Guildford Schools- independent

[GoldieStar]

Hi there,

I wonder if anyone can help me regarding independent schools in Guildford.

I am in the process of applying to independent schools for my son and daughter and wondered what people thought about Lanesborough for my son and GHS/ St. Catherine's for my daughter. We are coming from afar with not much knowledge of the area, but will be moving for personal reasons.

I understand both are academic and wondered exactly how academic Lanesborough, especially is. We are keen for the children to still have a 'life' and not be secretly tutored etc on the side and all the things I have heard about independent schools there. Are there any recommendations for/against the girl's school?

Lanesborough does not seem to feature in any league tables or anything so it is hard to judge where it compares with other independent boys schools in the area, but we understand it to be one of the better ones. Obviously, the fact it is run through is not ideal but then is there any good run through boys school there at all?

Lots of questions and literally any help will be appreciated. We were impressed by all the schools when we visited but want to make sure we are making the right decision. Is traffic a nightmare there in the mornings?

I have looked at previous threads on this but want the uptodate info if possible. Anything would be appreciated,

Thanks!

Lanesborough is very academic, a bit of a hot-house. They're very big on music too. It has a new head, so things might change.

Apparently lots of families left St Cats during lockdown as the remote teaching was poor, but that's only heresay. Tormead was pretty awful. GHS seems very good, but the junior head is leaving too.
What years are your DC?
Any specific questions?

Yes thank you for responding .
It's my first post and so I didn't know if anyone would.
Soecific questions- I literally have so many.
Lanesborough- is it true that children are asked to leave if they aren't keeping up with the rest quite frequently? It's a big move from Oxford and I would be worried about where else would take them. They are in reception and we are looking to make the move next year so probably in year 1. The school itself was quite small and not as grand for example as Cranmore but is there an objective measure of success? Musical is good although my boy is not particularly musical either way.
For my daughter, I suppose we did not consider Tormead as it does not seem to feature in league tables whereas the other two do and we are really looking long term ie a school where she would not ideally have to leave. I suppose GHS works better but St. Catherine's had a really nice feel to it as well. Is the commute between the two schools really that difficult?

You may have left it a bit late to apply for next September. You might want to check closing dates. Also, are there places available? Standard entries are Reception & year 3, and there aren't often places in other years.
I understand that in the past a boy may have been asked to leave Lanesborough at the end of year 2 if he really isn't coping, but I think it's very rare.
Measure of success is probably destination of leavers. I know it's early to think about senior schools, but it's a useful comparison.
I know people who drop off at both St Cats & Lanesborough so it's definitely possible, but I've never tried it. It takes 8 minutes to walk between Lanesborough & GHS, even with a small child!
Do you know roughly where you will live?

Thanks.
Yes, it would probably be for the year after or mid year depending on if they had places I suppose. There isn't much data on how competitive entry is even in the standard year group but we are coming from not a very academic school however my son is reasonably academic at home at least.
GHS I imagine is very oversubscribed, in fact they all probably are.
Very useful to know that the drop off is possible..
Housing wise we literally have no idea either. Would like to rent initially but don't even know what the situation is with houses. I think I am worried about not knowing where they would end up for senior school as we have moved around so much I am keen not to make another move for their education.
Thank you for your replies- do you have any specific recommendations of schools or houses or any alternatives to Lanesborough?
Thanks xxx

Hey there. The blanket statement ‘Tormead was awful’ I assume only relates to lockdown provision?

Personally I know it to be a brilliant (through) school (twice over!) and can highly recommend. The school was taken out of the league tables by the previous head, don’t be concerned about this as a lot of schools, some very, very good schools, aren’t in them! Latymer Upper for example, (a deliberate example as this is where the new head of from) isn’t in them either.... and it’s one of the most academically high performing coeducational schools in the country... I wouldn’t be surprised if the new head takes it back into them, as they certainly have nothing to high performance wise!

Did you go to any of the virtual open days the schools have all just put on? They would have given you a great idea of what the places are all about in these annoying times! Tormead ran a live event, I attended one with a friend who is looking for year 7 entry for her DD, and was impressed by what is seemingly a school, under exciting new leadership.

So, in order for you to not discount Tormead as an academic option, do have a look at their results (they publish them themselves) as they are consistently better than others, but without the hot house feel of GHS (albeit this just what some DDs thrive in!). The three main schools: GHS, Tormead, St Cats are commonly known in the area as 1st, 2nd 3rd for academics, respectively.

