Help! Receive offer from Perse Upper school- Any parents from Perse Upper who has daughters?

[Panthers]

Hi All, We are thinking to move to Camrbidge just for the school. My daughter got in to Perse upper and would love to understand a bit more from the parents with daughters already at school? Your responses would be highly appreciated as we are so confused with the decision making process

[PerseParent]

I have a boy at the school rather than a girl, but since you've had no other responses thought I would see if I could help?

I guess I would say what are your other options and what are your concerns? Why are you struggling now to decide if it is the right place. I have spoken to parents of girls who have struggled a bit but then I have spoken to parents of boys with similar problems. The school is now pretty much 50/50 girls and boys and certainly has this seems to have been the case for new starters (it’s possible years 10/11 may still be a bit boy heavy). If your dd is very keen to do textiles or cookery then that isn’t offered (although art seems to incorporate of textile work). It’s not the right school for every child, but the parents I know are happy with the choice. Some families have one or more children at the Perse, and other children at other schools, because they felt these were a better fit for a particular child.

We have been mostly very happy with the school.

[Panthers]

thank you all. We also got a place at St. Helens and at katherines at oxford which is all girls and seemed to have nice pastoral care too.

[Panthers]

This is for year 7 entry

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Having grown up in Cambridge and living in West Berks and considered SHSK for my daughter there is one big thing that jumps out.
Perse Upper is right in the centre of the city SHSK is in Abingdon a town total separate to Oxford and much,much more rural.
Obviously there must be other factors feeding into your move.

[PerseParent]

One thing that jumped out at me looking at the SHSK website, is that the Perse is a much larger school. Perse also doesn’t offer Drama as a GCSE subject (they do RADA certificates and various other aspects of drama but no GCSE or A level). There is also no ceramics and no double award science - it’s all three separate subjects. And lacrosse isn’t offered as a sport. All year 7 now do outdoor education with a couple of short compulsory camping trips. The Perse seems to be less religious - it does have a chaplain but not weekly chapel services and hymns/prayers don’t seem to be a regular feature of assemblies.

You are comparing two very different schools. Do they both involve a house move or would she know some people at SHSK, as I think that can also factor into how happy a child is. Not that children don’t arrive at the Perse knowing nobody - mine didn’t when he started, but it depends on the child as to how easy they find that.

Only you will know what location really works for your family - you don’t have to live in Cambridge to make the Perse work, as the station is a short walk away and the school now runs some bus services. I would recommend that wherever you live, try not to be in a situation where you need to drive to drop/ collect your daughter - Cambridge traffic is a nightmare and the school gets its own traffic problems with parents having to queue to leave the carpark.

People I know have generally been very happy with the school and the children have thrived, but you will know best what is the right environment for your dd..

[Panthers]

I visited both schools. Housing is not an issue. We want to move for the right school. Helens is very personable but very few Oxbridge destinations compared to Perse. All Russell group is lower. DD likes both the schools

[Panthers]

Also looked at the Oxbridge destinations- we love Oxford as an area but Liked Perse due to STEM focussed

[PerseParent]

Don’t pick a school for an 11 year old based on the number of Oxbridge offers. What happens if your dd turns out not to want to go to Oxbridge or to be able enough. Pick the school that you and your dd think she will thrive best in. If you pick solely based on that criteria then you are right - Perse looks better, but although roughly a quarter did get places - three quarters didn’t go to Oxbridge- so your dd is more likely to part of that group.

[Jlg106]

If you a girl into STEM would look at St Mary’s in Cambridge. All girls schools see more girls take STEM subjects and they do better there. I think in co Ed girls can often be put off by boys and more shy etc. We have a girl into STEM and she is thriving at St Mary's. Couldn't recommend it more. Very bright kids do well and average ability to well also. Think it's because they have a happy school life so better balance. Hope that helps.

[whinge4britain]

I am afraid I would agree with Jlg106. I have had daughters at the Perse recently and obviously got to know the parents of other girls. There is a problem with implicit sexism in the STEM education there; partly from the boys and I am afraid partly from some of the teachers. An example would be when a group of girls complained to the Head of Year about how disruptive some of the boys were in lessons and all of them were “marked down” in their term grades for “not speaking up enough and letting the boys dominate the lessons”. Same expression in the report of every girl who complained. Depressing “blame the victim” mentality which outraged all the girls parents. Also the extension physics group is called the rocket club and does not welcome girls etc. The Head has daughters but does not seem to see the problem right in front of his nose. However, obviously, some teachers are better than others but the boys still openly make comments about how girls cannot do STEM.