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Original poster

St Albans High School for girls

85 replies

pubandstate · 06/06/2020 19:41

Can anyone tell me more about this school, specially under the new management with their new Head.
I visited the school few months go, went for an open day well before the lockdown,
I need some advise about this school, its culture and how they are comapred to good state schools.
Do they really nuture their students as they say or is it an academic factory. Pls help

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Lazymuffin · 15/01/2024 15:32

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ForHSake · 15/04/2023 21:20

Zombie thread

follygirl · 08/04/2023 14:03

@TLC50

My daughter finished at Stahs last summer. I don't understand your comment about the girls choosing 'easy' subjects at Uni.

The head girl, a brilliant all rounder was offered a scholarship to Harvard to study IT. My daughter was one of 4 Vet Students who were a minority compared to the Medics.

What I loved hearing when their degree choices were announced was the diversity of subjects they were all doing, and not just the usual ones.

It's not the right school for every girl and I'm sorry your daughter isn't thriving there but my daughter and a lot of her friends did.

TLC50 · 08/04/2023 10:09

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PETRONELLAS · 28/06/2020 20:55

But private schools have to consider their income and can be a closed shop if issues are raised.

Original poster
pubandstate · 28/06/2020 20:53

Thank you Bored2, I agree with you.
I wounder how it is at SCD during the lockdown.
did they offer proper online proposition. I heard high school offered as many indies.
I heard from a friend at Mill Hill County only offered few email updates about home work, nothing much.

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Bored2death2020 · 28/06/2020 19:29

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Original poster
pubandstate · 28/06/2020 18:24

thank you FollyG and Mag007,
surely SCD is under rated and as you both realised these schools dont show off or market the school as much as most indies.
The only concerns at SCD, their extracurricular prposition and large intake, there must be quite a lot who are misbehaved and lot of gov schools have students that they use foul language (swear) and kids pick them so fast.

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magster007 · 28/06/2020 15:57

My DD started SCD last year. We've been really happy with it and she went to an independent primary school where the majority of girls in her year went to STAHS. Its very difficult to compare the 2. One is £20k per year and one is free. The question I had to ask myself was am I compromising DD's education and the conclusion I came to when we viewed SCD was no. What's lovely now is that so many of her friends are a stone's throw away and that adds so much value to quality of life.

follygirl · 27/06/2020 19:25

My daughter has been at STAHS since Reception and she will start Y12 in September. She had the option of moving at looked at SAS but decided to stay.

My son goes to a less competitive school which suits him, STAHS suits my daughter.

I suggest you pick a school which suits your child. Results and the coffee book appeal of a school are not the most important factor. I just hope that they seize the opportunities that they are given, do the best they can academically and finish school as well-rounded, half-decent people.

Original poster
pubandstate · 27/06/2020 00:06

Bored2,
how could you say its not the school culture.
Because the school does not see the damage its cousing to their rich outlook. If they see that why give so many badges and showing off on their top end girls.
honestly its more of an embarrassment rather than achievement for these talented girls. the sad thing is school does not see this and keep promoting it, the worst thing is some parents also joining the bandwagon.

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Original poster
pubandstate · 26/06/2020 23:48

Pls many are understanding my message incorrectly. how can one say its not their culture to encurage this practice. Grammars do a wonderful job providing a good education and extra curriculars with their limited budget, I am not comparing them with Indies which charge 20k or more as high school. Parmiters is a very good school with a rich history, they even provide school colours to sporty children, not as badges but proper school crest which they can decorate on their blazers. even the hertmere MP is an old boy of this great grammar school. I expect high school to practice better ethics rather giving cheap badges to all their high achieveing students, like giving candy, pls see their top students, how many badges they wear, If someone says they only wear one or two is giving misinformation. surely they should be taught to wear one or two high end badges if they want to, which is a fair practice and surely they should discourage these enthusiastic children not wear all the badges they received from year 7 onward to year 11. which makes them walking bells and cheap. which really put people off. can you see any of the top public schools do this. such as eton, harrow,, winchester, marlborough. They will laugh at this. I still want you all to see the video clip on facebook and tell me how many badges they have.