Happiness wise, the school is a very relaxed, kind and the girls are well supported. They are not pressured but encouraged to learn at their own pace, with a strong academic focus always driving what the school does. The girls are also encouraged to get involved in leadership roles, activities and the vast selection clubs and sport available.

The new head has also made changes for the better already, including a complete overhaul of online provision for lockdown events. In fact year 9 were sent home for a period due to a confined case of covid and the online experience was seem-less and highly praised. The junior school parents (I know two) are also really happy with how far the school has come in two months.... remembering of course that Tormead junior school is a lovely place, recent refurbished (gutted we missed that bit!) and with warm caring feel.

Anyway, my shout out for Tormead - PM is you want to know more!

Oh and the best bit - if you puck Lanesborough... it’s literally next door for drop off, in a quiet residential area, yet close to transport links and town centre.

Happy hunting! So many good options locally, you’ll do well! X

This is very useful thank you.
I would not have even known that some schools take themselves out of the league tables and can't understand why. The Tormead experience seems very different for different people and certainly sounds very positive for yours. We did do the virtual open days yes and they were quite useful.

Re houses, is Dorking too far to get into that area in a morning - traffic and everything?

Also, any recommendations for other schools for boys?

Thanks so much. I still get excited when I see there is a reply to the post as there is no substitute for real experience.

Dorking to Lanesborough is definitely do-able, not sure you'd want to go Dorking to St Cats!
I'm only talking about Junior School provision and the Tormead lockdown learning was awful. But we had already decided to pull DD out because we weren't impressed with the Junior School overall. I don't want to slag it off publicly, but we were really unhappy with it. I heard bad things about St Cats Junior lockdown learning and good things about GHS Junior lockdown learning.
Other schools for boys - I think your options are probably boys only towards London or co-ed in a more rural location. There aren't any other Junior boys schools in Guildford itself.

Shout out for Lanesborough here, we looked at it when we lived in Guildford and friend's kids go. We put in a lot of research and had applied, but sadly had to move pretty quickly for work. It's a great little school and our friends really enjoy it there. Being the main feeder for RGS you have the through school element about it too, they also help with applying to senior schools when the time comes and the assessment stuff too, so don't worry. Perhaps also a search of prep schools only would be another option - if you're thinking of Dorking what about Cranmore... you can drop off on the way to/from Guilford, although not sure about the StT's merger?

GHS, well it is what it is - so much on here about it! Get in and your DD will do very well, if she thrives in that type of environment.

St Cats - no idea, but theres plenty to read online. Just watch the traffic when moving any great distance in/around Guildford at school/work times. I remember it not being great (the traffic) and Im not sure what that journey would be like - maybe give it a trial run if you're keen on the school?

Tormead - Head there used to be at LUS where my DS now is! I can give him a positive accolade (although I know nothing about Tormead). Given the positive things he achieved at Latymer, a seriously successful school in West London, I'm sure Tormead will thrive going forward.

True about league tables by the way... a lot of independent schools pulled out when the government started messing around with qualifications like the iGCSE, which sent some top schools flying down the table for no other reason that a tweak to what counts and what doesn't! Also a lot of independent schools like to be chosen based on their value add. My advice would be to have a look at the results (I know all three Guildford girls schools achieve well and results are on their websites, so not hidden!), but also look at how much the girls improve from start to finish, do they have a rich extracurricular offering, are the gils happy, are there opportunities, where do the girls go to when they finish, etc. etc. FINALLY - your DS (and DD) need to be happy, you know them better than anyone, be honest with yourself and think where they might fit in best.

Best of luck searching.

Hey All, sorry not a mum here (i'm a imposter dad!), but with a daughter none the less. I can echo to a lesser extend what @RupertRupertTheBear says in his comments of the Tormead JS lockdown provision. I was a critic of the last Head and felt that she really didn't get in place the right procedures for the lockdown early enough and some of the learning for my DS during the 'online time' wasn't great. I have friends at the senior school and for some reason their experience was infinitely better!?

