The Coopers' Company and Coborn School (Upminster, Essex)

A comprehensive review of The Coopers' Company and Coborn School (Upminster, Essex)

If you're considering applying to an exceptional school in the suburbs of London and Essex, you should consider The Coopers' Company and Coborn School. This discussion is for prospective Year 7s, prospective Year 12s or parents to have a look at.

Contents of the discussion:

1. School life Year 7 to Year 13.
2. Sports
3. Music
4. Financial situation and funding
5. Negatives

School life:

Y7s to Y11s: Exceptional school, categorically the best in the area (but consider Hall Mead School nearby). Caters to students through their formative years and you'll make some long-lasting and deep friendships. You’ll be invited to great trips around the world that are definitely memorable. If you want your child (or yourself) to develop great character (morals & principles) then this is the school to go to.

Year 12 to Year 13: If you want a shot of Oxbridge or top Russell Group/Ivy league universities then you should consider. In 2018, there were 50 Oxbridge applicants - I believe a handful have received offers. If you work hard and are disciplined you can get two/three A*s, equally you can get 3 B’s. Parties are quite good. The sixth form school unfortunately isn’t getting any better, it’s on a little plateau. The intake has grown to 230 students and so naturally the quality of teaching deteriorates. If you’re looking for outstanding/similar level sixth forms nearby check: KEGS Chelmsford, SHSB Southend, Westcliff Southend.

Sports:

The best state sports school in the country 2018 (always in the top 4, for the past 10 years)

Thanks to the generous funding (<£50k budget a year rumoured) the talent and calibre of students here are mad. If you’re looking to join because of an aptitude of sports, welcome to Coopers’. You can rely on the teachers to nourish, nurture and help develop your skill in your chosen sport.

Allow me to explain the students you’re dealing with:

A sixth form girl who played national and county golf was offered a sports scholarship abroad in the US. She has joined the ivy league university team to pursue Golf currently.

A sixth form boy plays for Chelsea Football Club

Many lower school (Y7s-Y11s) have received offers from professional football (premier league) and rugby teams, don’t even @ them.

It’s admirable and humorous as to how many of the students play for Essex County or at national level. It’s becoming a norm actually, it's funny. There are so many hidden gems and I cannot mention them all but I hope the point has been relayed. There is talent here and if you’re looking to go to different levels in Rugby, Netball, Hockey, Football..then you should apply.

Music:

Taken a downturn. As of 2019 Music A-Level has been scrapped because there are so few students and the funding has been reallocated. If you want to develop your musical abilities here, it can still be done don’t worry. This school is still talented in it and will include you in either Big Bang, Orchestra, Choir where possible. Generally the sixth form musicians are adept in their chosen instruments and usually have done their Grade 7 exam. Generally quite a big music culture and if you want to be involved in it then beware as you’ll have your work cut out for you.

Financial situation and funding

A quote from a current Y12 student, “This school smells of money”.

Oh yes it does. This school has money, fact. If you see the amount of coaches (for sport) outside the school on a saturday ready to take students across the UK you’ll understand what I mean. This school has many many different income streams and is well endowed. It receives money from The Coopers’ Company (a livery company in London - posh nonces), renting out facilities, sports sponsorships, successful ex-students, the godly PTA (parent-teacher association).

This school receives too much money, it’s questionable. Government should audit their books, everything is legal but it’ll open your eyes. Some sources say that the previous headteacher was on a £160k salary (this was well known) and the current Sixth Form Head is on £60k minimum. Although recently, the government’s austerity plans have caused problems.

Negatives:

This school says state, but honestly its semi-private/grammar, it received a generous amount of funding as mentioned above. Therefore it’s considerably better than the usual state schools.

Posh and rich students. The majority of students live in Upminster, Cranham and Hornchurch. These students are financially privileged, fact. Car parks are full of Fiesta’s.

Minority students. Because the surrounding areas is generally white dominated this is the demographic of the school. Many students are white. However slowly the students are changing the scene and turning the handle, black and asian students are seeping in and benefiting from the successful environment

If you’re a sixth former then the majority of your friendships are superficial. You won’t develop long and meaningful relationships in the sixth form, sorry.

In the sixth form, there’s a noticeable inequality in the classrooms. In the classrooms you’ll have two students: the first is going to change the industry/subject and is academically talented, the other will get 3 B’s and do an apprenticeship.

‘Love as Brethren’. You have no idea how many times this ‘Love as Brethren’ ethos will be put in your face. You’ll get worn out, it’s taken too seriously sometimes.

School (incl. Sixth form) is on a downturn.

Prospective Y12 students: you’ll lose a sense of self. You’ll get this very posh and eloquent way of speaking and start losing the real stuff about yourself.

Unless you grow a relationship with those teachers and have good chats with them, they don’t care about you. They’ll go home and do their thing, they don’t have this deep passion for the students.

All students are bubble children. These student’s probably have never left Upminster and gone to a grimey part of London (like Barking, don’t @ me) and so they’re in this bubble. When they get in the real world, they’ll be shocked and overwhelmed.

- Perspective from a current sixth form student with a younger sibling in the lower school.

