Kingston Grammar vs LEH: air polution and other things

[Leo12345]

Hello!

We are trying to chose between LEH and Kingston Grammar where my DD got offers. Kingston Grammar will be £220 less monthly.

Is air in Kingston Grammar really polluted or it is insignificant?
There is a very busy cross-road just next door.

We live 12 min by bus and 23 min by foot from Kingston Grammar which is a significant advantage, as to LEH it is either 45 mins by two buses or 50 mins by foot+bus or school bus which is quicker, but which arrives in school 30 mins before the lessons start and departs 30 mins after they finish, so you also waste this 1 hour.

LEH is higher academically but our DD always gets the highest marks and really does not need to be pushed. I am afraid that LEH, because of its high academicity, gives children less freedom and allows less creativity and if it is so, this would be the worst thing for us, as we value much creativity and freedom.

On the other hand: boys is it for good or for bad? Do older girls in Kingston Grammar fight for being popular with boys and this kind of things?

Also wanted to ask: is LEH very posh and a lot of children from rich families (as we are not and perhaps will not feel very well)?

Will appreciate any feedback, thanks in advance!

[Sunshine5050]

I'm not a parent at either but ds has offers from KGS & Hampton so it's similar. You might want to think about the sport. There is no hockey at LEH, they play lacrosse. The LEH boat house is in Sunbury with no public transport links. KGS is 1 of the top hockey schools around & the boat house is in Kingston. They are both fab schools with similar parents, it's a hard decision esp as we can't go back to visit KGS soon.

[Leo12345]

@Sunshine5050, thanks for this information! We do prefer lacrosse, as we love all antique things and hockey can be dangerous for girl.

[Sunshine5050]

KGS likes a high participation in team sport so your dd will be encouraged to play netball or hockey.

[Teenmum60]

I think you will find that lacrosse is more dangerous than field hockey!

[sandybayley]

Hockey dangerous for a girl? DD1 plays hockey quite seriously and it's fine. She lasted one term at lacrosse and it terrified her.

[Leo12345]

To be honest, our family is very far away from any sport (unfortunately) and its presence or absence in school would not influence our decision.

[Leo12345]

Maybe I overestimate air pollution, though on pollution map it is shown as high in KGS.

[woodlanddreamer]

Pollution affects your choice of school? I can't imagine it is very different at the two schools. If you think both schools would be fine choose the closer/cheaper one! And I would always go for co-ed but that's a personal choice. And lacrosse is brutal from what I remember

[Stuckinstressville]

Played both lax and hockey to high levels and saw more injuries playing lax! Antique? Are you
Serious? It is played with metal and plastic sticks and is the fastest sport on two
Legs.

Ease of access would sway me.

Look for your daughter to be much
More rounded than academics- if you want her to be successful- those who are pure work robots never fair as well in life. Which one has more to offer than pure work or sport.

[Sunshine5050]

I think you need to speak to the registrar or a current parent but KGS is known for team sport on a Saturday, it's the great different between Surbiton High where I have a dd who does limited sport and KGS. You can get away without a team sport at LEH and SHS much to the parents disappointment but at KGS it's the whole part of the school package, only 55 girls in the year means they all play sport.

[Roseredvelvet]

Sunshine5050 do you have a dd @ SHS? We are trying to decide between the two and she is quite sporty but I've heard it's quite difficult to get into the A teams and if you don't, there's not much play time. Is that correct? Thanks

[Sunshine5050]

Yes I have a dd at SHS and yes the hockey and netball A teams are for sports scholars and B/C teams are for those that play at club Level. My dd did literally no sport outside the school day in year 7 but in year 8 she started rowing at the boat club in Teddington so now it's fine. Currently there are 200 girls in year 7 and 100 attend netball club, you need 7 in a team! Apparently they they will limit the next year 7 to 7 classes. But otherwise SHS is a great school, she adores it and wouldn't have got into KGS. She is very happy and I'm now trying to decide between Hampton & KGS for my ds.

[pamplemoussed]

Have girls at LEH and find it very creative. Have you visited the drama department, theatre, art block, attended a music recital? Loads and loads of creative activities and a very high standard of sport too. Which does your dd prefer?

[Roseredvelvet]

Thank you for the info Sunshine5050. Is SHS not as academic as KGS? Dd has offers from both and 2 other GDST schools but prefers these. So hard to know which is best suited!

[Niquitic]

I have children at both.

