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Secondary education

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Original poster

Nurturing uncliquey N London girls school 11+

35 replies

Tangerinedream99 · 11/06/2024 19:42

My DD has her heart set on going to an all girls secondary school (eg S Hampstead, Channing, Francis Holland Regents Park). But in her state primary she has unfortunately been excluded by the main girls clique in her class. She is a sweet, giggly girl with a lot of hobbies, perhaps not as worldly as some of the others. I have told her that secondary school will be a chance to make new friends but I’m worried that an all girls environment might see a repeat of the exclusion although there would be a much bigger pool of girls to choose from. Any N London schools I should avoid/ gravitate towards with this in mind? She’s naturally bright but not a total high flyer.

OP posts:
SamPoodle123 · 14/06/2024 07:12

All schools will have groups of friends. Your dd will find her own group. Perhaps primary is too small. DD just started secondary this year and everyone has been very friendly, but of course everyone finds their friends and they tend to just hang out with them (but still friendly w all). DD is friends with everyone so will hang out with different groups along wither her bestie (found a good friend at the start of school).

HawaiiWake · 12/06/2024 07:20

Francis Holland Regent Park doesn’t have a junior school on site but there is Francis Holland Prep in a new building in Chelsea that would feed to Regent’s Park, Sloane Sq and other schools.
Queen College, another option.
Heard same as @ApoodlecalledPenny about Channing.

ApoodlecalledPenny · 11/06/2024 22:24

Francis Holland doesn’t have a junior school, and it had a really lovely warm feel. We liked it. Might be worth looking at Queen’s too. I thought Channing was very friendly and talked a good talk on pastoral stuff.

SHHS is very academically pushy, so might not be right for you.

Camdenish · 11/06/2024 20:56

Ah, okay.

HawaiiWake · 11/06/2024 20:54

Those schools have junior schools, so established cliques may be there already. Open day visits, and ask other currents mothers or recent pupils their views.

Original poster
Tangerinedream99 · 11/06/2024 20:51

We’re out of catchment for Parliament Hill and Camden Schhol for Girls and I doubt she’d get into Henrietta Barnett.

OP posts:
Camdenish · 11/06/2024 20:45

Does it have to be independent? Would she be eligible for any of the all girl state schools?

Original poster
Tangerinedream99 · 11/06/2024 20:43

You’re probably right. Cliques are impossible to avoid. I would say I want somewhere academic but not a hothouse, creative but calm and ordered. Not sure if that narrows things down much!

OP posts:
DibbleDooDah · 11/06/2024 20:21

The thing with secondary schools is there’s a bigger pool of children from which to find “your people”. There are cliques everywhere but they don’t feel excluded as they have their own clique IYSWIM.

Have a look at Queenswood - lots of North London girls there.

Lavenderflower · 11/06/2024 19:48

I would imagine that all of the school mentioned could be cliquey

Perhaps, apply for a variety of school and if possible avoid sending to the same school as the bullies.

Bullying aside, do you have any preference for the schools mentioned? Is academic, sporty, creative etc? Is languages important to you etc