The Trinity-Whitgift thread of 2013 continued

OK i thought w had removed themselves from the circus that is the league tables so this farming out stance wouldn't make any sense. I'm sorry but the cynic is coming out now, there is more to this thread than meets the eye and I can smell sour grapes a mile off. # just saying...

Why stop at those predicted B and C...why not keep the A only, everyone go take your exams somewhere else, get 100% A credited to the school, pretend the others never attended, and beat St Paul's on the league tables. So simple. Wonder why not everyone does the same.

Aggghhh. New parents...unfortunately there are league tables and it's ugly out there. But remember all you are hearing from the current parents is "my DS is happy at the school." Focus on that. That's a lot.

lfs2126, not been asked to leave, still be at Whitgift and participate fully in lessons and school life, will simply be asked to enter the exams privately and not under the Whitgift umbrella, depending on results may then be invited back into the fold for 6th form.

Have just been reading whitgift or dulwich thread from last year to which soup lady muck and Basildonbond contributed. Makes our exchanges feel positively tame! Do you all still feel the same about W?

I don't think the reference to boys being asked to sit GCSEs at Croydon College means they will have been asked to leave the school (though I could be wrong). It's more likely that, as the exams are taken somewhere else, they won't appear in W's published figures (or affect their place in the league tables). I have absolutely no knowledge of whether this practice is taking place btw, but if it was I think that would be the likely reason.

Some quite negative "information" suddenly appearing. I just handed in my acceptance and deposit to W today.

We are from overseas but currently live here. We are full-fee paying, boarding place, so according to those negative (or realistic) postings, I must be the one hit worst because we deliberately chose to apply for a weekly boarding place to ensure my DS GET IN a GOOD school. If day places are still there to be just claimed by anyone who can afford, this makes me the saddiest parents this time around.

I don't compare W with St. Paul, Westminster, KCS Wimbledon as I know they are in a different league and my DS unfortunately wouldn't get in anyway. 8 Oxbridge this time but it was around 15 last time. I did some math while ago on "Oxbridge+LSE+Imperial+UCL" numbers divided by year 13 co-hort and it was around 25~28% which was similar to Dulwich college (which I consider a peer, but slightly upper league). And I think the fact that they at least send in some boys to those Univs would create enough environment for "most" boys to be in a "studying" air.

Also senior school guide on W from my DS prep says "rather unpredictable on whom they take". I guess this neither good nor bad, maybe reflecting wide arrange of considerations at W admissions -- social mix, sports, etc..

I just hope the new boarding would prove best choice to me after couple of terms.

• I don't still understand the mechanism asking W boys to sit GCSE at another school. Is this possible? But regardless of what happened to this (failing?) small group, most of the GCSE math enters are above A, which shouldn't be ignored.

nothingyummy you read my mind re having this info in January not now but if school is undergoing a change may well be better for us in the long run. Entering at 10+ gives you plenty of time to assess the situation for yourself and still plenty of time to move ds if it dosnt meet expectations. I wouldn't want to have to move ds but it is always an option. Can't help but think we will benefit from the changes but do feel desperately sorry for anyone at GCSE level or close to that who dosnt have the options we still have. Hope you sleep well tonight!!!

shazoom thank you so much for replying. can I just confirm that this boy has effectively been asked to leave the school on the back of some average mocks? as a fellow fee payer I am quite disturbed by this, as I can't find any reference to this practice at all.

shazoom I have no knowledge of GCSE process yet so excuse me asking what may be a very stupid question but are you saying that a boy who was previously doing so well that A's were predicted has out of the blue been told he can't sit GCSE at W?? Was there absolutely no warning that he may be struggling?

Feel like I'm changing this thread to a currents parents thread but the other issue doing the round is the proposed inflation busting fee increase for next year. At over £16k for us full fee payers the cost is heading into the territory of the super selectives like KCS etc. I have 5 more years left (hopefully!) and i suspect that I will be looking at more than £20k per annum which is frighening when I think about it now.

Anyway, as said just posting to make people aware of current school gate chatter

lfs2126 - my source is a pretty upset parent, whose DS just got their Mock GCSE results and been told that even he cannot sit exams at Whitgift this summer (predicted couple of A's but mainly B&C at GCSE). This is why I said it as a real live issue now going on now. Can I respectfully suggest you ask the school this question. Over last three years how many in GCSE year group and how many sat English and Maths at Whitgift, and what happened to the rest......

As said my DS is happy and so am i but there are issues at Whitgift, the School is going through lots of change at present and any parent sending their child their should be aware of these I think.

Thank you, Shazoom. May I just say that although I was taken aback by Cinder's post, I do understand where she's coming from and as prospective parents it is very useful information, obviously to be balanced with other information.

