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Original poster

Kingston Grammar School

53 replies

ohtobeanonymous · 28/09/2014 10:32

Having a DD who seems keen to go to this school and being highly impressed by the website and promotional material, I was a little underwhelmed when we went to the Open Day yesterday.

Any current parents who could 'sell' it to me based on their own DDs experience? I am struggling to justify the huge fees for a school which doesn't actually seem to offer anything (other than the fact it is mixed, not single sex) more than DDs current indie (nowhere near as expensive as KGS).

Genuinely keen to get DD into the best school possible for her that we can afford, but she would need some significant scholarships to be able to go to KGS...

OP posts:
CountessDracula · 28/09/2014 14:36

What are you after? If it is facilities, large site etc then it isn't the school for you!

I would say the things it has that made us choose it for our dd (who adores it) are

  • How relaxed and friendly it is.
  • The fact that so many children are from state primaries
  • The emphasis on independent learning and allowing the pupils to explore for themselves rather than teaching to exams/spoon feeding all the time.
  • The fact that they cater really well for all rounders (which dd is) and aren't exclusively obsessed with A*s.
  • the extra curricular program which is exceptionally good
  • the fact that it did hockey not lacrosse (personal thing!)
  • the gorgeous sports grounds in such a beautiful location (they bus them down (and back if needed) and they are pretty close to the school

The main thing that sold it to us was that all the children I know who go there are so happy and positive about the school, they genuinely seem to love it. And that it felt like a similar atmosphere to DD's primary, where she was so happy.

And her having started, I should tell you how friendly and normal the other parents are. It is a very sociable, happy and down to earth place. If you want to be involved as a parent there is so much you can do too.

irisha · 28/09/2014 13:14

Errrr, huge fees?

I don't know what your current indie is, but KGS's fees are not huge in comparison to all the indies that are roughly in the same catchment:

KGS £5,535
G&L £6,060
Notting Hill and Ealing £4,250
Latymer Upper £5,770
WHS/Putney High £5,250/5,290
LEH £5,800

I am not even putting SPGS here - that's where you could say huge fees

So if anything, KGS is at the lower end or middle. I think in London, there isn't really much difference in fees for girls or co-ed schools. The two St Paul's and Westminster are different.

So TBH I am surprised by your quoting fees as an issue for KGS specifically. You may feel underwhelmed, but I think you need to pinpoint more precisely what it is that you were seeking and didn't get from the Open Day vs your current indie.

FWIW, DD got a scholarship to KGS and we turned it down. I had doubts on how well they teach humanities and sports fields that were not on site. On the other hand, I though Maths was absolutely super as well as the sciences. The hockey (that was important to DD) was also excellent.

On of MNers with DD there reassured me re humanities.

I also was not 100% sure on the new Headmaster as Sarah Fletcher was so charismatic and a hard act to follow, but apparently he is quite good and very much of the same school of thought.

All in all we loved KGS, but logistically it was worse than the co-ed we went with in the end. So it was really a choice between locations. The current co-ed runs a bus almost from our doorstep and we liked it very much as well... I actually think maths and hockey are better at KGS than at our current school, but can't have it all.

tess73 · 28/09/2014 12:52

What do you find missing?