Do only sporty kids go to Reeds?

[Longsuffering2]

Can anyone give an experienced view on Reeds? How sporty do you have to be go there? My DS is not a sporty boy but is academic - we've been offered a place and am not sure that he will fit in and make friends. Likes sport just not that good.

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

It's not particularly academic and has good sporting facilities so not surprising it attracts sporty boys really. It doesn't play football, but for the size of the school does incredibly well across the range of sports it does play, particularly tennis. It is also supposed to be good for music, but friends very musical DS was moved as he thought he didn't fit in.
Maybe your DS will find a passion for hockey? or tennis? cricket even, if he hasn't played much before?

[bettys]

Hi my ds goes to Reed's. It has its academic side, and is certainly sporty, but there is a very wide range of boys with mixed interests. There are many non-sporty activities which receive just as much attention and importance placed on them, and opportunities to do other sports such as sailing, golf, skiing, shooting - have a look at this term's activities list on the website for a better view.

PM me if you would like more information.

[Teddingtonmum1]

Hi long suffering ,

We also have an offer and planning to accept DS isn't particularly sport but mainly due to not being able to go to a lot of sports clubs etc due to me working but as he will be weekly boarding am thinking that may change !!. am wondering whats going to happen with the new headmaster coming in from Guildford grammer and previously whitgift was head of middle school. am thinking that means they are moving in a more academic direction maybe ?

[inthename]

Having sat the 13+ pretest (sadly didn't pass) it seems Reeds is attracting those who don't make it into RGS, St Georges or St Johns. They've spent a lot of money recently on facilities for design and technology and promote something called 'futuretech' which suggests they are moving away slightly from the sporty name. Also as pp said they are getting a new headmaster in September who is coming from RGS, so that may change the sporty ethos as well.

[Longsuffering2]

Many thanks all for your views (esp Bettysmum with first hand experience) - DS not a couch potatoe, likes sport and willing to try stuff. Likes shooting, sailing and swim squad too. Have asked Head about this and he says dont have to be a sporting hero to fit in and be happy.....so sounds good. I am curious Inthename as to why you see Reeds as a mop up school for St Johns and St George's (!).....my impression is that these 3 are academically they are pretty much on a par except for St George's lower A level results? Agree with overall views on incoming RGS Head - hopefully this will push Reeds further up the academic leagues.....

[Longsuffering2]

Another point on the academics; last year at our prep school, the boy with the highest CE mark in the whole school went onto Reeds (prep school had a variety of leavers destinations; Kings, Hampton, KGS).......

[inthename]

Just the talk in the room on the day was very much that the other boys were sitting for St Georges/St Johns and had failed to get into RGS - this was for yr 9 entry so it may apply more at that age as Surrey is limited in its choice of all boys at 13+ entry.

[AgaPanthers]

It's nonsense to say Reeds is a fallover for St Johns and St Georges.

In fact:

RGS - number 1 (out of these) by far - 25% to Oxbridge, 93% A/A at GCSE, 97% A/B at A Level
St Johns - negligible to Oxbridge, 60% A/A GCSE, 80% A/B at A Level
St Georges - negligible to Oxbridge, 70% A/A GCSE, 80% A/B at A Level
Reeds - negligible to Oxbridge, 60% A/A GCSE, 80% A/B at A Level

St Georges is co-ed so results not directly comparable.

Reeds has a reputation as a 'safety' option, but their very good results have allowed them to reject more pupils in recent years, and presumably this trend will continue.

I think St Georges probably has the brightest pupils (co-ed, quite a good position, a little arrogant IMO), I'm just not convinced they handle them as well as the others.

You do I believe have to do quite a lot of sport at Reeds until something like the fifth year, so even if you are not sporty, they still make you take part.

