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Original poster

SW London Private & Grammar - applying for year 7 in 2023 (Part III)

997 replies

QuiteAJourney · 09/01/2023 18:58

Continuation from

www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4697901-sw-london-private-grammar-applying-for-year-7-in-2023-part-ii?page=40&reply=122947087

An opportunity for parents of DC applying to private and grammar schools in SW London for entry in year 7 in 2023 to share their journeys.

OP posts:
1forward2back · 14/01/2023 17:36

Really agree re not choosing based on kudos if ‘getting in’. dD chose her school over another far more popular one and a lot of my mum friends said we were mad. Dd is in te right place and so happy and settled. It’s inclusive and she gets to do the things she wants without the high levels of pressure abs competition. That has actually improved yet achievement because she’s happier and not at the bottom where she was in her prep. She’s excelling as a big fish in a small pond and much more happy than she would have been in a big sea of sharks!

secondaryquandries · 14/01/2023 17:20

tamu1234 · 14/01/2023 14:40

Do kids not pick up new sports or musical interest at these super selective schools? I remember the GL head girl saying she was in the E team at the start and then she moved to the A team towards the end of her time there!

I would think that they do but it might be easier with 'new activities' than existing ones. So breaking into drama, debating, rowing or lacrosse might be easier than football, netball or rugby where some students are already performing at a high level with years of practice under their belts.

LondonMum20222 · 14/01/2023 17:14

HawaiiWake · 14/01/2023 16:28

@QuiteAJourney , agree there are schools with multiple sports being played and has A to E teams, plus sport clubs.
Music, how many orchestra and ensembles and choirs does the school cover? Some schools have lots of options and opportunities and others for those at county sport level and those attending regional orchestras and choirs.

@HawaiiWake All this info is generally on school websites - how many choirs /orchestras are audition only /how many are non audition. Ditto sport - whether they have A-E teams or not.

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 14/01/2023 16:40

@QuiteAJourney the number for orchestras and ensembles varies as well, as does the average standard, hence my comments about being better to ask.
One of the schools that we are considering takes only some DD every year and playing at around G4 usually gets into the orchestra or an ensemble (of which they seem to have many). In other schools, be it because they have more children coming in every year, because of the average level being higher and/or because the number of ensembles is more limited, the opportunities might be less. So I would say that not that dissimilar to sports.

OP posts:
HawaiiWake · 14/01/2023 16:28

@QuiteAJourney , agree there are schools with multiple sports being played and has A to E teams, plus sport clubs.
Music, how many orchestra and ensembles and choirs does the school cover? Some schools have lots of options and opportunities and others for those at county sport level and those attending regional orchestras and choirs.

Daydreamscometrue · 14/01/2023 15:10

In regards to potential offer holder events, are they generally held during the day or evening? LU used to have an evening event. It's been difficult for us to attend during the day due to work.

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 14/01/2023 15:07

tamu1234 · 14/01/2023 14:40

Do kids not pick up new sports or musical interest at these super selective schools? I remember the GL head girl saying she was in the E team at the start and then she moved to the A team towards the end of her time there!

Progression is indeed possible, the issue is that some schools do not have that number of teams and competitions are restricted to the A and B teams. Hence the comments above re: caution as to the level of inclusivity and the standard required if opportunities are limited.
Similar issues (potentially even more pronounced) apply to music / instruments.

OP posts:
LondonMum20222 · 14/01/2023 14:47

SamPoodle123 · 14/01/2023 14:17

@poppybuttons @QuiteAJourney how do we know which schools our dc would have a chance on being part of the teams that actually compete!?!

If it's a school that has teams for everyone who wants to participate, they will. If it doesn't - eg only A and B team - they'd need to be very very good!

tamu1234 · 14/01/2023 14:40

Do kids not pick up new sports or musical interest at these super selective schools? I remember the GL head girl saying she was in the E team at the start and then she moved to the A team towards the end of her time there!

tamu1234 · 14/01/2023 14:38

Hi regarding the GL interview, DD felt it was very impersonal not quite getting to know but more like going through a standard process … FH process and Channing seemed more involved with activities etc.
it mostly comes down to the exam in the end I guess.

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 14/01/2023 14:24

SamPoodle123 · 14/01/2023 14:17

@poppybuttons @QuiteAJourney how do we know which schools our dc would have a chance on being part of the teams that actually compete!?!

It will depend on school and child. You can definitely ask how many teams they field / how many kids take part in competitions in a given sport, whether in the past a kid at county level would make a certain team or not, ...
For music, worth asking whether orchestras require a certain grade and/or whether an audition is required, and what is the average grade level of those taking part.

OP posts:
LondonMum20222 · 14/01/2023 14:20

QuiteAJourney · 14/01/2023 12:56

@poppybuttons that is the experience of quite a few of our friends - perversely, they opted for a certain school because the sport / music was strong in that school, but then found that it attracted a candidates of such a calibre in those disciplines that their DC were not able to participate in those activities as they would have wanted.

