much different to most other colleges as the buildings are spread right out although not too far so you can still walk to all of them comfortably. It's so different to school, everyone is treated as an adult and it was such a good grounding before university, I don't think I'd have been half as prepared for uni if it wasn't for Xaverian.

Good facilities. Good variety of sports available.read more