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King's School, Peterborough

35 replies

exHomeEd · 03/10/2010 13:52

Hi all, this is my first post so this might not be the right place, apologies if it's not.

Does anyone know anything about the King's School, Peterborough, its entrance exams and how it compares to Grammar Schools in Lincs or Private schools in the Northants, Cambs and Lincs area?

I see from their website that they admit 10 children from a written exam and 3 from musical ability, with others entering from religious or brother/sister grounds.

We live in Peterborough and are thinking of places for our two girls, 7 and 8, so I realise we've still got a while to go but I thought we'd start trying to find out some more about the school if we could.

From talking to some of the parents at the primary school King's is held in high regard, however, I'm trying to find out if there is anyone else out there that has any info.

I tried a search on here but only found one post from a while ago and it didn't mention the 10 academic places or 3 musical places at all.

Thanks for reading,

Rgds

exHomeEd

OP posts:
hearhear · 03/10/2010 19:45

Hi exHome Ed,

We are applying to Kings for my dd this year.

It is a well regarded school and oversubscribed.All the parents i have met whose children attend the school speak very highly of it.

Entry is detailed on their website.

Here is an overview:
There are two separate categories to apply under.
It has 135 places in Group A which consists of applicants based on worship at Church of England/Methodist Church and siblings of those at the school already.There are a few places for members of other faiths.
Last year there were 96 applicants for the 76 church places which needs a statement from your minister of both parents' church involvement for the 5 years before application .

Group B is the ability selection, which is the 12 academic and 3 musical places.
The academic test is next Saturday for next year's entry and consists of a verbal reasoning,maths and english paper.Last year there were 219 applicants who sat the exam for the 12 places.The chances on academic entry are low and I know lots of parents where their child was top in their individual primary but didn't get in. There were 30 for the 3 musical places and your child really need to be level 5 to stand a chance.

Private school wise there is Oundle School which gets excellent results but is selective on entry (examples of the papers on its website) and has day fees which start at £13,500 but are at £18,000 by year 3.This is the most academic selective of the private schools.
Stamford school has the separate girl's school but isn't academically so selective as Oundle.Your child automatically gets a place if they have attended the junior school unlike Oundle.You are probably already aware of Peterborough High which is now co-ed .
Lincolnshire grammar schools get excellent results but obviously you need to pass the 11+ and would have to move to into the catchment area.

I would start thinking about what you want for your girls now as it may involve you moving house.Certainly some parents I know in Peterborough have done so to gain entry to their chosen state schools.If you are going private you would also be wise to start putting money aside.

EauRouge · 03/10/2010 20:06

I went there and hated it Grin If you attend Peterborough Cathedral then that should improve your DD's chances of getting in, especially if you can get them in the choir (I think they accept girls now). Playing a classical instrument helps as well, King's is big on classical music.

My friend's DS took the entrance exam a few years ago (he didn't pass) and she told me there were a couple of Bible questions in there.

There were a few children that moved over to King's from Oundle for GCSEs and I think some children left King's to go to Oundle.

Hope that helps!

hearhear · 03/10/2010 20:34

EauRouge,
How long ago did you go?
Why did you hate it?
I work with two former pupils who went about 10 years ago both enjoyed it.
You've got me worried now in case dd gets in and hates it!

EauRouge · 03/10/2010 20:44

I was there in the early/mid-90s, the headteacher that is there now started when I was in year 10 or 11. I think it suits a particular type of person- if your DD wants to go to a good university and become a doctor or a solicitor then King's is definitely the right school. If she is more free-spirited and want to explore things in her own time and find something she is good at and passionate about then it's probably not the right place. IME they didn't really know what to do with me because I didn't fit in with the ideal. I was told I was going to fail nearly all my GCSEs (not very encouraging, but I passed them all) and left at 16. At times it felt like being on a conveyor belt and I felt stifled.

