Mixed Sixth form sw London suggestions?

[Pipandmum]

We are going to move to London for sixth form. My daughter (y10) was adamant she wanted to go to an all girls school (at private mixed school now) so we narrowed it down to Putney High, Francis Holland SS, Lady Margaret's and Surbiton High. She's now just mentioned she would consider a mixed school! So I'm looking for a couple to add to the above list.
She wants to do Art, History and either psychology or sociology at A level, and pursue a career in Art (illustration and animation) afterwards. She's currently doing triple science, German, art, history and math and English plus Art Award. Predicted to do 7-8s. Any suggestions? We hope to live in Fulham though would consider Putney and Wimbledon and she's happy to take the tube/bus.

[sleepismysuperpower1]

would you consider a state sixth form as well as independent? if so, have a look at William Morris and WLFS.

[CountessDracula]

Latymer Upper (Hammersmith)
Kingston Grammar (Kingston)
Ibstock Place (Roehampton)
Emanuel (Clapham)

Are the 4 that spring to mind that are properly co ed
Kings in Wimbledon takes girls in the sixth form too

[Pipandmum]

Thank you yes @sleepismysuperpower1, Lady Margaret's is state but I confess after all the bells and whistles of private school it wasnt very impressive though it is a good school. Were still applying as the location is great and no interview or exams to get in. I'll check out the ones you e suggested.
@CountessDracula we used to live across from Kings and have to say looking at their website is not encouraging as it seems to concentrate on entry and fees and I had to do a search to find the A level subjects and then no further info on each. But thank you I'll look up the other ones you mentioned too.
Also considering Ashbourne College.

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

Ashbourne is the no1 choice for most looking at private 6th form colleges at the moment. It does have the advantage that everyone is new so your DD wouldn't be having to break into an established year group, and for me being in South Ken is always an advantage. But the downside would be that students only go in when they have lessons so it could be difficult to make friends outside of classes.

DD thought about moving but she is now glad she didn't. A few have joined her school for 6th form and it isn't easy for them. The easiest transitions seem to be into schools with a big intake at 6th form like Kings and Reeds because all of the girls are new. As you are moving and your DD will not have a local friendship group this is something you probably want to give extra consideration to.

[Pipandmum]

Yes I'm very mindful of that @cakeisalwaystheanswer. It's why we crossed off Queens Gate which only admits about 5 new girls! It's a tough one. Putney High is our top choice at the moment but we've only been to three open days. Ashbourne looks interesting and there's an open day next month.

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

DD knows a couple of girls who joined Putney for 6th form this year and they have settled very well and made new friends etc. I also remember that one of the girls at Kings in DS1's year returned to Putney for upper 6th because she found Kings too cliquey, that was a brave choice half way through 6th form.

Do update the thread when your DD decides. Good luck.

[CountessDracula]

Kew House has a sixth form too - might be worth trying there
I should warn you I know a couple of people who joined the KGS sixth form this year they were more 9s and a couple of 8s type. Just make sure you have a less academic back up if you go for these schools, it could be fine but is v dependent on who/how many apply in a year, they mostly have limited spaces as most people tend to stay on for sixth form.

Also re kings website, once you are in a school you have an intranet so the website is only really for people looking to come to the school, not existing parents. So I would kind of expect it to be all about entrance etc!

Other

[dsdddhdcat]

OP, I know about 8 or 10 girls from WHS and PHS who applied to KCS of LU for sixth form because they wanted a change / co-ed. None were offered places.

At LU there are 30 places, 15 of which are bursary places which offer to pupils who have done remarkably well from the state sector and who would also qualify for these bursaries. Otherwise, you would need to be looking at pretty much all grade 9s from another selective school. They can be very selective as they have hundreds applying.

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

I did say earlier but stupidly posted on a completely different but similar thread that it is difficult to get places at Westminster, Kings, Latymer, SPGS etc. But the numbers sitting A levels at others schools drops compared to the GCSE year hence the huge adverts for 6th form places. From last year:

WHS has 90 at GCSE, 55 at A level
SHS has 150 at GCSE, 102 at A level
KGS has 124 at GCSE, 104 at A level
IPS has 88 at GCSE, 72 at A level
Only PHS had 84 at both.

