Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary education

La Sainte Union - thoughts please!?

17 replies

NofGreenGables · 03/05/2018 12:44

Hello dear M-netters. Would any of you be willing to share thoughts / any experiences you have had of La Sainte Union? Daughter currently facing senior school choices and looking at state options.

Many thanks!

OP posts:

Report

bumblingbovine49 · 03/05/2018 12:51

That is a blast from the past so I can't help posting. Is this in North London? If so I went there but 35 years ago so I am afraid I can't advise as to what it is like now I'm afraid

I am sure it has been through many ups and downs since I left in 1982 but I have a lot of good memories from there. Hopefully someone who can be more helpful about what it is like now will post soon

Inmyownlittlecorner · 03/05/2018 12:55

My DDs go to a Catholic Primary School in Islington & a huge number of the girls go to LSU. A friend is sending her 4th daughter there in September & is very happy with the school.
My DDs won’t be going however, because we’re not actually Catholic!

NofGreenGables · 03/05/2018 13:21

Yes! @bumblingbovine49 - Parliament Hill!

OP posts:

NofGreenGables · 03/05/2018 13:21

@Inmyownlittlecorner Welll that's reassuring... academically do you happen to know how it fairs?

OP posts:

ourkidmolly · 03/05/2018 15:43

It's very strict. Is that ok for you? What do you want from a school? The results are fairly ok to good for a mixed intake. It has large number of girls from Afro Caribbean backgrounds along with girls from all the other countries that make up the world wide Catholic Church. You'll probably have that diversity in all London Catholic girls' schools. Girls are generally travelling from all over north London. What are your other options? Where are you based?

NofGreenGables · 03/05/2018 16:48

thanks @ourkidmolly - we are Catholic and although not super religious for many years, the kids have really taken to catechism etc. as a result of having done their Holy Communion and of their own volition asked if they could keep going! They really do seem to benefit from it all, the behaviour and mindfulness, their over all kindness and empathy. Their current school runs a loving but very tight ship and they love that. I suppose the question is - how strict is "very strict". I like a strict system, but not if it makes school a miserable and anxious, rule-bound place to be.

The other aspect that concerns me is that the results don't look great and my daughter is very academic. I am wondering whether it will be the right environment for her...

OP posts:

ourkidmolly · 03/05/2018 16:51

Why don't you send her to St Michael's then? LSU is a tight ship and there's some lively characters who need the control but some might find it oppressive. Where are you based?

NofGreenGables · 03/05/2018 16:54

We are in Belsize. We are looking at St Michael's too. I just have a friend whose daughter left due to what she took as a complete lack of pastoral care on the part of St Michael's...

OP posts:

ourkidmolly · 03/05/2018 17:07

Well that's highly unusual. St M has a minuscule turnover in the first 5 years although they lose some at 6th form but that's totally normal. They have boys joining at that point. It's very different to LSU although with similar ethnic diversity but less socioeconomic diversity. It's a highly selective academic school. It suits some girls but not all. Certainly the results are far better than LSU but that's to be expected. If you're in Belsize then really it's St M or LSU. Why travel elsewhere? There's little to be gained for a big journey. You could jump on overland to Loretto in St Alban's but you'd be lucky to get in. Similarly Sacred Heart Hammersmith. They have a super strict admission though that prioritises 'baptised within 6 months of birth' etc. The results are impressive but that journey isn't.
I'd go and see St M for yourself. They're having a huge rebuild over the next 2 years which involves a completely new building. It looks very impressive. Certainly the girls there are lovely in my opinion but of course many are lovely in LSU too.

NofGreenGables · 03/05/2018 17:30

@ourkidmolly, thanks so much, super helpful and reassuring feedback. We are hoping to visit it this term. I'll report back!

OP posts:

silverback · 06/09/2018 16:57

Four words..... Do. Not. Do. It.

ourkidmolly · 06/09/2018 19:54

@silverback
Why's that?

FanDabbyFloozy · 06/09/2018 21:44

Do not do what?!!! Very ominous!

silverback · 07/09/2018 09:11

In my opinion LSU has gone from being what appeared to be a good school to, I'm afraid to say, a poor school. All in the space of a 2-3 years.

I think the staff (the ones I know of) are poor at dealing with anything that isn't run of the mill / no issue / day to day school stuff. And to be honest, even the day to day school stuff seems to be pretty bad too.

No end of supply teachers are being used, specific subject teachers (e.g. French teacher) teaching a different subject group (e.g. Maths), watching far too many movies in lesson instead of learning, unruly girls being allowed to disrupt at will.... and some other more serious things.

It's of no surprise LSU's GCSE results have declined...... from being +80% A-C, down to being in the 60s now I think.

Of course, it's possible that girls can make it through their time there problem free with decent or good results (although I think your daughter would need to be pretty self sufficient academically); but if the time comes that you or they need the school to help or provide support with anything then don't hold your breath. Report bullying that needs urgent attention.... don't be surprised if you have to contact the school numerous times over a period of weeks for them to even respond or acknowledge you.... ending with them making promises of how they will deal with things.... only for them to do nothing at all and allow the situation to continue.

Obviously this all sounds like an isolated opinion, but speaking to other parents, they also have their own stories of how the school has let them and their child down.

In my opinion and from what I have actually seen, LSU is a school in the middle of rapid decline, and I would strongly advise anyone I know against sending their daughter there.

FanDabbyFloozy · 07/09/2018 15:11

That's a real shame - I thought LSU was a great example of a local school that does well year after year.

Sorry to read of your experience, @silverback. Are your girls still there?

silverback · 07/09/2018 15:24

@FanDabbyFloozy - Nope.. removed.

It is a shame about LSU. It seemed to be doing a good job of keeping within touching distance of the group of usual high achieving London state schools (Greycoat, St Marylebone, Sacred Heart, etc etc).

I have just noticed that, according to their website, this year's results are back at 80%. I've got a strong suspicion this is a one off and won't continue though.. but I could be wrong.

London1305f · 04/10/2021 11:02

Hello, does anyone have any recent experience of LSU that they want to share?

Flip

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.