St Hilds School is to given Academy status.

New head teacher just started, and the changes are commencing immediately.

Good news for anyone with a child that need to think about their preferred school choice shortly.

Maybe now parents need to fret a bit less about getting their kids into that evil place thats destroying fun for everyone else.

Before anyone bites my head off, all of the above is in the official statement. They are not my words. No way jose, not at all.

English Martyrs is an Academy from today too....

to be fair EM has always had a good reputation.

You cant say the same about St Hilds

What ever happened to schools just being schools? Not Colleges of Technology or indeed academy's, dont they all do the same qualifications. Call me a purist but I dont get all these new fangled things why cant it just be the same across the board.

I am all for these vocation courses etc but when someone says to me I have an NVQ level 3 in whatever I dont know what that means in the scheme of things is this equivalent to so many GCSE's (O-levels) or A-levels I dont get it.

I sound more like Granpa Simpson every day.

I picture you being more like Milhouse.

St. Hilds is one of the Schools who automatically qualify for this (30% or above on Free school meals) .. http://www.socialmobility.org.uk/ . I don't know your youngest is going to do at college / uni but it could be worth him having a look into it rather than get it dropped on him like my youngun did . Some good schemes that could give leg up (if he wants it) . Jnr. spent a full evening filling in an application as it had to submitted that day otherwise he'd lose the opportunity.

Your not a million miles off I am short, got glasses (contacts) and a bit of a geek when I havent had a drink, then I turn into probably Barney Gumble.