If it's any comfort, the teachers that really made my life hell are not there any more. Gary Longman's (HT) not a bad bloke, bit quiet I thought. If Trevor Elliot (the deputy head) is still there then you're lucky, he was a legend, he's even got his own fanpage on Facebook Grin.

hearhear · 03/10/2010 21:02

DD says she wants to go to university and she is quite conventional.She is very determined and competitive.She says she wants to do well.She loves sport but not sure if Kings does well at this (I got the impression looking round it was the music side that was considered important).I think Oundle would suit her but the fees are so much.
It does worry me that there were teachers who you felt made your life hell though.This isn't the King's 'family' the school promotes.The other thing I thought was the school was very good at science but didn't seem to promote languages as I suppose this is its specialist status.Would you say it was a maths/science school rather than an arts/english?
Why did you go there - was it your parent's wish? Is there a school which would have suited you better or do you think the same is true of the grammar/private school system? We looked around Oundle and the art/design studios were very impressive.

It is hard to make this decision for your children.I had a streamed comprehensive education which I did well out of but I don't think I was particularly well educated.My father was a 1950's grammar school child and I always felt he had learnt more/was better informed than I was.

exHomeEd · 03/10/2010 21:34

hearhear, thanks for the comments.

Did you / are you letting your DD take any practice tests for the entrance exams, or is she sitting the music tests?

ref your comments with EauRouge, FWIW I believe it's more focused upon maths/science than arts/English.

OP posts:
hearhear · 03/10/2010 22:16

exHomeEd,

We are applying on the church admissions.

Practice tests were included in the admission booklet we were given and I let dd have a go and she didn't struggle with them but the competition is high so no room for careless mistakes.

She made a few on the maths and her timing wasn't in on this but the english she found easy and finished well ahead of the time allowed.I would have assummed your child would need to be virtually 100% on both to get in.It was quite interesting the english was comprehension rather than/in addition to a written piece of work which was also what suggested the school emphasis away from this area.

My dd is academic (level 5 maths and english year 5) but as are lots of other children sitting the exam so it is a unknown result .She isn't grade 4/5 musical.

I would have considered or done alot more preparation if she was applying on the academic route only as I would for all the entrance exams.Past papers do always help give you an idea of school expectations.The headmaster at Kings has a PA who deals with admissions ( extension 1 on the school phone no.) and she is very helpful on answering questions so may be worth speaking to her.

I'm a scientist by job but my dd is quite gifted in english/writing and I'm keen for her to pursue what she enjoys.At age 10 it is difficult to tell.

exHomeEd · 03/10/2010 22:31

hearhear, thanks for the info.

Sounds like we need to 'guide' our 2 on the academic and music side of things. Paying for a private education isn't an option for us and we'd rather not move again, or at least not for a while.

From what you say it seems that some people will try to get their children into King's even if they could pay private fees. If so I guess that is an endorsement for King's.

OP posts:
Clary · 03/10/2010 22:38

I went to grammar school in South Lincs and we attended an annual Greek and Latin poetry reading competition

Other schoosl entered too I am sure but the only one I can recall was King's. They always won.

Not sure if that helps or not but I guess it places King's in relation to Spalding High School - ie waaaaaay above it. In Latin-speaking terms. And 25 yrs ago.

Grin

exHomeEd · 03/10/2010 22:59

hearhear, do you know what kind of results King's obtain as regarding students going to Uni?

I found the GCSE A and AS results but there wasn't any data on uni places.

Perhaps they don't put the info up but it would be nice to know how they fare compared to other schools.

OP posts:
hearhear · 03/10/2010 23:33

Headmaster said 5 Oxbridge this year so not very high.At my very average comprehensive we had 4 Oxbridge in my year if I remember correctly .
I didn't see any other information, although i'm sure if you asked the school via the PA she might give you an idea.

I wouldn't expect their results to be as high as grammar schools where there is 100% academic selection.In some ways this is what appeals though that there is some mix of ability.
Would it be worth looking into bursaries for Oundle
www.oundleschool.org.uk/admissions/scholarships/index.php?

exHomeEd · 03/10/2010 23:58

That does sound low, especially when compared with the exam results on their website.

We weren't that interested in Oundle, whilst it doesn't look too far away, we'd either have to commute there a lot every day or be ready for letting them board. Not sure about that one.

