South Hampstead High School Sixth Form

[expat96]

According to EduBase, SHHS last year had 92 girls in the last year of GCSE and only 54 girls in the first year of sixth form.
www.edubase.gov.uk/establishment/census-data.xhtml?urn=100076

Given that SHHS claim to admit at least a few students at sixth form, more than 30 girls, or 1/3 of their GCSE students, must be leaving each year for a different sixth form. This appears to be a much larger fraction than at SPGS, NLCS, CLSG, etc.

Does anyone have information about where these 30+ girls are going and why so many are leaving? I'm told that many girls and/or parents seek a coed environment at that age but, again, it seems like other top London girls day schools hang on to far more of their students.

[horsemadmom]

When UCS went co-ed for the 6th form, SHHS was the biggest loser. It is not a very well resourced school (cramped and a bit shabby) so the lure of pastures new is pretty strong. Those other schools either have close links to boy's schools or are so spectacular (NLCS) that no one wants to leave. Things may change after SHHS does their redevelopment- will take years-but it is a less attractive option compared to the other schools.

[expat96]

Thanks HMM. I'm quite keen to find out more about this so I asked on another board as well. Over there it's been pointed out that CLSG also loses about a third of its class at sixth form. It's just not as obvious because they must also admit about the same number of girls to sixth form so that the number of students at 16 remains about the same as the number of students at 15.

Still, though, I was being a bit conservative with a third leaving SHHS at sixth form. If the school admits even 15 new girls at that stage, then fully half of the ones sitting GCSE would have to be leaving.

I hadn't been aware that SHHS are doing redevelopment. My understanding is that, up until a few years ago, they had 75-80 girls in each year of sixth form. It looks like that's dropped to about 60 recently. Perhaps they're cutting down the class sizes while they are doing the redevelopment. Does anyone know if they've reduced their intake at 16+ or if they've been encouraging more of their girls to leave after GCSE these past couple of years?

[horsemadmom]

The redevelopment was only approved a few weeks ago so there is no plan on the school's part. It just isn't as desirable as the others. Not sure that is true of CLSG. I'll ask tomorrow when I drop DD2 off.

[bevelino]

The important thing surely is that both SHHS and CLSG achieve outstanding results year after year.

I know that some girls leave CLSG because they want to attend a co-ed school. However, others want and perhaps need a less pressured environment.

[expat96]

Bev, it is most certainly impressive that both SHHS and CLSG (and NLCS and SPGS) consistently achieve such results. But bear in mind that these are the results of the girls who remain through the sixth form. In considering senior schools, it does matter to me if a large fraction of the girls leave for a different sixth form, and the reasons for that. For me, a few girls preferring the challenges of Westminster when they become available only increases the appeal of these schools. But many girls leaving because of a preference for coed causes me to re-consider whether single sex is appropriate at 11+ as well; I probably won't change my mind, but I'll have another think. And many girls wanting or being guided to leave for a less pressured environment would also cause me some concern.

[pinkfluffball]

CLSG guide girls who are slightly less academic with poorer GCSE results to choose a more suitable school. I only have an anecdotal account of two girls who have chosen co-ed state system as a result although they did not necessarily want to leave but started feeling uncomfortable with the pressure.