I can only speak for myself, but I have to say it is a bit sad to be getting this information now, after we've made our decisions. Maybe if current parents could have posted their views in January or February, even beginning of March, it migt have been a bit more helpful? I, for one, would not have been swayed, but I would have felt more informed instead of getting this post facto bucket of cold water.. We had an excellent alternative, not a Quest Academy. And hearing about disruptive boys really makes my heart sink..

Having said that - ths forum is indeed very open and frank. I suppose many other schools don't have this kind of discussion and parents would walk in there none the wiser and only then find out what problems there may be. As someone else has said - all schools have their quota of challenges.

Thanks SHAZ...for that insightful post...of great value!

shazoom- if already asked cinder55 with no response. please can you tell me your source about boys doing GCSE at Croydon college ?

Have been lurking and following since mid Jan after going through the high and lows of the entrance process a couple of years ago. I am a current parent (fee paying!) at Whitgift, and to be honest I think what Cinders55 said was pretty unbiased and a fairly accurate reflection of what a number of W parents feel. Have reread her comments a couple of times and dont think it is bitter but she is simply stating her opinions with a few facts(?!) thrown in. The Oxbridge Stat about KCS is one such fact.

For what its worth my view on the issues she raised. Has the school and year groups grown to big, the general feeling is that they have. It is fair to say that Whitgift will add a class if demand is their or needs require, whereas other schools are far more rigid on the year group structure. Trinity got caught a a couple of years ago and have clearly said never again. Asking boys to sit GCSE's at Croydon College is a real live issue for Whitgift parents ( not mine hopefully - will find out in a couple of years!) and if you were paying full fees like us you might feel a touch agrieved.......

In terms of the social dynamic I cant answer for Cinder, but there have been numerous incidents with disruptive boys and it takes a while to settle a year group down, and teach them the Whitgift Way. Whether they are Sporty boys, coming for State primaries or boys on fee remissions i cant say and would be unfair to try and paint this way. Not sure if thats what she mean and maybe she can answer.

In terms of places available there are still places available as they have had a number of rejections, whether this is because of a lack of scholarships etc I dont know but it appears to have surprised them and this year there is no waiting list.

As Ladymuck says it is all about choices, if you have "Top Tier" choices like St Pauls or KCS you would not choose Whitgift, but they are clearly not right for every boy, but Whitgift is in my mind a school which offers my sons opportunities that he would not have got in the state system.

To end on a lighter note the current joke amongst Whitgift parents was on the website a month ago they proudly displayed the banner "A top 5 UK boarding/Day school" A couple of weeks ago this was changed to "A top 10 UK boarding/Day school"!!!!! No sources quoted but not sure what happened there and why the demotion but hoping next month wont have to change again, and also strange given the boarding house is not open yet!!!

Looking forward to welcoming those of you joining the roll call of Whitgift parents in September!!

Wow...you guys are amazing.!!!

And I fear if I wake DH once more after midnight to tell him what my imaginary friends (and detractors) have to say, I will be skeletonmum let alone skeletal..

Apologies; just realised this has already been answered ! A lot of reading to catch up on.

LOL but think the real villain remains hidden whilst the obvious suspect takes all the heat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so hoooked burnt

I think hot is referring to 'real life'???????. Wow intrigue now , this thread is becoming like a real life soap.
Can see the opening sequence now....

A mum sitting in a two bed flat overlooking a 6 bed house and waiting for the phone to ring with some news. looking wistfully at the neighbours pool ..
A dad, secretly addicted to a website dedicated to mums is frantically posting his innermost thoughts before his wife gets home....
Cut to Croydon and to a mum contemplating selling all she owns to join a lucrative business venture hiring donkeys to those kids on bursaries at the local school...
The mum with twins has not been heard from in a while, maybe she's visiting her relative in Cheam..
There is some confusion at the goings on and rumours abound, something is a foot - a mysterious figure with a name like a fairytale princess has cast sadness over the entire cast - but then the local Hottie suggests that she isn't who she says she is????????............. tune in next week to see how the mucky lady solves this mystery!

Glad we are back on track. Inspired by nothingyummymummy I think I have finally figured out the real meaning of a thin year - what we will all be in a years time after living on baked beans walking to school etc etc in order to pay fees. I guess that means by the time we leave we'll be a skeletel year.

yummymummy actually lol'ed
I bet that was a sentence you could never have envisioned yourself saying a few months ago. To virtual friends.

I think a 'thin' year refers to a low birth rate year , which I have always understood the 2001/2002 birth year ( academic year ) to be. This was the last declining birth rate year and it has continued to steadily increase since then ( hence the pressure on Primary places in the last few year s )