OP posts:
EauRouge · 04/10/2010 08:28

Wow, that's not very high, I'm sure there were more than that when I was there.

Yes, it's definitely more focused on science and maths. Art was one of the only subjects I liked and I got the feeling it wasn't very well supported. Music is a big thing but when I was there is was only classical music, nothing else. Boys' sport was taken seriously (it was a big deal being in the first XV) but not girls', this might have changed though. I know there are more sports facilities now.

Clary- yes, classical languages were a pretty big thing too at King's, not sure if this is still the case because I think the guy that taught Latin when I was there passed away.

hearhear- your DD sounds well suited to King's so I wouldn't worry too much about what I said. I just thought that they weren't interested in me as an individual and just try to make me fit but if your daughter will fit in anyway then she will do well. I think I would have done better at a less rigid school.

hearhear · 04/10/2010 09:42

Thanks EauRouge.

It is very helpful to have a different view to the parents.

I did get the impression of the importance to the school of music when we went to the open evening. There was a band playing in one of the rooms so maybe not all classical so much now.

exHomeEd · 06/10/2010 21:48

Just a bump, any other parents or ex-students with any comments to add.

Thanks all

OP posts:
Runoutofideas · 08/10/2010 18:32

Didn't go to King's but lived in Peterborough and it always had a very good reputation - although I don't think it is really comparable with the private schools in terms of subjects on offer and extra curricula activities. I had a very bright friend who went there, and went off the rails, achieving very little exam-wise - although that could probably have happened anywhere. Other friends went to Orton Longueville - some did very well and went on to their choice of University - others didn't.
I have personal experience of Peterborough High and Oundle, both of which I would highly recommend. They do also offer scholarships and bursaries which might be worth you looking into? I used to catch a bus from Orton Waterville to Oundle very easily - the 365 used to go straight along Oundle Rd - not sure if it still does.
Peterborough High was small and nurturing and girls seemed to achieve their potential exam wise abd we were generally all very happy and involved in school life. Oundle is far bigger and offers more variety, and certainly for 6th form would be more highly regarded.

Runoutofideas · 08/10/2010 18:34

Forgot to add - it used to be the case that if you didn't get into King's and went privately instead, often a place would materialise if you tried again from the private school. Not sure if that is still the situation, but it certainly worked for a couple of friends of mine - a while ago though now...

hearhear · 08/10/2010 19:49

Runoutofideas,

Would you say the Oundle education is worth the fees?

Did you feel it gave you any advantages in further education/job opportunities?

My dh was privately educated and I went to a comprehensive but he rebelled a bit against his formal education whilst I educationally achieved more.

We could afford Oundle but it is such a commitment.After looking round I loved the sports/art/science facilities but I'm not convinced the, up to end of 6th form, nearly £100,000 total fees would be the best use of our money for dd.
We have been putting money aside for University/housing ladder start for my dc but if we spend this on private education we won't have this extra to save.

I do feel dd would do fairly well anywhere but there is the sense of a private education offering that bit extra.

Peterborough High has just gone co-ed which is interesting but for senior if we went private we would go with Oundle.

Runoutofideas · 08/10/2010 20:05

If I still lived locally and money was no object I would either send my dds to Peterborough High 11-16 then Oundle for 6th form, or Oundle all the way through. The reason for the either/or is that it would depend on the child. Peterborough High would, I feel, be better for a quieter, shyer child whose confidence needed building. Oundle is quite full-on for an 11 year old, in terms of the size of the school, and the amount of extra things going on. Day pupils at Oundle are hugely outnumbered by boarders and many of the activities are put on to keep the boarders busy in the evenings and at weekends in addition to the normal school day. At 6th form this was hugely valuable and I truly loved my 2 years there. I'm not sure I would have coped so well with it at a younger age though.
Academically I got straight A's at A level and a place at Edinburgh to do my chosen subject. My small rebellion was not applying to Oxbridge, which I, at the time, felt was too elitist. (Naively - considering how I found Edinburgh ultimately!)
Oundle at 6th form built my confidence hugely - I left feeling able to mix with a wide variety of people and felt pretty much as though the world was my oyster and anything could be achieved through hard work and dedication. There was a strong ethos that academic/sporting/artistic merit was a thing to be valued and praised rather than ridiculed. Nobody felt they had to hide their talents to avoid ridicule, which my friend at King's felt was necessary.
One very good friend of mine went from Jack Hunt to Oundle and is now highly successful.
All things being considered, the short answer is yes, I do think it was worth the money and if circumstances allow I would try to give my dd's a similar type of education, definitely for 6th form if nothing else.

