Croydon High school vs Old Palace

[lovepathanalysis]

Hi,
What is the general opinion regarding these two schools academic and their reputations? CHS gives a forward thinking impression but is the headteacher a bit stiff? Considering entry at year 7. Any input is much appreciated. Any issues with pastoral care?
Thanks

I have a DD who attended a GDST in the neighbouring borough from reception and I know quite a lot of GDST girls (incl CHS) and they are all very similar. OP is different. At year 9 DD decided she wanted a change and moved to OP but after 2 terms she went back to her original school.
OP is very traditional- teacher at the front, girls doing worksheets, minimal class debate and comparatively large classes.
GDST schools tend to have a 'whole girl' ethos where they are treated as mini adults from very early on and are expected to be part of the school community (near enough compulsory competitive sports, dance, drama, debating etc)....as a result they churn out very confident young ladies.
OP is more like a (traditional) grammar school than a private school and the DC come from a variety of backgrounds. GDST girls tend to all be from a similar (but multiethnic) background.
OP gives out a lot of bursaries and is considerably cheaper. CHS has limited (and not high value) bursaries and is considerably more expensive.
OP is stricter but GDST girls tend to be well behaved.
I think the thing that made me move her back was the statement "I just don't get it....to be popular here you need to be disruptive in lessons and rude to teachers. At my old school it was being academic and being sporty".
BUT that's just my DDs view - she came from a very different school environment. She was also the 'new girl' and she was used to a far more interactive style of teaching.
In essence it depends on your DD and the teaching style she would respond best to.....hint, choose CHS!

My DD is at CHS. I wouldn't call the HM stiff. She has only been there 3 years but has made some good advances since starting, moving on from the definite improvements made by the previous HM.
OP has a new HM starting in September (former head of Wallington/Nonsuch Grammars), so I imagine a lot of changes will be happening there.
CHS encourages all girls to take part in extra curricular activities and definitely has a 'whole girl' approach. However, I would disagree with the PP - it is by no means compulsory.
The school seems very supportive. We've had no specific need of pastoral care in terms of mental health, bullying etc so can't really comment on that.
We did look at OP when considering school for Y7 - it seemed very old fashioned to me, but can see things changing with a new head. CHS seemed more friendly and welcoming.
CHS benefits from being part of the GDST network in terms of teacher support, large events/competitions for all girls, and access to a large network of old girls, which are used a lot for careers advice, workshops etc.
The school is expanding, with the last 4 Y7 intakes increasing in size. I assume you came to the October open Day. They have another open evening event in May, and you can always make an appointment to visit during a normal working day.