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

OP - Lots of the 4/5 year old entry Habs girls we know had August birthdays.

Well OP, you said no one in your family speaks Spanish and she taught herself, so maybe she's not actually answering in Spanish. Food for thought

Thankyou Mirry - Believe me, I would NEVER mention this in RL or to DD. EVER. Thankyou though.

A three year old in a language-rich environment will have an active vocabulary of some 1,200 words.

Er, actually as I said up thread, my DD is 3.5 and trilingual so I do have an idea what small children are capable of in terms of learning second and third languages.

And again, all I'm saying is that it is usually fairly easy for a child to learn new language provided they hear it/have it spoken to them on regular basis.

This is not to say that your DD isn't bright, fgs, just that to think that because she has a basic knowledge of Spanish (and I'm sorry but what you mention is at beginners level) she is very gifted is erroneous, imo and ime.

youlookalotlikeme I think your daughter sounds lovely. I have never met her.

Berkhamsted gets excellent results and its silly to say its not academic. How much pressure do you want your daughter to be under? When you choose a school you are choosing an entire lifestyle for the next seven years or more.

I have never had experience of an assessment at three years old. I imagine that social skills are more important than anything else. A coed school might be a kinder enviroment to hone social skills. (Please don't think I am suggesting that your daughter's social skills are weak, its just that she is the youngest in the year)
Single sex schools are not kind and gentle places. If a child is happy then the academics usually follow. It is bollox to describe Berkhamsted as not being academic.

Are you just trying to be argumentative? I did explain that I do speak Spanish.... it's just not something we speak at home, which is what I meant... Spanish is not a language we speak at home.

FWIW, We also speak french, german and russian... DD hasn't amazingly decided to speak those languages too. Her introduction to Spanish was Dora. We facilitated, I agree, but she has never been tutored.

I was at Haberdashers' Aske's Girls' School (have I got the apostrophes in the correct places) from 1984 to 1991. I was very happy there. The only thing I would say against it is that some girls who were in the bottom sets ended up losing confidence in their ability. I wonder whether some of them would have achieved higher grades in their GCSEs if they had been in the top stream of a non-selective school. For children who were in the top set at Habs, it was the perfect place and many thrived in the competitive environment.

Well Bonsoir that puts my mind at ease.

As a parent in a bilingual household I was under the impression I had to put a fair bit of work in to promote the "minority language", but if I can find Dora in my native language I'm set

OP - it's great that your little daughter enjoys so many different things. But nothing that you've mentioned really backs up your confidence that she will be offered a place at Habs.

Everyone who puts their kids in for any kind of academic assessment (at any age) thinks that their kid has a chance of passing. But while being ambitious and academic can be important (certainly for some 11+ exams), being confident and sociable are probably more important skills at the earlier stages you are talking about.

I have no personal experience of Habs but IMO your daughter doesn't sound a likely candidate for admission at 3 or 4.

Unless she can overcome the shyness, they won't get to know her or her (many) talents when they meet her?

Exactly, Poppy If only it were so easy!

Sorry, Winny - my comment was to poppy. I totally take your comments on board.

I am more than happy to accept that she is my PFB child. I accept I'm probably over thinking this whole thing, but I so want her to have a happy time at school. She is (regardless of the comments here) such an amazing little girl. I just want her to be happy and fulfilled.

You said that she can focus for a fair bit of time, right? I would think that's an asset at this age from school's point of view.

I guess what people are saying is that she might be exeptionally talented or might be just bright, but the best thiing would be to not focus too much on one school (or be very confident she would get into it). If, as you say, she's got offers to two other good schools, then, really, that's great already.

reallytired Berko isn't considered an academic school. It's certainly not very selective.

I'm not saying there aren't bright DC there, but it is mixed.

It is though nothing like Habs.

It is coed.
Very urban.
Far less focussed on academics.
Much sportier.
Much more expensive.
The parents are generally much richer.

Chalk and cheese.

Wordfactory - I very much appreciate your views.

What you say about Berkhamsted rather worries me. My DD is more academic than sporty. And we are not rich.

Goodness.

Well look, not every family will be rich...but it is a wealthy place and the fees are at the top end for day schools.

Many sixth formers have cars ...

It is very much a school for cool kidz. Far more so than Habs which is for the geeks...

And not every girl will be sporty. They have thriving music and drama depts.

But, sport is big news there.

I'll be brutally frank. I wouldn't pay that money for Berko.

I think it doesn't have enough USP. It is oversubscribed because it is slap bang in the middle of one of the wealthiest towns in the UK.

Now don't get me wrong, I know loads of happy thriving kids there, but for me they are not getting value for money. I want a lot more for that sort of dosh...[greedy emoticon]

Yes, little ethnic mix at Berko.

Oh. I know 3 sixth formers at Berkhamsted.

They all have cars.

Penny... dropping....

Oh. bugger.

Word - (And others)

While I have time... where would you go?

I think you have a fair assessment of DD, me, our location?

Look it aint a scene from Dickens at Habs.

Year 8 will bring Bahmitzvah time. Parties at Cafe De Paris for 40k anyone?

But as a whole the parents are wealthier at Berko. More City IYSWIM.

But to be honset, if you go private, them's the breaks.

Me?
I'd give Habs or STAHs a pop.

But with the proviso that you will remove your DD if she's not thriving and also be prepared to be chucked out at year 6.