Do Withington and Man High take from local state primaries?

[Woodfordhound]

I’ve posted this in education too but hopefully someone has local knowledge.
DD is bright, sporty and musical but is not at a prep school. We’ve done some Bond stuff at home and she copes well with these. I’d like to know whether either of these schools is a realistic option for a bright sparky girl who is also keen on being somewhere she can play sport and run. I think we need to get the application in in the next couple of weeks if we’re going to go for it.
Do they tend to only take their own juniors plus children from the local preps? Our neighbour has a daughter the same age at a prep in Cheadle and the amount of stuff she’s done compared to DD is staggering although I’d say both are equally bright girls but maybe I’m deluding myself there.
Anyone have girls at either and can let me know anything about the atmosphere there and number of state school girls.
DD has brothers rather than sisters so I think she may quite enjoy an all girls environment. She’s also quite a workhorse and very studious but I’m not sure how much that counts compared to brains (which she also has) and prep (which she doesn’t really have). Thanks for any information.

[Woodfordhound]

Bump

[Woodfordhound]

Anyone?

[DottyDotAgain]

Hi - I went to Manchester High from a state primary school but that was 30+ years ago..! From memory, a large number of pupils were from their prep primary school and other private schools, but there were a number of us from comp/state primary schools - we ended up sticking together, mostly!

I don't have particularly happy memories of it and was much happier when I left to go to a state sixth form college, but I'm not sure that anyone loves secondary school, so it's difficult to say whether that was because it was an independent school or not.

All you can do is try - it's exam dependent and if you/your dd really want to go, then it's worth a go!

[Woodfordhound]

Thanks Dotty. Sorry you didn’t enjoy it there. Can I ask if there was anything in particular that you didn’t like or that made you unhappy? Good to hear that they take a few state educated girls.

[DottyDotAgain]

Well I definitely wasn't the most academic pupil there, so I struggled with some of the subjects and quite quickly disengaged - but that's more of a reflection of my personality in that I quickly give up when I can't do something- and I think the teachers struggled with me not being hugely academic!

There was a class divide between the kids with money and those without - I was one of the 'poorest' - relatively speaking- so stood out not in a good way. There was a snobbery about who had what - whose family had a yacht and all that, which wasn't great as a teenager not fitting in!

But this was all a long time ago and I honestly don't know what it's like now! I'm not at all sporty so that didn't appeal, but I'm musical so really appreciated the music facilities which were excellent.

Hope whatever you decide it goes very well!

[Woodfordhound]

Thanks so much for your honest appraisal, Dotty. I certainly don’t want her to feel like she sticks out. Although I must declare that although she’s at a state school, we live between Wilmslow and Bramhall and she goes to school locally so she is somewhat sheltered from the concept of social deprivation. But although we’re thankfully not struggling, we’re certainly not wealthy or Cheshire types and I’m not sure I want her exposed to all that either. Lots to think about. Thank you

[AtomHeart]

Nothing to do with what school she is at now. It is dependent on whether she passes the entrance exam and whether you can afford the fees.

[BetaCarotene]

I went there from a state primary, twenty years ago. I also hated it. It was very cliquey. I felt poor, and incredibly pressured to do well at exams. It was a bit of a business - churn out good grades, get in more customers. The way they got us good grades was by kicking us off any course we were not going to get As on. In retrospect it wasn't actually as terrible as I felt at the time, and it does have a new head, but I would undo having gone there if I could.

[BetaCarotene]

There is MHSG.

[Balcanoona]

Both our daughters are at WGS and year 6 and year 8 - both very happy there. We are not yacht owners and I don't get the snobbery thing at all. Is much more about academic achievement and a real push on girls doing well. IF your daughter is academic then yes, if she is sporty but not academic, it might not be the best option. Insofar as getting in from a state primary school, mine were at the local state until the last 2 years, then prep school. They just have to get through the entrance exam and then shine at the interview. At WGS they're not looking for the ones with all the certificates in a folder, but rather an original thinker. My 10 year old "i can play whatever sport I like, there aren't boys stopping me". But have a look around on open day

[Woodfordhound]

Thank you everyone!
Bslcanoona, we had a look around at the open day last Sat. Her Dad took the boys out so it was just her and I and she loved it! She did feel that some of the other girls there seemed very confident and were asking lots of questions and she heard one girl talking about when she comes rather than if. DD is very worried that those already in the independent sector will be far ahead of her in the test and more self assured in the interview. We will see MHSG on Sat but she seems to have already set her heart on WGS. Our guide said she had moved there in Y6. It wasn’t even on my radar to move her then. I wish now that we had tightened out belts and done it last year.