hearhear · 08/10/2010 20:23

Thanks Runoutofideas,

That gives me a really good view.The day/boarder split at Oundle is definately a consideration.

Did your friend go from Jack Hunt to Oundle just for 6th form also?
Where there many pupils joined at 6th form and how was this transition paticularly for your friend from state school?
Did you find there was any difficulty with the fact that many pupils who board would have come from families who are enormously wealthy or was this a fallacy?

I just considering that dd could transfer at a later date and it is not all set in stone at age 11 particularly as you mentioned the places materialising at Kings at a later date also.

Brasso4 · 08/10/2010 20:28

I think whichever school you go to in the UK, some students will do well and some not so well (and therefore miss their choice of university) there are a number of good state schools in Peterborough (Kings, Jack Hunt, Arthur Mellows and Thomas Deacon Academy stand out) and fundamentally one of the biggest obstacles to success is parental support or lack of. Peterborough does not have as strong a middle class as other cities in the country and therefore secondary results do not seem as strong.

As a parent and a teacher in the city Kings is possibly the best approach if you have an academic child who would thrive in a traditional environment. Thomas Deacon Academy has excellent sporting success and is fully comprehensive, yes it is large but the A-level results in particular are excellent.

hearhear · 08/10/2010 20:37

Thanks Brasso4,

Yes I suppose Kings stands out as getting higher GCSE results in the tables but I know this isn't the factor.Looking around the school at the open evening there was definately a vast majority of interested middle class parents.Ihink there may be more chance of teenage rebellion at a conformist school such as Kings.

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Runoutofideas · 08/10/2010 21:02

Hearhear - in answer to your queries....

Yes my friend from Jack Hunt went to Oundle just for 6th Form. She was wary of making the transition initially as she was scared of not fitting in - in fact nothing could have been further from the truth. She threw herself into everything with great enthusiasm and was hugely popular. There were also a couple of girls from Prince William so she wasn't the only state school pupil. At the time, all of the girls were new in 6th form as the school had not yet gone completely co-ed throughout, so the current situation may be different. I don't feel I struggled with the transition, I remember enjoying the new challenges and feeling that I had "outgrown" Peterborough High.

Some of the boarders did come from families with an awful lot of money, but to be honest on a day-to-day basis, you wouldn't know it. They were the ones sleeping in draughty dorms, while we went home to all the home comforts! It only tended to be noticeable when the cars and parents arrived to pick them up at the end of term!

I honestly don't remember any conversations specifically regarding parental wealth in 6th form. Lower down the school, before they had learnt any manners, there were odd jibes from younger pupils about the day pupils being poor relations as they didn't pay boarding fees, but this was quickly stamped out if overheard by teachers and was just considered juvenile rubbish by most pupils. Certainly not all the families were hugely wealthy - lots were simply working very hard to give their children what they considered to be the best opportunities in life.

hearhear · 08/10/2010 21:27

Runoutofideas,

Just talking about this with Dh.
He said he was told recently that it is now quite hard for girls particularly to get into the Oundle 6th form.There are apparently only places from the Oundle dc who decide not to continue from GCSE to A level and not many girls make this decision.There aren't additional places available just for the 6th form.

It is good to hear you and your friend had a positive view and experience of Oundle.

Runoutofideas · 08/10/2010 21:31

Hearhear - do you know where he heard that from? My friend's dd is in the process of applying for next year and has not been told there's a limit on spaces as long as they reach the academic level required and pass the interview. If your dh didn't hear directly from the school, then it may still be worth investigating.
Hope your dds are very happy, wherever you end up choosing.

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