Habs school for Girls

[youlookalotlikeme]

Hi,

Does anyone have a view on this school - positive or negative?

Considering for my DD (yes, yes, PFB before anyone asks). Have tried asking in Education, but not getting any replies.

TIA

disingenuous........yes..a good term for dinky.

Well a lot of us who are Habs and NLCS parents think those schools are also nuturing and terribly well rounded - bright girls tend to be good at everything, sport, music etc so even the non work stuff is higher standard at academic schools. Anyway if you have found a school you like that's brilliant. It's not a competition.

Also the fact some parents may differ from each other or go on TV shows I don't think really reflects on a school. Those parents had me and a vast variety of other different mothers and fathers. I have not watched the Jewish mothers threads although by its title it sounds a bit sexist. The best Jewish mothers we hope are leading surgeons and top QCs as indeed many Jewish women are.

Vanessa Feltz was a Habs parent and the Borat creator went to Habs boys. These schools have a huge mix of interesting parents and children. However they are also nurturing and rounded. I do not accept you need a school for children with mixed IQs in order to find a school which is rounded and nurturing. State grammars may be exam factories but schools like Eton and NLCS and their like are massively rounded. They provide education of the whole person. My daughters got as much out of the non academic work side (much more actually) than the school work. I think one was best at all sports in her school in her year (and of course I might have preferred she was top of maths of something laughing as I type...)but that roundedness is great. You want them to find that one thing they can be good at even if it that is being bored or stamp collecting or whatever life long enthusiasms they find. These schools enable that. Long may they last.

Well a lot of us who are Habs and NLCS parents think those schools are also nuturing and terribly well rounded

You said that your DD left Habs years ago, Xenia. It?s very odd how you give advice/opinion on a school that your child doesn?t even attend.

Not all state grammars are exam factories. It may well be that none of them are.

Dinky you clearly have some negative thoughts about NLCS and Habs.
What are your main objections to the schools? Which local state schools do youprefer and why?

I dont have negative thoughts at all, I have just heard quite a lot about both schools because I grew up in the area. None of what I have heard has been that great so I was quite surprised to see such a defencive stance taken by parents who have not had children in the school for years.

I cant comment on state schools , Ive got one at Oxford and the others are in a lovely prep school.

I dont have negative thoughts at all, I have just heard quite a lot about both schools because I grew up in the area. None of what I have heard has been that great
you just contradicted yourself in two sentences btw - what's wrong did somebody fail the exams?

It wasn't that long ago. I never write about schools where I still have a child. If they were still there I would not write about the schools. She was there from 4 - 18 and it will not have changed much since then. They go back sometimes and we know lots of people who still go there. I am not yet 80 with a child at school 40 years ago quite....

Most parents at the schools and the girls love them. If some locals who don't go there hear the schools aren't very good feel free to avoid the schools.

The fees are about £10k a year Habs and £12k NLCS I think from memory.

I would certainly encourage parents to apply to both schools.

I have very often heard parents who had chidlren too thick to get in diss these schools to be honest. They talk about exam factories and the like and it's just that little Johnny or Joan who the parent thinks is marvellous has a low IQ.

Goralka..what's wrong did somebody fail the exams?

Xenia..I have very often heard parents who had chidlren too thick to get in diss these schools to be honest. They talk about exam factories and the like and it's just that little Johnny or Joan who the parent thinks is marvellous has a low IQ.

Words fail me at the level of arrogance; do you not see how your comments can put prospective parents off the school? You assume just because someone does not like the school that their child is not intelligent enough or must have failed the test.

po' dinky

Just out of interest Xenia, what do you think of the Cambridge Independnat schools?

I often get selectively quoted. I have said if people are happy with other schools that is great and chidlren do well in a variety of schools but it is certanily the case that parents of children who dont' haev a hope of getting into academic schools then go around say they are exam factories when that is not the case. Of course parents will pick other schools for all kinds of reasons - they may want a religious one or home education or summer hill (no compulsory lessons) or boarding or even choose a sink comp for political reasons or state grammar for financial reasons. I love it that we have that choice and variety. This thread was only about Habs. I don't have views on schools in all areas of the UK.

So dinky, if you've sent your children to private schools in or around north London, you aren't against private education, just Habs and NLCS.
Which private schools did you choose that gave your children a more rounded education?

My only experience of Habs is when I was looking for DD she wanted a school that could meet all her requirements she wanted to do 5 A levels and at the time Habs (not sure if it?s the same now) would only allow students to take 3 A levels so we ruled the school out. The second experience is of the boy?s school we had a look round and it didn't suit us. We still have a couple of years to decide where all the boys go but we like St Albans or MTs because they seem be nurturing as well as academic. I am not willing to share their current school on a forum.

My experience exactly matches that of Xenia(though not specifically in relation to Habs). All too often thwarted parents get quite vicious about good schools being 'exam factories'. It's that phrase that one hears over and over again when in fact the schools in question happen to get good results but do a whole lot more besides - masses more - and produce droves of perfectly rounded students by Y13 who just happen to have solid portfolios of GCSE and A Level grades but a whole lot more besides. One rarely hears the complaint from parents within these schools.

dinky did your DD really know she wanted to do 5 A Levels at the age of 10 or 11 ? Or did you look at the school for sixth form only? Is she mathsy or did she do five arts subjects? (in which case again)?

I think you can do four to A2 if you want to (may be more?) but my own view is that better to keep time for hobbies and your social life and minimise numbers sat and I feel the same about GCSE although it does depend on the individual child.

"I often get selectively quoted."

No you don't. You get quoted. And then when you get called on colossal arrogance and sledgehammer offensiveness you either deny intent or ignore the challenge.

Which is a shame, because there is lots of useful and thought provoking stuff in your posts. If you could only do it without feeling the need to administer a good kicking to those in a less fortunate position than you......

Oh, and 5 A levels is insane.

"less fortunate" are you implying those who earn nothing are less fortunate though. That's a value judgment in itself. Perhaps the most fortunate are those with no money or kept by a husband or who simply are happy or with their baby 24.7.

See? Absolutely no self awareness/self analysis at all!

Oh, and 5 A levels is insane.

I know, but she wanted to do them and she did extremely well. They were all academic subjects, Yellowtip.

"I often get selectively quoted." laughing hysterically

@yellow exactly. Although of course Xenia herself used the term 'exam factory' not that long ago in the thread to refer to state grammar schools. With, one assumes, the same motivation.

I can't see the point in 5 A'levels-they could spend the time on other things.

Artsy is obviously just as likely to be academic as mathsy/ sciency dinky. And I can see she did well. I'm just wondering if Further Maths was amongst her options? It would make it more normal. Presumably you're not counting General Studies or the EPQ? (because presumably it wasn't invented).

Five full A Levels is at least one too many as far as I'm concerned. But did she really know she wanted to do five when she was in Y6? And she therefore presumably knew which ones? I'm interested, especially since the outcome was good.