Highgate vs NLCS

[NL778345]

Hello, are there any parents who have children in both NLCS and Highgate, and if so, please could you let me know the key differences between the two (apart from location and gender divide).

We are hesitating between both schools for our daughter who is nearing the end of the 7+ assessment rounds at both. My husband loves Highgate, as do I (but then again I really liked NLCS too), but I am still in two minds whether an all girls school environment is best for our daughter...

For example, are girls encouraged to take on STEM subjects at the senior school in Highgate? To what extent do the girls and boys mix easily together, and how does this change during their teenage years?

I would welcome your thoughts and experience. (Btw our daughter doesn't really have a preference.) Many thanks!

They're miles apart - just go for whichever is nearer or has easier commute, especially for a 7 year old. There's not enough of a difference between them to justify a longer journey.

Personally I can see that there are arguments for single sex at secondary although I'm not sure I'm convinced by them. But at the age of 7, I think single sex is a bit odd.

Thanks Hothouseorflophouse for your reply. We would really like to choose a school where our daughter could stay until 18 and thereby avoid the necessity of redoing assessments. I agree that at this age it’s nice for girls to socialise with boys but I’m as yet convinced about this at secondary level education... Distance isn’t that much of an issue for us as we are located between both.

One must be easier by public transport though? I can see you don't want to put a little one on the tube/bus but at secondary, it's so beneficial for them to have flexibility and independence.

Hello, I have a daughter at Highgate senior school. The girls very much are encouraged to and do take on STEM subjects, and the boys and girls mix in a healthy fashion. My understanding of NLCS is that it is more academic than Highgate, and that it offers IBACC - this is one of the main reasons why families choose NLCS.

Very unlikely at Highgate, I would venture, that she wouldn't be expected to do triple science at GCSE. My experience of private schools in London is generally that this is the starting point and double science is more of an exception rather than the rule. I'd be interested to hear from others on this point.

Hi OP I could've written your post myself. My DD has done final rounds of these two (plus Habs as well) and as we are waiting for results coming out next week, it's the same questions that are on my mind.

I have gone to both coed and all-girls schools myself and I much preferred co-ed. I still did all the STEM subjects and my first degree was in engineering, but I also felt if I had gone to a co-Ed at the senior school level (I was educated in the US), I might not have gone for engineering - I was good at maths and sciences compared to the other girls and got sort of pigeon-holed into a science girl. Now in a completely different career path, but that's a whole different story.

I also felt that at an all girls school at senior level, mental health can be a big issue.

Of course I know it's my own experience; DD is different and the schools are different, so I'm trying to keep that in perspective. But overall I had been leaning towards Highgate if only purely for its coed education.

However, after going through the whole assessment process, I'm having seconds thoughts, for the same reasons you have mentioned.

I feel like it's really a decision between more academically ambitious education, or a more well-rounded, less pressurised childhood. At the moment I'm still leaning towards highgate, but I must say I don't know what we will decide if DD got offers from both.

@nldnmum — Thank you for your thoughts and input. We seem to be in the same predicament!

I, too, did both co-ed (primary) and then single sex (secondary) and although I have very fond memories of interacting with the boys at a young age and enjoyed the competition and amicable rivalry (e.g. the thrill of beating them in scores on maths tests, for example!), I just can’t quite contemplate how it all pans out at secondary. I’m of the belief that as a student, you learn from your mistakes and that it is good to question things in order to get a good grasp of a given subject — if I reflect back, as a teenager girl, I’m just not sure I would’ve had the courage to be as vocal in class had I been surrounded by boys... Also I believe that girls learn in different ways than boys (not better, nor worse, just differently) and also that they mature at different stages... I just wonder how that all pans out for the girls who are naturally already academically strong.

On the other hand, I totally understand how important it is to integrate and mix with the opposite sex from a young age. I suppose I would like to know how NLCS girls interact, what opportunities are there – and not just social opportunities, but opportunities such as debating with nearby schools that have pupils of the opposite sex.

Any NLCS or Highgate parents reading this — it would be great to know your experience and thoughts on these matters!

Sounds like you are leaning towards NLCS OP!

Ha ha, not quite! I wish it were that easy but tbh they’re both such great schools that we would be lucky to get in to either! Good luck for your daughter @nldnmum

Good luck to your DD as well OP. I agree either school will be brilliant

Has she actually been offered a place at either? If not, deliberating is futile

Not futile at all. Just preparing for all eventualities. The schools all look for the same young bright sparks. When we went for final rounds we met the same children and their parents again and again

I agree, not futile. There’s barely a week to make your decision once offers are in, so best to have these discussions now rather than at crunch time. Best be prepared for all eventualities.

It is possible to overthink the problem. We went through the process with DD1 8 years ago, analysing every minute perceived difference between two very reputable schools. At the end we made the decision based on a number of preconceptions about the schools. Many of the differences that we thought most important turned out to be incorrect, incomplete, or irrelevant at the school we chose. On top of that, either I misjudged my DD's character or she changed more than I expected over 7 years, so she turned out to be indifferent to many of opportunities for which we selected the school.

Having come out the other end, I would now put more weight on the tangibles as opposed to the assumptions. I have a lot more sympathy with the PPs who suggest that you should choose the one that's easier to get to. In my case, since we live almost equidistant from the two schools, I could have flipped a coin. I now suspect that decision would have been no worse than the one we spent 10 days agonising over.

@user149799568 yes I would agree with a lot of that. I would probably choose the closer one if we were lucky enough to get an offer

It's easy to say looking back though. It's quite an emotional process, as I'm sure you can appreciate, and thoughts can go everywhere before the dust settles

True - a week in which to decide isn't a long time! Schools do generally look for different things in the girls so it isn't a given that a child will be offered both. It is a painful wait. Hope you get to choose!

I'd take NLCS. We have lots of friends with kids at both and the NLCS lot are by far the happier ones. One of the main complaints from the Highgate parents is the amount of drugs at secondary level. NLCS really is a cut above academically. I'd take NLCS and if you're really not happy move her to Highgate at secondary. It's almost always easier to move down the league table than up.

Hope it's good news for you OP. We got offers from both plus habs. Still making up our mind but probably go with the closer one

Congrats nldnmum. Do all three schools have offer-holders' days?

@user149799568 thank you! I've only scanned the letters quickly but I think they all do

@nldnmum -- Congrats, and best of luck with your final decision! As for us, it will be Highgate after all!

Congrats to you DD OP! I think we are 99% sure we'd go with highgate as well!

Hi @nldlmum,

We are in the same boat this year as you were probably 2 yrs ago. If you don’t mind could you share your reason for choosing Highgate over nlcs and habs? We are expecting our results in a couple of weeks, but would like have our thoughts clear before hand.

Thanks

Aag123 what did you chose

Think we are going to go with HABS. It’s been a difficult choice to let go of NLCS but given that our DD is quite sporty DH very concerned about the pressure and lack of sports there. We do like Highgate but since both of us work in the city, logistically, it’s not the best for us plus their after school care closes at 4:45, which makes the logistics more tricky. HABS suits us the best, as it appears to be less pushy and more sporty than NLCS and the coach gives us a more convenience over Highgate logistically.

What would you do stressedmum2019?