Eltham College - experience for girls?

[KSEmum]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone has any experience of Eltham
College and how the experience has been for girls in particular. My daughter has recently been offered a place at the junior school to start in year 3 in September. She is a very academic but quite shy little girl and is currently in a lovely girls school that has a very nurturing environment with great pastoral care.

I think my daughter will thrive in an academic environment but I am concerned as Eltham College has only recently turned coed and so don’t have much experience catering for the girls.

I would be very grateful if anyone with experience of the school has any feedback on how they have adapted for the girls. Do you find the school has adapted well and are able to provide the same opportunities to girls or is the culture very male dominant? Would a shy little girl who is academically capable have a chance to shine there or is it really more for very confident children?

I would also be interested for any one with experience further up the school as to whether the girls are encouraged as much in the STEM subjects and whether they have seen the school working to break down gender barriers for them?

The school DD is in at the moment really encourages girls to think outside of traditional gender roles and I am concerned that going to a previously boys school, the girls will be cast into taking certain subjects and not encouraged as much in subjects traditionally considered “for boys.”

I would be really grateful for any thoughts on the above or experiences as I’m finding the decision very hard!

Thanks in advance for your help!

I wouldnt let my child to be pioneer. But respect other parents who thinks opposite ofcouse

Just to clarify the point regarding when Eltham will be more fully co-ed. Year 4 and Year 5 (September 2022) are pretty much fully co-ed so when that first cohort reaches Year 7 - being September 2024, it is expected the school will be fully co-ed in that year - by that I mean, more of a 50/50 boy/girl split. So any girls joining Year 7 in September 2024 will be joining girls coming up from the junior school (most of which will have joined in Year 3).
The more important question is whether the school will continue to honour its sibling policy properly. When Alleyns went co-ed they stopped taking all siblings (from memory). If you become fully superselective and then don’t give siblings priority then typically results will be higher. Results tend to reflect the cohort’s ability, more than anything else. Most headteachers will readily admit to that fact.

Most parents do want a school they can chose to send all their children to, if they feel it suits them. Most of the very academic co-eds in South East London don’t do sibling priority - that includes Alleyns/Sevenoaks further afield etc. The less academic co-Ed’s do allow siblings in, in most cases, Colfe’s etc Will be interesting to see how Eltham deals with that going forward. I have heard rumours that not all siblings are getting in anymore. That would annoy me more as a parent than some bad press about grade inflation (when as PP points out many independents chose to avoid publishing and being transparent in the first place).
As regards single sex vs co-ed, the way I see it is that society seems to be moving fully co-ed gender neutral etc so each family needs to decide whether single sex education is really a thing of the past or not. Also needs to decide on the very strange fact that most boys schools are now taking girls, at least into six form etc - whereas girls schools still stand strong. It is rather strange witnessing that happening across the board.

The results are amazing but they need to work on their appeal to younger girls at open days. My Dd (age 7!) was really put off as they assigned only boys to show us round. We chuckled as one proudly told us he hoped to be out of there soon to head to a grammar school. The junior school head also gave me the ick by declaring that ‘this will be your child’s future network’. This was a room filled with parents of EYFS to KS2 parents.

I also would like to say that; when my friends daughter got her offer letter, the letter was like… you SON got a place, your SON did well in the assessment etc! So they made a mistake - instead of daughter they typed SON. Thats not a big problem maybe but that even shows that they still have time to become proper coed school.

@mrsdshe - “I also would like to say that; when my friends daughter got her offer letter, the letter was like… you SON got a place, your SON did well in the assessment etc! So they made a mistake - instead of daughter they typed SON.” That sounds like not enough admin staff and/or an overstretched admissions department. The school are not staffing admin/admissions enough nor spending enough money there. Perhaps because they are spending it on teaching staff or scholarships… at least that is what PP has alluded to above.

One of my DC goes to a very expensive independent school (not Eltham). Admin cannot be faulted, but we pay through the roof so I guess that is what you get in return. Glossy brochures/no typos etc - they also have ex lawyers on the leadership team for a reason and some with PR background. The top schools are becoming more and more like well run businesses with CEO type heads changing every 5 years.

@aposseadesse yes true but still not professional.

@KSEmum may I learn which girls only school was it, is it Bromley High or Blackheath High? (saw your previous post as well)
Its sounds great for my daughters.
actually my daughters are super academic but I am a teacher and I prefer them to be in mix ability school. I believe as long as child has support at home and its school provides excellent in teaching … there is no need to be a prestigious, academic or selective school… I would like them to shine out where they are with full confident. Not race with other academic kids for league tables. Plus, those girls schools GCSE results are super good so I believe they are great in teaching. Will be pleased if you let me know.

Hi, I have a daughter in EC senior - I dont wana tell her year group but she is not in the 6th form (age under 14) and she used to go to Blackheath High as well. I still have older daughter in Blackheath Senior but when EC became coed my DD2 joined to EC in year 7. EC is great school we like facilities and its not pushy at all. My daughter was always a academic child who loves learning, reading and learning a lot so EC seemed so right place for her. But when she joined to coed systme she started to care how she looks, what she wears etc. She sometimes doesnt like her hair style so keep redoing it. Recently I found out that she has a boyfriend from school. I felt so different as even my older daughter which is in single sex school never had boyfriend so I was shocked basically. She has a phone, they text each other, talk on the phone etc and I don’t like that she spend her time with those things because she is so young. So what I am trying to say I am much more worried about her education right now:(. When I try to talk to her she doesn’t want, she acts/talks so aggressive and goes a way. Now I am telling to myself that she was happy in single sex environment and also she was doing great academically. So I really do not know what I was expecting more?!!!!!! Not talking about the primary stage but in secondary I do believe single sex is much much better for girls. As right now, I am so worried when she is in study club after school - its way more stressful for parents when their girls are in coed school. In addition I don’t blame EC with all this, I think its all because of coed system. If someone ask me now coed selective or less selective single sex for girl - I say go for less selective one! Less selective just means mix ability kids basically thats it. Because I understood that selective doesn’t mean better school or even grades!!!
My DD1 had all 9s in her GCSE’s she just had only 2 8s. Hope DD2 gets same results too by the way do you think I should start tread about this.. Feeling so sad and unsure what to do:(