Independent Schools NW London / Herts

[mitbap]

We're looking for a girls senior school. dd is bright but probably not 'gifted'. Any recommendations?

We weren't interviewed but DS was and had some maths questions/problems to answer verbally too

mitbap, in fairness you probably have left it later than most people. But it shouldn't make any difference to your dd, and is probably better than those people who spend endless years obsessing about senior schools.

Is your dd currently in a state primary or a private school? We did the whole transfer thing last year, and IME the state school entry exams were trying hard to be 'culture-free', ie measuring innate ability rather than how well a child had been taught. I'm not convinced that the same is true of the private school entrance exams, which relied more heavily on things that are not part of the primary school curriculum, like extended writing and more advanced maths. If you have a tutor who is used to preparing children for the local schools' exams, I would take your cue from her regarding how well your dd is likely to do.

Wrt interviews, state schools don't interview at all. The selective private schools interview the girls (sometimes singly, sometimes in pairs/groups) but not the parents. Dd did interviews at Channing, City and S. Hampstead (we're more central London than you are) and in all cases they were given specific tasks, based on giving the girls laminated pictures/bits of writing and asking them questions about it. There was some general talk about hobbies etc, but really they're just looking at the academic side of it.

frogs my daughter is currently in a Harrow LA primary. We are not so keen on the huge high schools or waiting until year 8 to move on.
Does anyone have anything to say about Heathfields?

Lots of girls where my parents live go to Heathfield, including my mum's current next door neighbour's daughter. I think it's supposed to be nice but not super-academic or highly selective. My mum taught for years in Harrow LA primary schools, so she's always been interested in local schools, though her knowledge may be a bit out of date.

My niece went to Heathfield and she loved it. Don't think the extracurricular activities are as varied as St Helens(which also does the International Bacculareate, which seems to be increasingly popular). Heathfield is a good solid school(less snobby than St Helens maybe?)which gets very good results. I do think NLCS is great too and not anymore pushy than any other independent school.

Henrietta Barnett?

See my "Friends Reunited-Its Just Depressing, Isn't it" thread for more info

My Dd went to St Albans High School. I also look after several of the teachers' children.

Yes, the new head is very good, and very much liked by the staff.

Dd wasn't coached at 7 or 11 for the High School. She also sat Rickmanswoth Masonic and Dame Alice Owens', she came 10th out of 1600 for the latter!

the High school is a truly lovel school, the staff are fantastic and DD loved her time there. She is always weclocmmed back when she visits. There is such a lovely atmosphere and though there are some very very wealthy families, there are also some poor , humble families( us!) but the girls do not differentiate

Thanks all.
I've noticed that some of the schools in the same North London Consortium group have exams additional to the consortium English and Maths (reasoning usually) and they want the girls there all day e.g. Heathfields and St Helens. How do they sort that out as you sit the exam at only one school in the group? I'm assuming an extra visit on another day to do these at the school you don't originally sit at?
Do the schools discriminate against those that do not sit the consortium exams with them?

Mitbap, I'm really interested in your last question. I've also heard that unless you sit the exam at, say, City of London School for Girls, then they won't offer you a place. Does anyone know if this is true? If so, presumably it means you can only effectively have a shot at one school in each consortium?

I can't remember all the rules on sitting. They've left so I can name their schools - I had one at Haberdasher's Aske's girls from age 5 and the other at North London Collegiate from age 7. Both brilliant schools and I can't really say either was better or worse.
I would probably have in my list going down the academic scale and probably missing out good ones I don't know:

NLCS
Habs
St Helen's
Northwood College
Royal Masonic (..shouldn't really say that but the girls who don't have a chance of getting in the first 3 often go there - it's a great school, nice grounds, my daughters often played sport there, nice girls too but it's not the top academic one)
Peterborough and St Margaret's

Then there are some in Herts I don't know very well.

Habs and NLCS have coaches from Harrow, Potters Bar, Hampstead all over the place and my girls always took the school coach from not too far away from you without any problems at all.

