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Original poster

Secondary school options - North, east london yr 7

12 replies

nhakayemhuri · 20/02/2025 18:32

Hey,
So we've been lucky enough to have had an offer from three independent secondary schools.
St Edmunds college in Ware
Chigwell school in essex
normunhurst school in chingford

And i'm trying to decide how much of the diversity in each really matters. I went to a very mixed school. My wife went to a school where she was the only black girl in the year and didnt have a great experience.

Any thoughts or experiences? any parents with black or mixed kids in low diversity schools? How are they finding it?

OP posts:
GretchenWienersHair · 20/02/2025 19:15

I went to both - a very black school followed by a very white school. The very white school was hell for me and I missed the very black school a lot.

CariMaroon · 21/02/2025 07:03

I think diversity at school is important but it alone wouldn’t entirely put me off a secondary school. I think the ethos of the school, if they have diversified their curriculum, the teaching staff, and what their EDI policies look like would play a part. One of my DC attends a school that has a long standing reputation for being very white and middle class and while they do have lower than average for the area FSM the students are actually more diverse than people think and probably average for the area. There is diversity among the teaching staff and governors. Plus, the school has diversified their library with the help of an outside agency and they have been carefully reviewing their curriculum. I did a lot of research as my DC had attended a primary school where they had been the only black child in their class and often felt different.

GretchenWienersHair · 21/02/2025 07:20

CariMaroon · 21/02/2025 07:03

I think diversity at school is important but it alone wouldn’t entirely put me off a secondary school. I think the ethos of the school, if they have diversified their curriculum, the teaching staff, and what their EDI policies look like would play a part. One of my DC attends a school that has a long standing reputation for being very white and middle class and while they do have lower than average for the area FSM the students are actually more diverse than people think and probably average for the area. There is diversity among the teaching staff and governors. Plus, the school has diversified their library with the help of an outside agency and they have been carefully reviewing their curriculum. I did a lot of research as my DC had attended a primary school where they had been the only black child in their class and often felt different.

This school sounds great! What area is it in (if you don’t mind sharing, of course!)

Original poster
nhakayemhuri · 21/02/2025 22:56

GretchenWienersHair · 20/02/2025 19:15

I went to both - a very black school followed by a very white school. The very white school was hell for me and I missed the very black school a lot.

Thanks, Do you think overall it's affected you?

OP posts:
Original poster
nhakayemhuri · 21/02/2025 22:57

CariMaroon · 21/02/2025 07:03

I think diversity at school is important but it alone wouldn’t entirely put me off a secondary school. I think the ethos of the school, if they have diversified their curriculum, the teaching staff, and what their EDI policies look like would play a part. One of my DC attends a school that has a long standing reputation for being very white and middle class and while they do have lower than average for the area FSM the students are actually more diverse than people think and probably average for the area. There is diversity among the teaching staff and governors. Plus, the school has diversified their library with the help of an outside agency and they have been carefully reviewing their curriculum. I did a lot of research as my DC had attended a primary school where they had been the only black child in their class and often felt different.

Thank you. so your dc in primary school was the only black child and it wasn't great for them? This is my concern.

OP posts:
Theresacatinmykitchenwhatamigonnado · 21/02/2025 23:00

I'm not black, but I know the schools a bit - Normanhurst is probably the best bet from a diversity perspective, St Eds the least.

Original poster
nhakayemhuri · 21/02/2025 23:10

Theresacatinmykitchenwhatamigonnado · 21/02/2025 23:00

I'm not black, but I know the schools a bit - Normanhurst is probably the best bet from a diversity perspective, St Eds the least.

Thanks. Yes def looks like Normanhurst is the best diversity. Interesting you Say St eds the least... I had felt it is/was Chigwell....

Normanhurst is smaller and doesn't offer the range of subjects at GCSE that the others do.

Finding it really hard to make a decision i'll be happy with.

My child has locs and like lots of black kids is relatively larger than their peers...

OP posts:
Theresacatinmykitchenwhatamigonnado · 22/02/2025 06:18

I don't think NH is quite in the same league as the other two, but friends whose DC attended were very pleased. It may have all changed over recent years but St Eds had always been very white and Chigwell was increasingly Asian. If I were going for education only, I think I'd probably say Chigwell. Good luck with your decision, I hope your Dc thrives wherever they go.

GretchenWienersHair · 22/02/2025 09:08

nhakayemhuri · 21/02/2025 22:56

Thanks, Do you think overall it's affected you?

Show quote history

Not really as I have a strong friendship group of other Black women. The ones from my first school are still my closest friends now. I don’t know what it would have been like if I didn’t have that foundation from the first school though.

TheRealKatnissEverdeen · 22/02/2025 13:00

We live close to Normanhurst and know Chigwell well also. I think both would be fine for your child.
My son is at an independent in Woodford with an ok diversity mix and is doing well.
Several friends have children at Chigwell and seem to like it and have settled well there.
My EXH and siblings went to Forest, back in the day, and struggled being the minority children.
Congratulations on the offers.

CariMaroon · 07/03/2025 08:29

GretchenWienersHair · 21/02/2025 07:20

This school sounds great! What area is it in (if you don’t mind sharing, of course!)

Show quote history

I’m in London. There are schools that have made an effort to diversify their curriculum but even here they aren’t the norm.

TheMoreAssured · 12/03/2025 11:23

@nhakayemhuri I can help as I live in North Chingford.

Normanhurst - it is diverse. Only yesterday I was in the chicken shop (don't judge me I was hungry after the gym) and a group of Normanhurst kids came in, lovely group of black and white lads as good as gold. Also the other day I caught the train in from the City with a lot of Normanhurst kids going to an athletics event - fully mixed group and they looked as happy as you like. Saw a lot with locs actually.

Chigwell - full of the kids of locked up Essex coke dealers. If you've got the money you be welcome if you are Green, Purple or Pink. Fair amount of diversity and all seem to get on fine. Chigwell/Woodford/Chingford are fairly well mixed these days and middle class areas - very little aggro or racial tension. I coach a Rugby team with kids from all of those areas.

St Edmunds - easily least diverse of the three.

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