I have heard of this happening a lot from our friends with older DD's - both that they don't make squads (if there aren't squads for everyone) but they pick a very sporty school because they've always been one of the best in their primary /prep, only to get to senior school and find they're in the C or D team and suddenly lose all motivation. I think if your DC has particular extra-curricular interests that they want to be a part of school life, the level at which they'd likely to be able to participate should definitely be part of the decision making process.

SamPoodle123 · 14/01/2023 14:17

@poppybuttons @QuiteAJourney how do we know which schools our dc would have a chance on being part of the teams that actually compete!?!

SamPoodle123 · 14/01/2023 13:59

HawaiiWake · 14/01/2023 12:15

@SamPoodle123 , do check the uniform or entrance at end of day because other schools could be using the facilities for sport or event.

Yes, very true. In fact we have a tournament coming up at G&L.

poppybuttons · 14/01/2023 13:26

QuiteAJourney · 14/01/2023 12:56

@poppybuttons that is the experience of quite a few of our friends - perversely, they opted for a certain school because the sport / music was strong in that school, but then found that it attracted a candidates of such a calibre in those disciplines that their DC were not able to participate in those activities as they would have wanted.

Yes it's quite upsetting when your ds is at home on a Saturday because he can't make the top ranked football/rugby/cricket teams with fixtures and his friends at KGS, Claremont, St John's are all out being busy because those schools encourage everyone to be in a team. Same with the choir, i went to 1 concert at Hampton, saw the amazing standard and realised my ds would never stand on the stage. But saying that Hampton is the right school for him and the teaching is great.

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 14/01/2023 13:01

PreplexJ · 14/01/2023 12:58

@QuiteAJourney depends if atom or ISEB are identified as data owner or data Processor but eitherway by law the data owner has tongive you access your DCs information

Agree - I wonder whether them being the data owner might be one of the reasons for their attractiveness to private schools.

OP posts:
PreplexJ · 14/01/2023 12:58

@QuiteAJourney depends if atom or ISEB are identified as data owner or data Processor but eitherway by law the data owner has tongive you access your DCs information

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 14/01/2023 12:56

@poppybuttons that is the experience of quite a few of our friends - perversely, they opted for a certain school because the sport / music was strong in that school, but then found that it attracted a candidates of such a calibre in those disciplines that their DC were not able to participate in those activities as they would have wanted.

OP posts:
Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 14/01/2023 12:51

@PreplexJ GDPR indeed applies (on that, I wonder whether for ISEB / Consortium schools the request would be to the school, ISEB / Atom, or even both). But it relates to personal information about your child, which leaves you blind as to their performance as such in relation to the cohort.

OP posts:
poppybuttons · 14/01/2023 12:47

I don't think you could make a GDPR request to a private school as what would you gain as your dc would certainly not be able to attend. Private schools can admit who they want and reject who they want too.

Re fit, I would agree with that, I have a ds at Hampton and whilst the academics are great he would have perhaps been in a higher level sports team and in a choir or participate in a concert at a less academic school where more participation is encouraged whatever your ability.

PreplexJ · 14/01/2023 12:41

For any private and state school one can always make subject access request via GDPR. You may not get feedback but you should get some information on scores and notes etc (which may not comparable)

For state school, the freedom of information act means school have to reveal all students score if required
..

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 14/01/2023 12:32

@UKUSMum the comment on considering school fit and not difficult of offer is a useful reminder that neither academic performance nor so-called 'desirability' (which are linked but not linearly related) are not everything.
In addition to DC's personality and fit within the culture and cohort, the issue of extra-curricular is an important one. As @HawaiiWake says, the scope or incentives for DCs to be involved can vary from school to school - DC unable to take part in clubs as the are not elite, etc.

OP posts:
HawaiiWake · 14/01/2023 12:25

@UKUSMum , agree with your comments about school fit and not difficulty of getting offer.
We know a child at grade 6 in 2 instruments in super selective school gave up all music because of feeling not good enough. Whilst ours in orchestra, choir and other musical performances and really enjoying the opportunities even though not as high a grade, but will be taking those too.

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 14/01/2023 12:20

@UKUSMum I think that I am that 'someone'. My comment referred to avoiding generalisations and was based on the fact that (a) Freedom of Information requests do not apply to schools (this is a frequent misunderstanding that I have seen in other threads - not here, hence why I did not refer to your previous comment as you had not mentioned it).

As for the providing feedback on tests being an obligation, it figures nowhere in the application form or in the admissions policies that the schools publish in their websites, as at least in the case of the schools that we have applied for. You might, of course, want to check yours (as said above, I shy away from generalising).

I find rather strange that statement from your DC's HM about us paying the schools we are applying to test our children - my understanding is that we are paying them to enter an admissions process, which is rather different. In that context, worth noting that a school providing feedback is rather different to a school providing the scores on the tests.

On an anecdotal basis, I know of examples of parents that have asked for feedback and got a rather standard line on 'there were, on the whole, stronger candidates'.

OP posts:
HawaiiWake · 14/01/2023 12:15

@SamPoodle123 , do check the uniform or entrance at end of day because other schools could be using the facilities for sport or event.

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