However (although I may even know Rupertthebear!) I disagree that a blanket criticism of the school is warranted at all. It is a shame they felt the need to leave, however we don't know of anyone that has left and we have friends across all the years apart from reception, and news travels fast!! So I wish your DS well in her new school, but kids leaving certainly is a rarity rather than a trend. I find that despite any gripes (all schools have them) generally all our parent friends love the Tormead Junior School. It's new, the teachers are lovely and the girls are happy, and my DS really does learn a lot.... apart from during lockdown number 1!

What I can say is that this new Head, Mr Boyd, is great. We've met him at a meet the parens online evening that he set up for all year groups at Tormead. We also had a chat with him at a special meeting set up to discuss specifically the JS and the previous online experience. He had actually, already introduced changes to online provision before we started the term in September, the communications from him have been accurate, frequent (but just enough), positive and most importantly we've actually seen what he has promised take place! A refreshing change.......say no more!
Tormead has been around along time, it does very well academically, its sport and clubs are one of the reason we chose it, plus despite 'school gripes' the girls are happy girls.
Someone in another thread said Tormead is a good school with greater potential. I'm confident the new head will deliver, at the very least he has already gained my respect.

Please do PM me if you want to know more about TM JS, I can give you my dad perspective! :-) Although I am supposed to be working from home right now, so I better switch windows back to my day job for a bit!

All these replies are so detailed and useful- I am blown away that the time has been taken to write them.
Seems to be a lot of good things about Tormead as yes we probably should contact the schools now. I just did not really want to blanket contact schools without having thought it through properly if that makes sense. Cranmore we did a virtual open day and it looks incredible. I did hear that some parents were disappointed academically when their sons went onto apply for senior schools and performed less well than expected. Having said that, facilities look incredible. But it seems like that is the main boys alternative.
Does anyone have any idea of what Lanesborough competition is like eg if he does get in, then should we grab it or still look around? (Assuming it is the right fit for him).
I wish someone would just make these decisions for me!

So sad to hear about the Tormead JS issues in lockdown. I can emphatically endorse the SS. We had a full on-line timetable from day 1 in the senior school, all lessons live, homework done and marked on-line, live school, year, and house events. They even did PE sessions. Perhaps because the senior school was already set up with all the tech, and the girls are used to working with tech, it was just easier to get everything going quickly? Anyway, another very happy parent here if you want an insight into the Senior School.

Thanks.
That is very interesting as we are looking ahead towards senior schools as well! Please to hear your daughter is happy

Thanks for this.
It's so hard to tell if it is competitive without data and I was wondering if they accept most children who apply or really do be quite selective. I suppose that is just based on local knowledge, experience and anecdotal evidence. Its so hard coming from another town and not knowing much! The twitter links are helpful-I don't use twitter so would not even think to have e looked. It is going to be such a big move for us there is so much to logistically sort out! I feel lost 🤣

I'm really surprised at @MariaParker saying that she had heard bad things about GHS's lockdown provision, and had to pick up on that.

My DD is in the junior school, and I found the lockdown provision absolutely outstanding. DD had full school days using her school ipad, with scheduled lessons including PE, music etc, as well as the core subjects. There was a mixture of online/offline, but all set up and supported so that the girls could work independently (their usual teachers were available online to message in real time). Fantastic pastoral support too, with form time so that the girls could stay connected and lots of discussion to help them process what was going on.

Very happy that they are back in person though, and hoping that continues!

I wonder how old your DD's friends are? I believe they had a different style for Reception and Year 1 girls, since they were too young to work in this way.

We've been really happy with GHS. It's a great school, and DD is very happy there. If you have specific questions I'm happy to try to answer them.

I do think all 3 Guildford girls schools are really good and it's mainly a question of which one will suit your daughter best. There's plenty of information both online and in books like the Good Schools Guide which should give you a feel for the different schools. Normally as you go through the selection process you would visit each of the schools several times, which tends to confirm which one you think is the best fit. I don't know how that works in covid times.

Good luck in your school choices and with your move. Guildford is a great place to live!

My DS has been at Lanesborough from Reception. I also have a DD now in the senior school at GHS who was at GHS juniors. Both schools are considered by outsiders to be a “hothouse” but that has not been my experience of either.

Lanesborough has actually been fantastic for my DS, both socially and academically. The classes are small (smaller than at GHS) and the teachers in the pre-prep in particular were excellent at catering to each boy’s individual needs; stretching the more able and supporting those who needed extra.