A comprehensive review of The Coopers' Company and Coborn School (Upminster, Essex)

If you're considering applying to an exceptional school in the suburbs of London and Essex, you should consider The Coopers' Company and Coborn School. This discussion is for prospective Year 7s, prospective Year 12s or parents to have a look at.

Contents of the discussion:

1. School life Year 7 to Year 13.
2. Sports
3. Music
4. Financial situation and funding
5. Negatives

School life:

Y7s to Y11s: Exceptional school, categorically the best in the area (but consider Hall Mead School nearby). Caters to students through their formative years and you'll make some long-lasting and deep friendships. You’ll be invited to great trips around the world that are definitely memorable. If you want your child (or yourself) to develop great character (morals & principles) then this is the school to go to.

Year 12 to Year 13: If you want a shot of Oxbridge or top Russell Group/Ivy league universities then you should consider. In 2018, there were 50 Oxbridge applicants - I believe a handful have received offers. If you work hard and are disciplined you can get two/three A*s, equally you can get 3 B’s. Parties are quite good. The sixth form school unfortunately isn’t getting any better, it’s on a little plateau. The intake has grown to 230 students and so naturally the quality of teaching deteriorates. If you’re looking for outstanding/similar level sixth forms nearby check: KEGS Chelmsford, SHSB Southend, Westcliff Southend.

Sports:

The best state sports school in the country 2018 (always in the top 4, for the past 10 years)

Thanks to the generous funding (<£50k budget a year rumoured) the talent and calibre of students here are mad. If you’re looking to join because of an aptitude of sports, welcome to Coopers’. You can rely on the teachers to nourish, nurture and help develop your skill in your chosen sport.

Allow me to explain the students you’re dealing with:

A sixth form girl who played national and county golf was offered a sports scholarship abroad in the US. She has joined the ivy league university team to pursue Golf currently.

A sixth form boy plays for Chelsea Football Club

Many lower school (Y7s-Y11s) have received offers from professional football (premier league) and rugby teams, don’t even @ them.

It’s admirable and humorous as to how many of the students play for Essex County or at national level. It’s becoming a norm actually, it's funny. There are so many hidden gems and I cannot mention them all but I hope the point has been relayed. There is talent here and if you’re looking to go to different levels in Rugby, Netball, Hockey, Football..then you should apply.

Music:

Taken a downturn. As of 2019 Music A-Level has been scrapped because there are so few students and the funding has been reallocated. If you want to develop your musical abilities here, it can still be done don’t worry. This school is still talented in it and will include you in either Big Bang, Orchestra, Choir where possible. Generally the sixth form musicians are adept in their chosen instruments and usually have done their Grade 7 exam. Generally quite a big music culture and if you want to be involved in it then beware as you’ll have your work cut out for you.

Financial situation and funding

A quote from a current Y12 student, “This school smells of money”.

Oh yes it does. This school has money, fact. If you see the amount of coaches (for sport) outside the school on a saturday ready to take students across the UK you’ll understand what I mean. This school has many many different income streams and is well endowed. It receives money from The Coopers’ Company (a livery company in London - posh *****s), renting out facilities, sports sponsorships, successful ex-students, the godly PTA (parent-teacher association).

This school receives too much money, it’s questionable. Government should audit their books, everything is legal but it’ll open your eyes. Some sources say that the previous headteacher was on a £160k salary (this was well known) and the current Sixth Form Head is on £60k minimum. Although recently, the government’s austerity plans have caused problems.

Negatives:

This school says state, but honestly its semi-private/grammar, it received a generous amount of funding as mentioned above. Therefore it’s considerably better than the usual state schools.

Posh and rich students. The majority of students live in Upminster, Cranham and Hornchurch. These students are financially privileged, fact. Car parks are full of Fiesta’s.

Minority students. Because the surrounding areas is generally white dominated this is the demographic of the school. Many students are white. However slowly the students are changing the scene and turning the handle, black and asian students are seeping in and benefiting from the successful environment

If you’re a sixth former then the majority of your friendships are superficial. You won’t develop long and meaningful relationships in the sixth form, sorry.

In the sixth form, there’s a noticeable inequality in the classrooms. In the classrooms you’ll have two students: the first is going to change the industry/subject and is academically talented, the other will get 3 B’s and do an apprenticeship.

‘Love as Brethren’. You have no idea how many times this ‘Love as Brethren’ ethos will be put in your face. You’ll get worn out, it’s taken too seriously sometimes.

School (incl. Sixth form) is on a downturn.

Prospective Y12 students: you’ll lose a sense of self. You’ll get this very posh and eloquent way of speaking and start losing the real stuff about yourself.

Unless you grow a relationship with those teachers and have good chats with them, they don’t care about you. They’ll go home and do their thing, they don’t have this deep passion for the students.

All students are bubble children. These student’s probably have never left Upminster and gone to a grimey part of London (like Barking, don’t @ me) and so they’re in this bubble. When they get in the real world, they’ll be shocked and overwhelmed.

- Perspective from a current sixth form student with a younger sibling in the lower school.

Hi

Sports Aptitude testing for year 7 entry. Does anyone know what the tests/exercise are?

Assuming things like shuttle test, jumping test, sprint? Anything else which Coopers test you on?