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Wigeon · 26/06/2020 22:39

Parmiter’s students don’t have too many badges on their blazers, if that is an important factor in your thinking. Grin

Wigeon · 26/06/2020 22:38

If you are considering Clement Danes, what about the other SW Herts Consortium (state) schools? Watford Girls Grammar and Parmiters also get excellent results. They are pretty competitive to get in to because they are academically very good, but obviously free.

Bored2death2020 · 26/06/2020 22:32

Don’t need to do any research as my kid goes there. Like I said very very few kids will have more than 2 badges and it’s personal choice if you want to wear them. Def not the school’s culture. I am not the fan of some things at STAHS but can reassure you that this is not the school’s culture. They do encourage girls to voice their opinions and go and achieve things. Some do get overinflated ego though . Nothing to do with badges

Original poster
pubandstate · 26/06/2020 20:38

I dont want to post any school childrens pictures on this website. Its not their fault, its the culture which needs an overhoul. Pls see the high school facebook page, they have one school prefects video, you will see the bardge galore i'm talking about, I bet you want be able to count them. so many.
pls take time to do some research.

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Bored2death2020 · 26/06/2020 18:58

I think I have seen just a few girls with more than a few badges so far. Most will have one, two or none. Sorry but I can’t see the problem. The culture the school sets is to achieve, not wear as many badges as you can. But if you worked hard and got them so why not? I wish my dad could wear all her medals round her neck 🤣

Original poster
pubandstate · 26/06/2020 17:46

Bored2,
I see, pls note all these schools been realistic, one or two badges which is fine , campared to high school, so many badges and stars name tags, there is no place left on the blazer once a child reach Year 11. at this rate they will encourage girls to wear them on the other other side of the balzer. its not a school uniform some sort of scouting kit. how could people not see this. high school has everything in a nutshell but with this culture they are killing all what they have so cheaply. something for the parents teachers and the BOG to rethink.

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Mumto2two · 26/06/2020 16:45

Wow this is a novel complaint! Badges on blazers...can’t see the problem myself Hmm

Bored2death2020 · 26/06/2020 16:35

@pubandstate King’s, CLC, Roedean, Haileybury - are these traditional enough? All wear badges, personal choice and see no issues.

St Albans High School for girls
Zodlebud · 26/06/2020 13:32

I think there are other things you should be looking at when evaluating a school other than whether the pupils are awarded and then allowed to wear badges......

Original poster
pubandstate · 26/06/2020 10:46

Zodlebud,
appreciate your view, but I believe high school should be on par with their main competitors or even better schools in the country, not just indies which has no history or traditions that promote badge galore.

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Original poster
pubandstate · 26/06/2020 10:37

Bored2,
I appreciate your point of view.
I have studies many independent schools and have notice that very few almost none of the traditional independent schools promote this kind of practice.
all that they are doing is making their own blazer look ugly. one ot two badges makes sense.
I am sure all top independent schools that does not promote this will have much better way of awarding achievements. such as school colours, certificates, trophies and so on.
also as long as parents and management does not understand this, we will see girls at high school doing this. I personally find this completely inappropirate and cheap for such a school.

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Zodlebud · 26/06/2020 10:35

I have no problems with badges. Many many schools use it as a reward system. If you have earned recognition for something then why not be able to wear it with pride? It is actually more prevalent in independent schools than state. I really don’t see a problem.

I guess the problems arise for those children who never earn any badges......

Bored2death2020 · 26/06/2020 09:30

@pubandstate that is not true. You will see it in all the schools. They have earned their badges , so why not wear it? Don’t think it looks cheap either. And yes, they give our certificates and cups and all sorts as well... like in any other independent school