Kendrick Grammar - any parents out there?

Thank you Punkatheart. What you have said confirms my impression of the Abbey.It just didn't feel like a good fit. I'm a bit surprised she got the scholarship as you can be sure the spelling and neatness would have been lacking!

Do you think Kendrick might suit her better if she's arty?

Don't go to The Abbey if you love Art. The Headmistress actually told me that she considers it to be a waste of time. The art teachers are good but very hemmed in by very prescriptive lessons. Similarly, if she is a dreamer do NOT go to The Abbey. This is a school that expects girls to be perfect. Every little thing wrong is penalised by 'marks' in their homework diaries - down to leaving a ruler at home or losing anything. If they are ill, they get really stressed - because it is hard to catch up. The Abbey is a place for alpha girls - tough, neat and driven.

The choir is selective. So much so that my daughter, who has a good voice, was scared to audition.

Creativity is really not The Abbey's thing. My daughter is also a little lazy but very creative. She is now at Leighton Park, which is wonderful at treating indviduals as individuals. The art is astonishing there are there is a multitude of extracurricular activities.

As for homework - yes it is excessive. I don't think a school is a necessarily a good one if there is a lot of homework. My daughter tells me that her lessons at Leighton are so much more proactive - at The Abbey they were always left to write a lot in the lessons. So if your daughter is currently unmotivated, she will struggle.

Fingers crossed for you all :)

Milliways, my DD could also possibly go to Sir William Borlase as she has passed the 11+ in Bucks but I have the opposite concern there that she may just relax too much! Reading area would suit us better anyway as my DS is at Reading School like your DS and it would be better to be travelling in one direction. Maybe my DD will just have to pull her finger out!

Hattie - I don't think either will tolerate Lazy!

(If you are in this area - what state schools would you consider? I know some are truly dire, but others are well deserving of their Outstanding Ofsteds.)

Hi we are in an identical situation in that our DD has also been awarded an academic scholarship to the Abbey and we are anxiously awaiting Kendrick results.

Does anyone have an opinion about what would best suit a very sharp but rather lazy dreamer? She is totally unsporty and not the slightest bit musical. Although she would love to sing in a choir, she has never been allowed in! Art is very important to her and although good at maths and science, creative things are her passion. I am a bit daunted by the reputation the Abbey has for doleing out huge amounts of homework as my DD will resist it ,but on the other hand I would never call her self motivated which means she might not achieve at Kendrick.

I suspect she will probably not get through the Kendrick exam as our preparation was very last minute but it would be nice to have an idea about what we would chose if given the chance.

Anyone out there had a lazy girl attended either of these schools?

Hattiehoo

I have a DD there & she is very happy. It doesn't seem very pressurised to me, though the majority of girls appear to be very self driven. (caveat: she is now doing GCSEs so things may hot up!!)

The school is very relaxed rulewise as the girls are, generally, very well behaved.

It is not especially good for extra curricular activities, sport is ok if your daughter is motivated but music, for example, is dire.

I would agree with Miliways comments about the exam placings, but it doesn't seem to bother the girls - my DD was pretty near the bottom and is unfazed (she's actually achieving about middle).

HTH!

I have had a child at The Abbey and now at Leighton Park - but know lots of people with children at Kendrick. The ethos was summed up by one parent: It is really hard to get into but if you are clever enough for that, it will be a breeze. Unlike The Abbey, they make the exam hard so that there truly is a selective process. Girls who can pass that should be able to cope. I really feel that Kendrick girls are quite tough and yes, it is pressurised.

My OH's cousin is an ex-Kendrick girl and she is as smart as a whip....

If it is The Abbey she has a scholarship for...well I will try not to put you off, but we have had a really horrible time there. But well done for the scholarship - that shows how bright she is......

Is she very science and maths orientated?

Where I work we have several Kendrick students doing after school work. They all seem really happy and well adjusted.

It IS pressurised, and I don't like the fact that the girls all know how they were placed in the entrance exam (The Reading Boys find out the day the leave!) but they get amazing results.

(My DD failed to get in, but we did try).

i have a niece there,loves it