[Longsuffering2]

Thank you for your very handy synopsis of stats Agapanthers - we are lucky to have such good schools here even if a struggle to secure a place. Sounds like Reeds is good for the keen and willing but couch potatoes would not be too happy. I suppose on reflection in terms of timings, Reeds have until this year held 13+ pre-test much later than all the others - and so naturally will attract applications from kids who haven't got in elsewhere - last chance saloon. However, my understanding is that they will come into line with the others from 2015 (Jan exam) for 13+. I also know this year of a few people who sat 11+, didn't get in and were politely advised not to resit 13+ in Autumn, so the choosiness is definitely happening.
Oxbridge intake at RGS sets them apart and is a good barometer of success HOWEVER I'm told by friends that do mass grad recruitment that at 2:1 / 1st in a solid subject from a RG University is much much more favourable than a 2:2 / 3rd from Oxbridge .......in fact from the good blue-chip firms, you wouldn't even get a first round interview..........

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

I'm a bit hmmm about the CE claim.

You don't get given CE percentages only grades, and each school marks to it's own standards so comparing percentages would be meaningless anyway. The grade boundaries vary school to school, and it is very likely that a paper scoring an A at Reeds would only get a B at RGS. So if someone thinks their DS got the best mark because he got all A's they are mistaken.

We met with friends yesterday with DS at Reeds, he is very sporty and says that all of his friends are involved in some kind of sport. Just because your DS hasn't embraced the traditional prep sports doesn't mean he won't go on to really enjoy and excel at something else e.g. fencing.ski-ing. For a school of it's size it is very successful at a range of sports, so everyone must be participating in something for them to do so well. Do not under estimate the positive power of inspirational and enthusiastic sports teachers. It is not a cheap school, sports facilities cost a lot of money so you can see why Reeds wouldn't appeal to some. Everyone is apparently very positive about the new headmaster.

Reeds is much more competitive for entry at 11+ than it was a few years ago, and much tougher than 13+ even though it is getting harder. From DS's 13+ prep it was seen as a much more preferable option than St Georges and many boys would sit in Y8 who already held offers from St G. RGS is at a completely different level. My friend's DS was 11+ and didn't get RGS or Hampton, took Reeds in preference to ST G and is sitting happily at the top of his year group.

I don't think 13+ parents realise how competitive 11+ entry in this area is nowadays. The boy at the very bottom of DS's year got an offer from St G and went, that just wouldn't happen at 11+.

If your DS likes it, it is the school for him.

[AgaPanthers]

I wouldn't say that RGS is more successful, that wasn't the point I was making at all. The point is that they hoover up nearly all of the brightest boys in the area. Their Oxbridge success reflects the ability of the boys entering at 11 and 13.

There's quite a difference between schools where the children have to work at it, and the goal is spoon-feeding to top GCSE results, and a school like RGS where you might be more interested in what extension work they have on offer.

The difference in ability between the top maths set at RGS and say Reeds will be large - even A Level maths is actually very easy for talented students and doesn't remotely prepare you for going off to study Maths at Oxbridge.

RGS isn't better than the other schools, it's just set up for the brightest. If your son is not in that category, then it's a much worse choice.

[bettys]

I would agree with Longsuffering2 that Reeds is good for the keen and willing. It doesn't matter whether your interests are in model-making or choir as long as you try, and make the effort. Effort is rewarded as much as achievement. Parents do choose it for sport - they have the top school ski team in the UK for example - but also because it is very wide-ranging in scope and has excellent pastoral care.

As cakeisalwaystheanswer says, most boys do some sort of sport but not necessarily rugby, hockey or cricket. My ds has done skiing, sailing, mountain-biking, athletics and shooting over the last couple of years. The teachers and coaches are indeed inspirational. Yes it is expensive, but the facilities and support staff are fantastic.

There are boys there on academic scholarships who are very bright indeed. Traditionally Reed's has taken in a wider ability range, although it is getting more competitive to get in, partly because the demand is higher. It really isn't just a school for the sporty.

[Longsuffering2]

Betty's/Cake - think you raise exellent point about range of activities being critical in terms of finding one's niche within any school. Participation so important as a conduit to finding friendship group. Boys are often binary creatures though and relative "sportiness" can become a measure of one's self-worth within the testosterone fuelled male-psyche .....have had many tears in car for not being promoted from D to C team! I think as long as "winners / losers" culture doesn't develop, then that's ok isn't it?