Thanks all.
swifts, I'm really concerned about the issue of at which consortium school dd sits the exam. The head at NLC said it didn't matter to them which school you sit at (presumably because they don't add on any extra exams in the afternoon). This did suggest that it does matter to other schools. Heathfields brochure does say your dd would have to come back another day to sit the extra exams but St Helen's doesn't seem to comment.
Does anyone else have any knowledge/experience of this issue?

Our experience suggests that it doesn't matter which school you sit the exam at: Dd1 applied for both City and Channing which are in the same group, sat the exam at City (which is nearer to us) and was offered places at both (a scholarship at Channing, in fact).

I can't comment on schools that have an extra test, but I really don't think there's a conspiracy wrt first choice the schools all know people make multiple applications, I think they're pretty business-like about it. The good state comprehensives are playing a different game they insist on being first choice in order to discourage people from taking a gamble on their kids getting into a Grammar school, but in the end all the private schools want is the pick of the brightest girls that want to go there. It wouldn't make sense for them to get huffy about where they featured in your list of preferences.

Thanks frogs, useful information.
Does anyone have experience of the St Helen's, Heathfield combination where they both want the girls there all day?

When DS sat exams there were boys who sat on a different day

but all of our friends children were asked where else they had applied for

They sat on different day cos of clashes or being ill

But most of the schools seem to arrange the exams on different days iyswim

There is definately only 1 date (12.01.2007) for Heathfield and St Helen's because they are both in the same North London Consortium group and use the same English and Maths paper (with more school specific exams in the afternoon). If dd sits at Heathfield what will St Helen's do?

I have just asked DH and he thinks that she will prob sit the ST Helens bit the next day

IMHO It would be a good idea to ring up St H and Heathfield and ask them for full details

Thanks RTKangaMummy.
We will have to ask by phone or on visits but I wanted to sound people out before looking like an idiot / getting a black mark against us if they are really sensitive / uppity about it!

If you tell me exactly what you want to know I will ring them and ask if you like.

At 11 my daughter sat for about 5 schools and also applied to 2 boarding schools in case she didn't get into the seniors at Habs. There was a risk she woudlnt' as she's slightly dyslexic. She sat for both St Helen's and Heathfield. (St Helen's is a much better school). I can't remember if there were clashes over dates. Loads of girls will sit for both.
St Margaret's Bushey was another one which she applied to and seemed like quite a nice school for the girls not so bright for the harder ones.

Thanks for your kind offer RTKangaMummy. I have 2 names - professional and Mummy/wife so I guess I can call 'in disguise' - although I'm sure there's no need for the cloak and dagger!
p.s. Tutor started this week and described dd as 'quite bright'. I hope this is not code for 'thick as s**t'? (call me paranoid!)

Oke doke

Let us know what the answer is [nosy emotion]

St Margarets Bushey is where my friends DD is

I didn't realise there were 2 St Margarets schools

I would second Alibubbles and say SAHS is a great school - yes it is academic but once you're in, they support you even if you don't achieve quite as high as they might have expected. My DD has had (and has) a couple of major health issues and they have been brilliant.

Regarding consortium schools I thought you usually sat the exam at your preferred school. They mark the papers and then pass them on to 2nd choice if they are not going to offer you a place. We didn't find any clash of dates and DD sat Owens, Habs, SAHS and St Margarets, Bushey.

That's bad - I didn't think you actually had to express a preference order. That would make it very difficult if you want to aim high and put a very academic school first because then your less ambitious choices may be prejudiced against you?

One thing to bear in mind is the travelling time

The freind of DS who has gone to Aldenham, we heard last night has gone for weekly boarding as the coach trips in the morning and evening were making it too long a day

To leave soooo early in morning and then come home late and then have homework to do at home

So would look at the websites for the times of coaches from your area to the school especially if they want to do extra cirricular stuff

DS is in year 7 and does stuff after school and so finishes 5pm or sometimes later, but he walks home and so no commuting iyswim