Schools similar to Alleyn's?

DS at Emanuel - RS is taught like at every school for year 7,8 and 9 a couple of lessons a week. Then you can choose for GCSE - we are a non religious family and I have never felt religion has been forced down their throats or even that it was that big there chapel once a week but that doesn’t seem an issue for my DC. DS actually chose it for GCSE and it’s a good dept. I think there is no sibling policy there anymore and no cap on entrants to 11+. If you get a place at Y10 go as gives you a head start on those starting Y7. Headmaster upper the anti on academics which parents like but kids not so keen on.

Can someone please dwell on this cliquey thing? Is it really that bad? Does it start from the beginning or at senior classes only?

My eldest is at Alleyns. It's fine - good teaching, very organised. It is however VERY cliquey in an almost tribal way. Mine has a nice set of friends but finds the cliques a bit tiresome. We haven't come across any bullying though. Mainly white/suburban.

Hoping to revitalise this thread as I have a ds who could be the OP's twin! We are also looking at Alleyns' but didn't get the warmest vibe from it on the Open Day. Thought about Latymer Upper and Emanuel as alternatives but heard that Latymer can be tough socially.

Ds is dyslexic with some motor planning issues too but academic and with the right help is doing well academically. Loves art, music and drama - sport not so much! Interested as to what one pp who said they went to Alleyn's wouldn't send their dc there - can I ask why?

Thankyou!

Eltham College? Very sporty school but also strong academically and pastorally.

Yes, DC's acting dept is ok. DS got quite a few film auditions ( no parts) which was a surprise to us, and could have gone on and pursued more seriously, DC and Alleyns both understand. Dc also v good at chess. One if DS's mates gave up captaining the English u19 s in about year 9 to focus in GCSEs but still made enough money per annum to pay at least his fees.

Trinity wipes the board at water polo. Sings at the ROH and Glyndebourne. Whitgift gives huge sports scholarships but we were not convinced about the bullying either. There is bullying at every school but there was a degree of denial I didn't like. But that was a long time ago.

OP - Have sent you pm

DC art pretty good. You can be as sporty or not as you wish. There is a rugger elite but after lower school you can avoid it pretty much completely. Brilliant at debating. V good St maths. Music good but I'd go to Trinity if that's his thing. Single sex.

New head at Trinity comes from Dulwich and is lovely. Co- ed in 6 th. Good art, excellent music. Has a ten plus.

Whitgift, good all round. I found them pretentious, trying to ape eg Eton, but that's prob just me. I prefer scruffy like DC and Trinity.

Eltham, might be too far, but good school, small, intimate, excellent music.

St Dunstans has done really well by two young people I know, co-ed, bright, but not forced, good Russell group universities but lots of other activities.

There are lots of very quiet children at Alleyn's - they're not all in your face party types ... In my dc's case the staff have been really encouraging and they've tried lots of different, new activities as a result

Not sure Alleyn's has a reputation at suiting quiet types. A lot of schools are sporty but provided they don't 'define' themselves by that generally there's a mix of children.

you know KGS do 10+ too - I would put him in for that, my dd got in on it, I think it would suit him from your description

Is Latymer too far? Pupils come from far and wide, inc Southfields, Wimbledon and Kingston - or anywhere near a tube really. Not at all Alpha. Sport is most definitely there (rowing huge) but also very easy to duck out of . Quite edgy socially I would say, but fantastic curriculum and they seem to manage great results without a pressurised atmosphere.
Or Ibstock Place?

I would start with those and then check out Ibstock and Latymer if you feel you need to see some more.

There aren't that many co-ed options!

DD didn't warm to Ibstock and neither did I, but she has friends there who love it. Latymer would have been quite a challenge, she didn't get offered a place and although I think it is a fabulous school I didn't feel it would really be right for her.

Three of her friends were offered places at Latymer but the two girls chose G&L and the boy chose KGS.

DD actually enjoys the Chapel assemblies as she is in the choir and loves singing. I think being in the choir makes it more interesting.

My son is at Emanuel and has generally managed to avoid Chapel most weeks, usually having a music lesson. They do have to do a short course RS GCSE though. However this is common to many schools.

My son is at Dulwich and they only go to Chapel 3 times a year. He is quiet, scholarly and hates sport but there is a niche for everyone there and he is thriving and happy. There are alternatives to rugby too. I would recommend it!

I'm wondering if part of the reason Emanuel became such a sporty school was because it was considered to be a 'fallback' school. If the children weren't going to do so well academically at least they could achieve on the sports field!

When I went to the open morning in 2014 the lovely man giving the talk (as the headmaster was away) said that their current Year 8s were streets ahead of where their Year 11s had been when they had been in Year 8, and it was moving up academically year on year. I think the same is true of Ibstock which jumped up the rankings by 60 places in one year.

There is such a demand for places in London it's now Kew House, Radnor House and More House which are taking children who would easily have got into Emanuel three or four years ago. These and some North Surrey schools are the current 'fallback' schools.

I don't think the religious side of things at Emanuel is particularly onerous. Both the chaplains are lovely and good fun.

The art at Emanuel is amazing and very original as you've probably seen on the video. DD has never been keen on painting so it's good that they can do so many different things and they also create all kinds of things in DT.

If your DS does pass the 10+ and loves it you'll be avoiding the 11+ nightmare! One of DD's friends at her prep did that and although she did feel a little sad to miss Year 6 she kept in touch with all her friends, was still invited to all the birthday parties of friends at her old school, and settled really well. I wish we had done that because I knew on my first visit it would suit DD down to the ground and, as I said above, I was a bit reluctant to start with, but that changed as soon as I actually visited the school.

They are very keen on their rugby and their rowing, but that suits some children, not all of them. 100 of the children were involved in this year's musical and drama is just as highly respected as the sporty stuff.

Please assure DS that they cover humanism in RE!!!!!

Alleyn's, along with Dulwich College (and JAGS) are all part of the 'God's Gift' Foundation, have chaplains and regular services, in the same way as Emanuel does.

If that's a show-stopper for you, cross them all off your list now.