The abbey school feeder in to kendrick grammar school? parents pls suggest

[Shandeepa]

hi, we are thinking of moving to Reading..as my daugter has a place for YR1 at the Abbey school.. any parents out there can help if The Abbey is a feeder school to Kendrick grammar school? any parents pls let me know

[MrsSchadenfreude]

I would have thought that the Abbey would have wanted to keep its pupils in its own secondary school, not actively help them to pass their 11 + and go elsewhere!

[AverageHeight]

I don't think Kendrick restrict from what schools pupils come from. I took the test (failed) and wasn't even based in Reading Borough (home or school). Abbey was v good academically itself when I was that age, you may find you wish to stay there.

[Tanith]

Kendrick doesn't have feeder schools. It's the only girls grammar school for the whole area, state and private, and competition for places is extremely fierce.
To be honest, I don't understand why you would want to move your daughter - the Abbey has an excellent reputation and most girls go on to the secondary school.

[Shandeepa]

thanks .. how many kids from The Abbey move to senior school.. I heard that lot of kids will be asked t leave from junior school if they think they wont be fit in senior school? Grammar school is just an option if we cant afford at that stage..

[ThePavlovianCat]

Most children from the Junior will move to the Senior school. It would be a pretty poor indictment of their Junior school if they couldn't teach the children and get them through their own entrance exam!

That being said. Consider whether you think it is a good life experience for your child to be at the same school with the same friends for up to 13 years!

[heidihole]

I went to the Abbey (a while ago, i'm 26 now) and every single girl AFAIK was invited up to the senior school (ie weren't kicked out) As someone up thread said, what a poor indication of their junior school if the girls couldn't pass the test into seniors!

About 2 or 3 from my year went to kendrick. Purely for financial reasons. The Abbey is very academic, your child will be well prepared for the 11+ if that's what you choose.

[heidihole]

A whole lots of new girls join at senior level. It definately wont just be the same friends. My class in senior was totally different. Also at junior the classes were random (2 classes per year) in senior they were alphabetical (4 classes per year) so total mix up of the girls i went through junior with.

[ThePavlovianCat]

Yes and and the classes get mixed again at sixth form but it's very safe to stay at the same school for 13 years. I think it prepares you better for uni/work to change schools and have to learn a new environment.

[heidihole]

I actually can't comment on that aspect as my family moved away at 13.

However i don't really think theres much wrong with stability and security in a childs life. Plenty of time for scary new experiences as an adult surely?

[ThePavlovianCat]

Time for them maybe, but is the child prepared for them or will she find these new experiences daunting?

[Tanith]

There are many attitudes I would associate with girls from the Abbey; "daunted by new experiences" is most definitely not among them

[ThePavlovianCat]

I'm just offering an alternative opinion based on my time there. I did feel well prepared for university.

[ThePavlovianCat]

*did not

[LadyFlumpalot]

I went to the Abbey from prep (3.5) to Annexe (yr 6). I HATED IT. Luckily (for me) my parents found themselves in a spot of financial bother and shifted me out to Bulmershe in Woodley for secondary school, which I loved.

My experience of the Abbey was that it was full of rich girls who only liked you if Daddy had a good enough job and that the lessons were outdated and rubbish. Knitting, elocution and Latin?!?

[LadyFlumpalot]

On reflection, my last wasn't a very helpful post, I am 29 now so I left there very nearly 20 years ago, I suspect that the values and lessons have changed somewhat since then.

[bico]

I know people with dds there currently and they are very happy. It has a good reputation locally. The dds I know transferred there at 11.

Ds was at a through school until end of year 4. Switching to a school that finishes at 13 has upped his expectations from going on to the non-selective school to highly selective public schools (and upped his work effort at school to achieve this).

I always think that to do well at Kendrick, or even get in, you have to be very academic indeed, which is not the case for the Abbey.

[Cavermum]

There is no such think as a feeder to Kendrick. it is incredibly hard to get into, and now it has a catchment.
If you actually mean does The Abbey prepare girls for the Kendrick exam, the answer is no. Very few girls go to Kendrick from The Abbey, and of those who do, they are mostly being tutored in Slough (yes I have heard of people who never had a jot of tutoring-never met one myself). Who knows what kendrick will be looking for by the time your 5/6 year old daughter is old enough. If you are moving, I suggest you live well in catchment for somewhere else good like Maiden Erleigh or The Holt if you need a fallback.
Most girls do go on to the senior school-it's excellent. Those unlikely to make the grade are advised years ahead. a big advantage of going to the junior school is that if your daughter messes up the entrance exam, they will take her overall ability into consideration.