Eltham College

[Londonuk2001]

Hello,
Has anyone got any experience of this school? It is in good position in league tables but saw some links in this platform which made me rethink about it. My daughter is in JAGS juniors currently.

Thank you.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/metro.co.uk/2022/02/06/private-schools-manipulated-exam-system-during-covid-to-inflate-grades-16056920/amp/

www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/10425640.eltham-teacher-andrew-hillary-jailed-for-21-months-over-87000-child-porn-images/

Can we learn why do you want to move her? As I know JAGS is a great school for girls. If you would like to move her just because Eltham College is better option, I wouldn’t do that. Eltham College recently became coed so I think JAGS has more experience in teaching, empowering girls.

My daughter is really happy in JAGS, she doesn’t want to move at all but we were thinking to apply for Eltham College just because her younger brother. My son is in year 1 currently, he is so bright (above average at the moment). I do believe he will do well in the year 3 entry (7+) assessment. So it will be easier for us to have them in one place.

Dulwich college?

Yes, I agree with the previous post Dulwich College is better than Eltham College. Dont move your daughter if she is happy in JAGS. Also statistics shows that girls do better in all female environment. I visited Eltham College I liked the facilities but I found some staffs rude (at least not polite). Mottingham area also not so good.

@Londonuk2001

My daughter is really happy in JAGS, she doesn’t want to move at all but we were thinking to apply for Eltham College just because her younger brother. My son is in year 1 currently, he is so bright (above average at the moment). I do believe he will do well in the year 3 entry (7+) assessment. So it will be easier for us to have them in one place.

Seems harsh to move your DD from a school where she is happy & presumably thriving, because of her younger brother? What if she doesn’t settle at Eltham or in a mixed environment? As per PPs, what about Dulwich College, Alleyn’s or Dulwich Prep?

@noworklifebalance my work place is in Sidcup so it will be easy for me to drop the kids to Eltham College together but everybody advise me to consider Dulwich College or Dulwich Prep like you did so I will think about that too. So do you think I should also consider those links/news before while making the decision.

I appreciate the challenge of school-work run.
Don’t forget Alleyn’s if you are considering DC & DPL, as it’s right opposite JAGS and is co-Ed, like Eltham - that’d definitely help the school run. Going between JAGS and DC/DPL at the other end of Dulwich is challenging.
Evidence suggests boys do better in a mixed environment but obviously that may not be applicable to your son.
Of the 3, DPL is the easiest to get into - there is a reasonable amount of movement as boys leave for other schools at 7+ level. DC is next and Alleyn’s is the hardest. Again, it doesn’t mean that Alleyn’s is automatically the better school for your son.

Re: news links. I wouldn’t tar a school because of one depraved teacher, unless the school turned blind eye and there is nothing in the article to suggest that.
DC didn’t fare well in the Everyone’s Invited reports.
I don’t know anything about grade inflation at Eltham other than what the article states. Has it been proven?

There is also this www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jun/13/ex-pupils-who-compiled-sexual-abuse-dossier-accused-of-blocking-inquiry
Eltham College for sure has had some bad press. I would go with the more established Dulwich schools, for sure! We live quite local to Eltham College at the moment and I have heard good and bad things, in equal measures. Personally, I wouldn’t send a girl there into Year 7, especially after coming from a girl’s school. Plus as someone pointed out above, Mottingham has not much going for it. I think one M&S - pretty boring for teenagers?

@Abuildingwith4wallsandtmrinsid oh that news:///

@Londonuk2001 @Abuildingwith4wallsandtmrinsid I agree with @Abuildingwith4wallsandtmrinsid

My daughter really wanted to go to Eltham College when she was in state primary because o its prestige... but I was unsure!. When we visited the school she changed her mind. She went to GDST only girls school which is less selective but warmer. I suggest you to visit the schools rather then checking legue tables. Some kids are saying they are happy in ELtham College - but maybe thats because of they do not know the difference!!!.

Eltham is very newly co-ed and your dd is happy at JAGs - I wouldn't move her.

Personally we had the choice between a scholarship to Eltham and a Dulwich College place. We took DC and would make the same decision again in a heartbeat.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I never heard or read that kind of news for other independent schools in local so I was a bit unsure about Eltham College then wanted to ask here to public but not even 1 person commented positive feedback for Eltham College. I think I should rethink about this matter.

The school is good, just in transition at the moment with a headmaster making lots of changes. That will invariably annoy some people. In 3-5 years time it will have settled down (as long as no head change suddenly as this head needs to implement his changes solidly first). The prep school is now mixed - Year 4 upwards I think - so once those girls get to secondary school age then it will be more properly mixed. The parent group is also changing from more laid back to more pushy and demanding. That might also create issues for the school and bad press, who knows. The school will have to put up fees to provide a more slick outfit that becomes better at communications with the more demanding parent group.

