ALL NEW; WHITGIFT/TRINITY/DULWICH/ALLEYNS 10+/11+ 2016

[MrsPatmore]

Thought I'd go ahead and start. Found the old threads really interesting and would welcome ongoing input from those who've been through the whole process.
Ds in Year 5 and we are looking at a mixture of grammar schools and indies for 11+ Whitgift recommended this year - we've been told there is a drive to raise academic standards. We're going to the Open afternoon on 10th Nov.

[quangotango]

This is crunch year for us, eek

[SoupDragon]

Good luck :)

Having done this with my DSs (L6 and 4th form) I am now going through it with DD (Y5) and obviously it's a whole different ballgame as I now looking for a girl's place.

[AnotherNewt]

The parallel girls' school thread is here

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/2419877-Is-it-too-early-to-start-a-2016-girls-11-W-SW-London-thread?

[Seeline]

Hello all - happy to help if I can!!
Soupy - good luck! Went through it last year with DD. T never did go fully co-ed :(

[SoupDragon]

I remember mentioning to MrB that I was hoping T would go co-ed. he just laughed.

[quangotango]

Does anyone know yet why / where he's leaving to? Or who is taking over?

[Ladymuck]

Recruitment for new head is underway, so I'd expect an announcement to be made just after halfterm.

[EldonAve]

So MrsPatmore are you going to do 10+ ?

Do lots of people do Trinity & Whitgift?

[Seeline]

No news of a replacement yet, although he mentioned back in June that consultants were already on board and looking out likely candidates. He seemed to imply that someone would be known before the end of this academic year so that they could work together on the hand-over. It would appear that he is not 'going on' to anywhere at this stage .

[Seeline]

Eldon - yes lots do both W and T

[EldonAve]

Seeline - thanks. Here most seem to just do W. I haven't seen T as we missed the open day

[Seeline]

Eldon Ring the school - T do loads of tours on weekday mornings during this term.

[SoupDragon]

I don't recognise any of the schools on the equivalent girl Thread! I am clearly failing my daughter... :o

I agree - phone an ask for a tour of T. I think most schools offer private tours if you ask.

[Seeline]

Soup - I didn't either

[SoupDragon]

:)

[Firefox1066]

I see it has already started! I was the neurotic thread starter of the 2015 thread and DS got offers from both W & T for 10+, so Im hoping to pass on the thread starters good luck to you Mrs Patmore!!. We chose W and DS is really thriving in Lower First, even though the days are long. If anyone has any questions then just ask away!!

[beyondbelief]

I have a ds in the third form at W, so am happy to answer any questions! It's a fab school and we have had no complaints (well, nothing that a few grand off the fees wouldn't fix )

Ds went in at 10+ and I would highly recommend that route.

[MrsPatmore]

Eldon, we'll be doing the 11+. I think the big thing for us will be the journey as we are in SE London (but not near enough to New Cross station for that to be a viable journey option into Croydon if ds lucky enough to be offered a place). How would you all compare Whitgift to Dulwich College?

[BitByBit]

Nice to see you back Firefox!

Glad to see a 2016 thread started - I found it really helpful to have online support last year when we were going through it all. My DS is in Lower First (Yr 6) at Whitgift. We had him take the 10+ at Whitgift only as a practice run but were offered a place and bit their arm off took it up.

I would also highly recommend the 10+ route. DS is also thriving and absolutely loving it despite the long days, huge increase in homework and commute on public transport. It is incredible to see the difference in him in just over a month. He may have settled as well if he started in Upper First but I think the Italy bonding trip and smaller year group has really helped.

It is of course still early days and it could all change tomorrow but a positive start. Also happy to answer any questions...

[daddyanxious]

Only applied for W like BitByBit for some practice with 10+ but were bowled over by the place having not known too much about. We'd been to see some very well known schools for potential 11+ applications and were really impressed with how W stacked up.

I did a lot lurking last year but happy to share experiences.

I would say W is certainly for the more robust/independent boy who enjoys getting stick into sporting, musical or intellectual pursuits. The school positively encourages it. The first few weeks including the trip to Lake Garda throw the boys right in at the deep end. In saying that, 10+ was just what DS needed coming from his state school where he was bobbing along.

[daddyanxious]

@MrsPatmore - re getting to and from W, there is a good school bus service which extends into SE London: Beckenham, Bromley, Dulwich and Sydenham Hill.

Click on the following link for a map of the school bus routes: www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zWcf938__Eb4.kAeOPPnL4CQw

I know a number of parents of boys at DC and they sing its praises. It sounds very similar to W tbh - sporty/academic bent - but with better name recognition. In public, the DC boys always seem very well mannered if that's anything to go by. Their facilities are first rate; a new science block has just been built which looks out of this world (W has plans to build a new science block too with 4 climatic biodomes!). DC is certainly looking to become more academically rigorous which is the same direction that W is pursuing. The recent GCSE and A Level results show them both improving, with W having the edge presently - but in truth there is very little separating them. As previous posters have said before, it would seem odd for anyone to travel from Croydon to go to DC or from Dulwich to W - they are both fantastic schools. I think it is a great time for boys in South London at the moment with so many good choices available. In a few years time we will have to look at schools for DD and in comparison the choices seem far less straightforward

[TrojanWhore]

Dulwich is of course the the better at rugby.

[AnotherNewt]

By A level, the BBC league table puts Dulwich 70th national, and Whitgift 97th here

Neither appear on the GCSE table, and wonder if that's because they use IGCSEs. Lots of big name schools don't feature. BTW Emanuel (which doesn't do IGCSE) was 94th on that one.

Do you mind my asking, daddyanxious which league tables you were looking at, or was it your own comparison?

[SoupDragon]

I believe Trinity and Whitgift both opted out of the GCSE league tables and I think it was because they were misleading.

[AnotherNewt]

The source for the BBC version is the Education Department school performance pages, on which both Trinity and Whitgift feature, but as 0% of pupils achieved 5 or more GCSE including English and maths, it's much more likely it's exam choice not school preference that takes them out of that table, but puts Whitgift in the top hundred (using sample source material) for A level.

Emanuel's head is stridently anti-league table and won't co-operate with any, but there they are in top 100 GCSE.