To think that the Girls Grammar school (Newstead Wood) is soley responsible for the all-round women that both Dina Asher Smith and Emma Raducanu have become.

[peewitsandy]

I suggest that the sole reason, both Emma Raducanu and Dina Asher Smith are such well rounded individuals and of cause brilliant sportswomen, is down to their single sex grammar school educations.

I say this because I notice a number of posters suggestive that single sex grammar schools are highly toxic, thus destroying many girls.
I have noted how over the years that Newstead Wood has been referenced regularly, for being a toxic environment, like Emma and Dina this is my old school. Finally, perhaps controversially I believe that if Emma or Dina had been educated in a mixed Comprehensive school, neither would have ever reached the heights both have or will.

She was brilliant last night, good on her

Definitely not the 'sole reason' but the school and environment must have played an important role, surely.

I don't understand why so many are against single sex schools on MN

Wow, did they never practise?

@peewitsandy that just makes it sound a shit school though. I took my GCSEs in 1991 too. At my comprehensive no-one would have left you feeling you “scraped” into the 6th with 5 Bs 🤷🏻‍♀️

You’d have been congratulated and welcomed and expected in the 6th, and not felt your school had “trepidation” about your prospects.

Also, even back in the 80s/90s your school wasn’t great if it had you for at least 7 years and didn’t identify the conditions that your university did. Perhaps less time creating tennis champions and more time on other pupils would raise it in my opinion?

@ForensicAccountant

Mick Jagger went to my son’s school. I thought they would turn him into a successful rock star but it’s not looking good.

But how are his dance moves?

I'm fairly certain the school did not provide the genetic material that has enabled them to be so successful.

Personally, I think family, and most particularly parents, provide a lot more in terms of attitude, support when the going gets tough, and um, coughing up the necessary, perhaps counts for a bit more than the school.

You would think such a great school would have at least picked up that you may be dyslexic wouldn't you? Rather than telling you that you'd scraped in and passing you on with great trepidation. Sounds like a great school for sporting stars but not so hot on the SEN front.

Is this a joke post or am I missing something? This amazing school failed to identify that you had additional learning needs and let you feel that 5 GCSEs were "scraping through". And compared you less favourably to your sister? This is actually really sad OP. Well done on your results and degree and your achievements overcoming challanges, but your post suggests this school really let you down.

*challenges 🙄

@CatJumperTwat

Despite totally disagreeing with the OP, I'm quite sad to see how many people were left scarred by Newstead. What sort of era are you talking? I was there under Elizabeth Allen.

Headteachers Mrs Smith then Mrs Gibbs (?) I remember my friend crying because she only got a B in English language GCSE - we took it early and got given the results at school - and the deputy head looking at her like she was a piece of shit and saying "oh dear" and walking away. Twas then I knew I would rather die than do A Levels there (literally, that place broke me) not that they'd have had me back I don't think I wasn't Newstead material. Should have tried harder in tennis maybe. We just used to try and hit the balls over the fence so we could go look for them in the woods

I was there under Mrs Allen... just for sixth form. I moved from another school due to extreme bullying, with lots of girls having eating disorders and the boys ruling the place. It was a breath of fresh air- everyone was so much happier there. Got AABB, in my alevels, plus an A in my AS level and was told they were excellent results. And put on to a career path I never even thought of as it was "boys career" according to my previous school... Engineering.

I think all schools whether Grammar schools or non selective schools were awful in the 80s and 90s regarding knowledge or understanding of SEN.

A good friend of my ex husband is a prime example of the total failing of the education system in the 80s over SEN provision . 'Jack' went to a semi- regarded Cheshire Comprehensive in the early-late 80s . He was deemed unable to even be capable of taking 1 GCSE (1988) and therefore unteachable due to being declared (ESN) not needing SEN provision. Jack today at 50 is about to start a Masters in Chemistry as a Mature Student at Lancaster University.

Therefore, in an odd way maybe my GCSE grades were brought up by the school's attitude and little bit of 'comparison' from some teachers. Maybe passing the 11+ stopped me from having the experience of schooling that Jack had. If schools keep telling you its ok we understand that you can't do that : because they think they are helping you a child will take the easy path and believe the teacher...

@peewitsandy I’ve already said, I did my GCSEs same year as you. Bog standard comp and classmates known to be dyslexic 🤷🏻‍♀️

Why are you hell bent on defending a school that made you feel your scraped into 6th with perfectly good results?

The uni you went to was also in the 90s… they picked up your SEN.

Cocomarine. I defend them because firstly I don't think Bullers Wood Langley park or where ever I would have gone would have been any better at diagnosing or remotely interested about my disabilities. I also believe I would have possibly ended up leaving those two specified schools with grade E's GCSE's at best...

Right, and that’s a reason to say you think one was better than the other.
But it’s no reason to sound so - grateful? - about a school that showed you they had “trepidation” and made you feel you “scraped” your GCSEs.
That’s a shit school.
There’s a third option: like mine. Acknowledgement of dyslexia, and pride at B grade students!

Yabvu to attribute the achievements of two successful women solely to the school they attended as children. Their brilliance is a direct result of their own training, drive and determination.

However, it might have been amusing if I had ended up at Bullers Wood and left with only E grades at GCSE. This is because you need understand my mother was a Governor at Newstead Wood and a senior teacher at St Olave's !

Can you imagine the gossip in the staff room at St Olave's or at the Newstead Governors meeting's : ' What are your Angela's plans for sixth form' cue silence and distractive talk about Emma at Cambridge...

And you still exalt this school? 🙄
There are actually schools without such a toxic environment who understand that all children are different and that Angela isn’t someone to be gossiped about - and require distraction about, boasting about Emma.
How very sad for you that at 46, you’re still defensive about such a horrid environment.

I would be quite concerned that the school never detected that you might be dyslexic and didn't refer you for assessment - it's not as if it was at all unknown in the 1980s.

Hands down the most batshit thread I have ever read on Mumsnet ... and I've been here 15 years. I went to a comprehensive school in the 1970s where dyslexia was a known thing. I wonder if anyone famous ever went there? Off to google.

DH went to the same school as Ed Sheeran - decades before of course. He can play a bit of saxophone and sings in a very small choir. Yeah, fantastic music teaching at that school!

@ForensicAccountant

Mick Jagger went to my son’s school. I thought they would turn him into a successful rock star but it’s not looking good.

It's not looking too bad. Mick has had a hit or two.

My mixed comp has 5 professional footballers listed on its wikipedia page (2 women, 3 men). I don't even remember doing football in PE.

I'm sure certain schools are more helpful with athletes, allowing them time off for competitions, etc. But I've no idea how any school could be "solely responsible" for their success.

apologies OP but you talk like someone who has been brainwashed