What people are saying is that your DD is already at the most academic girls’ school in South East London and she is thriving so why would you move her to a school in transition.
I checked for you - the school head a recent ISI report (have you read it?) and that seems great.
So I think you just need to consider all the different angles.

@Abuildingwith4wallsandtmrinsid I dont really mind about the ISI report actually. Almost all independent schools ISI reports are excellent. I just want to make sure my daughter will be happy and feel safe. At the moment even if she stays at school up to 6pm I do not worry but I am not sure if I will feel same if she starts to Eltham College. I only wanted to consider Eltham College because I really tired of travelling between to schools. Schools are not far from each other but holidays/inset are different etc - I do believe it will be much much easier for us to have them in the same school. But still their happiest is more important then anything so that I am so confused and do not know if I should take that risk.

@Londonuk2001
JAGS has the same term dates as Alleyn’s and DC. In terms of travel between two different schools, JAGS & Alleyn’s is by far the easiest.
DPL’s term dates are also very similar, they have the odd day that differs e.g. break up or start term a day before/after JAGS, but not much more than that.

OP where do you live? Because if you live in eg Chislehurst or Blackheath then Eltham is easy but if you live nearer to Dulwich then it is not worth the travel time (I think). Eltham have lots of clubs after school but as children get older if they can travel alone that can be better for them, including having some time after school with their friends locally (which is nicer in Dulwich, even if it is just going for e.g. a pizza).
If you are closer to Alleyns then I would go for that especially with a girl and a very bright boy.

Have 3 children at Eltham and very happy so far. The head has made a lot of very positive changes and the school's admission is now really very selective presumably one reason for the steady increase in grades (lots of independents had a big jump in grades during Covid). But I also know that last year's GCSE/A-level cohorts were a particularly bright year.

Eltham is very nurturing although, I must admit, that doesn't necessarily come across as such during the open days. For this coming September, they had 1,000 families sign up for the open day, compared with around 300-400, which a huge influx of very able and bright girls, many who had offers from other top indies. So I'd predict they'd go from strength to strength. Head is also very approachable and the children's views are very much respected at the school.

My youngest DC turned down offers at Dulwich, Trinity, Olaves and one of the top 4 indies in the UK, choosing Eltham.

@lightattheendofthetunnel2021 - that is interesting, because in my DS’ year at St Olave’s there appear to be a lot of ex Eltham Junior boys. Perhaps it is year specific. Do you think more boys are staying on from Junior to Senior now that the school is suddenly so popular? I think the junior boys used to have to sit exams to join the senior bit but not anymore or at least, not at the moment.

Alleyns and Jags are across the street from each other so I'd try for Alleyns for your son if he's at that level. Also, if he gets into DC for the 7+ both your children can take the coach to school together. The term dates across all the Dulwich schools are the same. I'd try to avoid moving your daughter who has settled and is in a great school already.

It does illustrate though that the headmaster at Eltham College did indeed make the right decision to go co-ed all the way. This is why Highgate and Alleyns and other strong co-ed schools are so vastly oversubscribed and looking at the sudden huge popularity of Eltham College, the same is happening again.

Just a shame that Eltham don’t take from Reception age.

It's true boys don't have to sit exams to transfer but then the school is selective when entering in Y3 (as much as it can be at that age). Lots of the boys who did move on to Olave's had intended to go down the grammar route but I know several kids who were accepted to super selectives (including Olaves, Newstead, City Girls) who opted to stay/join Eltham. Many top 180 Bexley grammar scorers in my youngest's year! . Admittedly, many of these have siblings further up the years but it also demonstrates that the parents must be happy if they're prepared to put their younger kids in at Eltham too. Of course many very bright boys didn't even attempt the 11+ as they were adamant they would be staying on

Eltham does not push for Oxbridge if kids are not keen; so probably a lot less directive than some other schools with a higher Oxbridge intake (I know several boys who were marked out as Oxbridge but chose to apply & go elsewhere).

The fact that Eltham had the second most inflated A level grades (after NLCS where the Head has just resigned over it) cannot be explained by the fact that ‘it was a particularly bright cohort’. The parents and kids concerned were probably delighted but the proof of the pudding is in this years results- or will that be explained away too?

The new head is ambitious. He wants kudos for turning a fairly standard local
independent boys school into a table topping co Ed. And then he’ll be off.

He’s a very slick publicist (with a City background) and he was one of the factors behind our decision not to go for Eltham.