KGS has to be more polluted; it's on a huge one way system with traffic lights outside & frequent traffic jams...LEH is surrounded by green fields though heavy traffic is not so far away.

You are not a sporty family but your DD may yet surprise you, given lots of opportunities and plenty of encouragement. She is bound to find some hitherto unthought of niche at either school. My DS who I had pigeonholed as academic & sporty has shown real musical aptitude & enthusiasm, picking up 3 new music instruments. My DD who I saw as a bit of a bookworm with a bent for technology has emerged as a drama star who belts around the SE on Saturdays in a variety of sports incl lax, which I do agree is seriously dangerous!

Part of the great advantage of these schools is the resources for children to experiment & spread their wings.

Both are academic & sporty in different ways. Parents at KGS tend to be a little bit less flashy imho & a bit more normal. There are many rich families at both but it seems a bit less obvious.

It will come down to which one you & your DD feel fits better. Gut instinct. Though I have to say, all other things being equal, travel time would swing it for me.

[Leo12345]

Many thanks for all answers and advises!

Yes, pollution does affect my choice of school, as my DD health is important for me. 7 years breathing car and bus exhaust can influence child health. Of course if all UK moves to electric cars, it will change, but I don't believe it will happen soon.

For sports: we do them for recreational and health purposes but don't intend to be close to professional sports. My DD plays violin and piano and I cannot imagine she will go to play hockey or rugby as this can be dangerous for hands and fingers.
We are seeking more intellectual and creative school. I was indeed impressed by LEH art and music department. We got music scholarship in both schools, but I think in LEH we can have more progress in music.

[nocampinghere]

KGS boat club is at Hampton Court (not Kingston).

There are only 60 girls in the year = tons of opportunities for everything, huge extra curricular offer and no battling for a chance against 100+ girls as in most other schools.

[testbunny]

Leo1234 we love in London. Pollution, unfortunately, is everywhere. It sounds as if your DC would suit LEH, but I would probably find out a bit more about LAX if your are worried about injuries!

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

There is a huge gap between LEh and KGS for A level results which will determine which Uni they go onto. LEH is 35% A and 45% As, compared to KGS which got 16% A and 37% A last year. To put those into perspective, Esher College which is free of charge and completely non-selective got got A11% and A 22%.
SHS which is seen as less academic achieved 30% As and 37% A.

OP, I completely agree with you about pollution and have chosen schools, homes etc accordingly.

[testbunny]

If you look at the GCSE results, then the tables are flipped in terms of KGS and SHS (I don't know about LEH). SHS did particularly well at A Level last year, beating either PHS is WHS (I can't remember which). It's very common for students to move schools for A Level, and schools do offer incentives to get the brightest students. Look at A Levels, but GCSEs are a better indicator, imo, of how well the cohort who entered at 11+ do.

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

But GCSEs aren't as important, once you've sat them that's it finished its all about your A level results until you go up a tier. All schools offer incentives to get a few better students at 6th form, a friend of DS's got a free place at KGS so it all cancels out.

[Roseredvelvet]

The stats are very confusing! Ds sat the 8+ (in a desperate bid to avoid 11+ again) and we accepted an offer based on proximity. He is also a child who thrives in a highly competitive environment. Dd will do better at a more nurturing school and KGS/SHS ticked that box, despite her receiving offers from more academic but pressurised schools. LEH would definitely fit into the latter, so it really depends on which school you feel will bring out the best in your dd.

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

I have checked the govt A level league tables now out, Wimbledon have an average point score of 47.29 for A levels, Putney 46.67 and Surbiton 46.41. So it was close but SHS didn't beat either. For op in case you're interested LEH had an average point score of 49.67 KGS have an average 44.01. There are no govt figures for GCSEs because they exclude IGCSEs.

[testbunny]

I was looking at % figures in tables published in one of the broadsheets for GCSEs and A Levels. I'm not sure how it relates to government figures. Yes, it was close.

As many say, it's about fit. I'm sure a motivated child will do the same at any school (although redrosevelvet co ed vs single sex is probably one thing you / your DD need to decide on first).

Also, here is an article on London schools and pollution. It was published two years ago but was based on 2013 data. Some of the most over subscribed state secondaries in London (it didn't include indies) are in areas classed as polluted. It's clearly not great but it gives some perspective on London schools. Hopefully the government & local councils will do something. It seems BoJo didn't release the data when he was mayor...

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/01/children-at-nearly-90-london-secondary-schools-exposed-to-dangerous-air-pollution