There is a fair amount of movement IME. Esher College is one of the top performing colleges in the country and very popular because it offers a much broader range of subjects than schools which focus on traditional academic subjects. Some parents are also strategicaly moving DCs to state for 6th form because they see it as an easier route to Oxbridge entry, which looking at current statistics is probably true. Grey Court is very sought after at the moment because despite having outstanding A level results they somehow qualify for the contextual offer list at Bristol, as does Esher rather surprisingly. Pupils there have only to obtain AAB for an A*AA course, that's quite a discount.

[anewdecade]

I agree with most of the post above but was surprised at the small number of pupils taking A levels in some of the schools. On the WHS website it said that 82 pupils, not 55, took A levels last year so not wildly different from the GCSE figure.

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

I was using the govt site because I don't really trust figures from any other source. The GCSE numbers are 2019 but the A level numbers don't get updated until the end of the month so the pupil numbers I have put in are still 2018. I wouldn't expect there to be huge differences year on year but by the sounds of it there is for WHS. I'll post the updated figures for A level candidates when they are available. But 55 is definitely the official figure for 2018.

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/102692/wimbledon-high-school/16-to-18/advanced-level-qualifications

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

And one day later the 2019 numbers are released!

WHS 83 sat, average grade A 49.2 points
SHS 102 sat, average grade A-, 46.67 points
KGS 116 sat, average grade A-, 47.36 points
IPS 72 sat, average grade A-, 46.39 points
PHS 97 sat, average grade A, 48.57 points

I ignore value added scores because I don't trust them for Indys. Somebody once posted the data for how they are calculated and there was a huge amount of work at individual level detailed for state schools and then for Indys it just says that they pick up the information from exam boards, but they are unable to get information at individual pupil level for uni places etc.

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

For example with value added, Tiffin and Surbiton have virtually identical A level results and value added measues which suggests a similar intake. IPS has similar results but a low value added score which suggests that their cohort is brighter than Tiffin.

[whataboutbob]

Easy cake, you could cause a riot on this board with statements like that!.

[MGMidget]

Harrodian seems to be strong on art and has a sixth form entry point. It is close to Barnes Bridge so probably quite convenient from Fulham.

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

Whataboutbob - Its obvious to me that Tiffin will have a brighter cohort and the other schools have similar results because of the advantages of smaller classes, more teaching hours etc, which means that the value added scores don't make sense. They are very scientifically calculated for state schools but not for Indys.

But just in case anyone is offended by me suggesting that the Tiffin cohort is brighter than IPS's or Surbiton's, I apologise!

[whataboutbob]

Sorry I thought you’d suggested the opposite ie IPS pupils are brighter than TIffins, which over on the 11 plus forum seems to be every self respecting tiger mother’s choice. I have 2 boys so no personal investment there, but I know how passionate people can get about the topic of secondary schools .

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

Oh sorry, I wrote it assuming that everyone would realise that was not true and so the value added scores must be nonsense.

[Pipandmum]

Thanks everyone I'm very appreciative of everyones thoughts!
@MGMidget thanks just checked out Harrodian (pretty sure my son played a match there years ago). They only let ten newbies in sixth form, and that alone would put me off.
Our school does not predict 9s. I think she could get that in art, but I feel pretty confident in 7s and 8s for most of the rest.
Yes these schools can cherry pick but most kids will be applying for the same four or five schools and can only go to one! I think Kings would be a stretch, Surbiton I was thinking as a safe school, but Esher College is a totally different idea. A friend's son goes there and I guess my concern is it's size, and getting my head around it being non selective (my daughter is at a non selective now, but it's the only private school which in itself is self selecting - we do not live on the mainland). He got through his GCSEs but mostly 5s. Another open day to schedule! These are tricky as if in the evening during the week means a very late return home or an overnight stay (missing school the next day).

[Pipandmum]

To add, the reason Esher's size puts me off is I know some kids who go to Brockenhurst, which is similar. A few say it's so big and not much of a community feel.

[ChippyMinton]

For Esher be aware that the application window closes very early- September of Y11. And the waiting list can run to the high hundreds. Guaranteed places go to pupils from local schools without a 6th form, everyone else goes in a lottery.