I think currently around half the boys go on to RGS, with the rest going to a wide range of other schools. They don’t blow their own trumpet nearly as much as the likes of GHS, but most parents I know have been very happy with it. Their lockdown provision was decent, if not quite at the GHS level. One caveat - there is a new headmaster, and things may change in future. I really rated the previous head.

GHS junior was also good and the big advantage is that there is no requirement to sit the entrance exam for the senior school. My DD has been very happy there. If your DD is bright and gets a place, it is likely she will cope academically.

Thank you.
Its very useful to get an idea from a Lanesborough mum of what it is like currently. The school itself isn't impressive looking in terms of resources eg compared to Cranmore but they seem to get results. I wonder if they have much bullying? My children are used to being together in a co-ed school currently and so splitting them will be quite nerve racking. My son also doesn't have a lot of confidence and I wonder if he will be surrounded by super confident children!
Have you any memory of what the GHS assessment involved or would involved at year 1 (I think..!) depending on whether we get our act together by next year or not? It is so hard to know how they will do on the day and so nerve racking even now!the idea of not having to go through assessments again is so nice which is why Lanesborough puts my off a little in terms of them not getting onto RGS.
I suppose its a bit wait and see?

The main GHS junior entry points are Reception and Year 3. They have assessment days for coming into those years, and a process to follow. They do sometimes take a small number of girls into other years, but not always, so it's a case of contacting the school to see whether they have a place. They do an assessment for these adhoc spaces too, but not sure what form it takes.

Lanesborough and Cranmore are pretty different and probably even more so than they used to be.

Lanesborough has to prep the boys to leave (now all at 11) so it definitely focuses on that. Cranmore has very recently opened its provision for up to 16 and I've heard from friends with boys there now that there is far less prepping for other schools than before.

Lanesborough is pretty traditional though the new head is young, lively and keen on pastoral stuff (we know him from GHS) plus this is the first year with no boys past Y6 so I suspect it may have a different feel about it.

GHS is always talked of as being a hothouse but honestly it doesn't feel like that for the girls - it's the school people tend to have very Marmite views on.

None of the schools you've mentioned would remotely be a disaster, far from it. The other key point which you've got no influence over is what the other children in the class are like and how yours fit in with that dynamic.

We have had no bullying issues at all. Indeed they had a workshop on bullying very recently which I discussed with DS, and he happily reported he had no issues, and would know what to do if they arose. He is actually quite geeky, if I’m honest, and has managed to find like minded friends. I agree the facilities can’t rival Cranmore. How much that matters to you probably depends on how sporty your kids are. They do use the other facilities where needed - eg Spectrum for swimming.

Agree that with Cranmore now going to 16 the difference in prepping for the 11+ will be quite different going forward.

While main assessments are Reception and Year 3, both GHS and Lanesborough do have DC joining at other ages, and will assess consistently. So Year 1 assessment will be very similar to the Reception one. At that age, the assessment is much more stressful for the parents than for the kids. Indeed, speaking about it now with my DD, what she remembers is going to “play” at GHS, and enjoying it enough to want to go back. It’s a while now since mine went through the process, but PM me if you want more details.

Thats very useful information

I think they do seem very different and it is very attractive not to have to prepare again at 11 if that makes sense.

But I have heard the generally Lanesborough is preferred from most mums although perhaps its just a case of more send their children there.

The bullying thing is reassuring also. I haven't had mine in an all boys school yet so don't know what sort of environment it really is with all boys and if it gets very competitive etc

I suppose most parents looking at prep boys schools apply there if location suits - and I imagine most get in but I am not really sure if that's a correct interpretation either. My mind is a mess of decisions at the moment!

I don’t want to confuse you too much further, but if you are going to be living in Dorking and you prefer co-ed, then it would be worth looking at Reigate schools too, especially Reigate St Marys which is the feeder for Reigate Grammar School. I think there has been a recent thread on these if you want to know more.

The assessments for GHS etc are genuine, and definitely not everyone is offered a place, but the ratio of applications to be places is much better than at some of the big name London schools. Your DC do need to be above average academically and bright enough, but they don’t need to be super bright to get in.

Thank you.
Not complicating the issue at all.
I dont know much about the area so it is good to look at options I have not even thought about. I will look at these schools especially if one feeds into reigate grammar which is presumably a good school?