[Shootingatpigeons]

Aga Ten going to Oxbridge from St Georges this year, that's equal to LEH?! Five last year. Hardly negligible. And Reeds takes girls into the sixth form so it is directly comparable on A level. Quite a few of DDs friends went through St Georges and thrived and did well there, it's results have improved in response to no longer giving Junior School pupils automatic entry. It was a pretty instantaneous improvement once that truly selective cohort went through.

Fair dos, the pupils who chose Reeds seven or five or two years ago probably are not interested in Oxbridge. , Reeds was in the past one of those schools you chose if you didn't want the academic rat race for your child. I can't help wondering how all these schools that used to do that job, Ibstock, Reeds etc. can climb the tables in line with their ambitions, there are only so many clever pupils to go round, and what options are going to exist for parents who genuinely don't want that for their child, now that state schools are also headed that way, short of putting them on a bus to Bryanston or similar

[Shootingatpigeons]

I should add that both schools will enable a bright child to get As and A*s so it really is about going along and seeing which ethos suits your child and your family. Very different ethos at St Georges, RC, Coed etc than Reeds.

[AgaPanthers]

Yeah you're right. Five is not bad. And 10 is pretty good, though only offers at this stage. More than I thought. Kind of what I said though, I think they will tend to get brighter children in than the other two. St Johns had none, which does speak to them perhaps being squarely aimed at the barely average.

LEH had 14 last year, 16 the previous year, which is out of 87 girls. St George's has 119.

There are other not-so-bright schools out there. King Edwards? LVS?

[Shootingatpigeons]

Aga Not this year they haven't, less than 10, and KGS have 6. Hearing similar disappointing results at other schools, with very good candidates being rejected. St Gs have bucked a bit of a possible trend / blip. Not that it matters since for most parents it will be the numbers getting on to the best courses that matter, noone is going to suffer for "only" getting into UCL Durham etc. Oxbridge always a bit unpredictable and seemingly getting more so.

[AgaPanthers]

I think it does matter, but of course it depends on the individual subjects.

[AgaPanthers]

RGS and Hampton got 34 and 26 offers respectively, btw, both very solid numbers.

[Longsuffering2]

DD came home today and told me RGS boys on train were running around the carriage doing that weird chicken thing where a fist goes into the armpit and makes a farting noise......sorry just needed to reassure that country's future Oxbridge intake are apparently quite normal!

[Teddingtonmum1]

I've just got over the trauma of 11plus and whilst I would love to think my DS would get into Oxbridge think realistically that's not going to be a concern here !!
Please let me have 5 years of peace before we start the uni thread my nerves can't take it anymore off to find wine :)

[Longsuffering2]

Well done on your DS's Reeds success Teddingtonmum - we might be joining you there yet! I spoke to a Reeds mum today ......they have been more than pleased with Reeds and her boys progress - all A*'s and A's and neither are big sporting heros. Her view on the academics was that if a DC wants to do well at Reeds, then they will go on to do very well. She felt that Mr Jarrett had done an excellent job raising academics and the new incumbent from RGS will continue to drive that further. Never heard a bad word from parents about Reeds. It was a lovely reassurance.

[Teddingtonmum1]

Are you boarding or day ?

[Longsuffering2]

Day. Tho if he starts making a nuisance of himself, boarding is always an option!!?? Would anyone happen to know if breakfast and dinner are available and included?? Fridge here always being hoovered empty, the more i can outsource the better. I thought someone also said a trip might be included within the fees - or is that wishful thinking?

[bettys]

If I'm dropping ds off he'll sometimes go in early to have breakfast at school. He really likes them! Lunch is included in the fees and if they have a late match or evening concert they have tea/dinner there. That is one of the advantages of it being a boarding school!

The summer term trip is also included in the fees, usually a 2-3 night trip. In the first year it was France, last year it was Sussex; not sure where it is this year.