Is there a league table of GDST schools?

[wheelsonthebus]

How can you compare between GDST schools? Is there a league table of results just for these schools?

What does GDST stand for??

Girls Day School Trust, mumblechum.

You can't really . Some are published in the League tables so you could extract those but when I attended one (20+ yrs ago) they were much of a muchness and reasonably spread out geographically so largely determined by where you lived as few took boarders

The schools vary quite a lot in character and 2 are now academies so not sure why you'd want to compare? Local GDST school versus other private and state opions would probably tell you more.

I can tell you about oxford gdst- if you wish to have my opinion on it. Won't force it on you though!

wetblanket - we don't live in Oxford, however I would like to! Yes - share your views. Would be interested. The reason I asked the question is that in some parts of the country, you can be living near quite a few GDST schools and I am interested in the differences between them.

You could just compare their A level APS results in the BBC league tables - though you'd have to look them up individually......

Well I agree with marialuisa- the schools have quite different characters, I would proceed with caution to the very academic ones( although they all are- I mean top , top ones).

Oxford is normally top or near top of the league- I lived in Oxford from 98-2006 and my eldest dd was there. I have to say that they knocked the very soul out of her and kicked out a couple of girls who couldn't keep up ( there is a court case somewhere if you want to do some delving).
I can only speak from my experience, but they were not interested in doing pastoral care, having girls be individuals and letting them be children.
My son went to the nursery and they used to withold break time biscuits as punishment. I pulled him out a week after he started. They take boys up to 7.

Sorry- not very positive!

there are 4 GDST schools within striking distance of us and all are very different in ethos/standards

they range from pretty academic (Putney High, Wimbledon High) to reasonably academic (Sydenham High) to not really academic at all (Streatham & Clapham High)

None is in the absolute top flight academically because we have JAGS, Alleyn's, St Paul's and Godolphin taking the academic cream, so it very much depends what the mix of schools is near you as to where a GDST school will fit into that

My mum went to Withington which is always right at the top of any league table you can think of so I imagine it's a very different beast from our nearest GDST

Agree mimsum - it all depends on the local competition. I went to one which now suffers as the boys school across the road takes girls. Have also heard that Oxford High is fairly high pressure but the bit about throwing girls out (generally in Year 6, so they can take more in from the secondary entrance exam) is fairly typical these days.

Having said all that, I sometimes wish there was one near here (grammar school county) as the class/school sizes in GDSTs are rather less aggressive. (On the other hand you have to pay!)

In London the common denominator seems to be that they are cheaper than other private schools, which seems to have significantly increased demand in the last year or so.

I had heard that Streatham and Clapham was easier than some of the others. However they told us they would expect a minimum of 70% in English at 13+. This was not going to happen so we skipped the open day. We looked at a couple and were surprised about how much nicer one felt, despite similar buildings, as a result of a good speech from the Head, some fresh paint and an interesting girl showing us around. But then again we know some lovely girls who attend the other and who are very happy.

Oxford High was much more laid back in the late 70s/early 80s

But they have never been good at pastoral care. Its definitely Oxbridge all the way.

You have to extract the GDST results from the league table positions.

I suggest you go to The Ties League tableshttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/parentpower/search.php here

Using the search function you can type in GDST in the top box ad pick out all the GDST schools both Prep and Secondary and read off their league table position.

I did a prelimainary search for you and the top 10 GDST secondary schools are:

1. Oxford
2. South Hampstead
3. Putney
4. Notting Hill
5. Central Newcastle
6. Wimbledon
7. Sheffield
8. Shrewsbury
9. Howell's Scholl, Llandaff

10. Bromley

I know Oxford High School very well. It's Headmistress is due to leave and go to Abingdon school (a non GDST boys school). The Oxford High School is an extremely selective intensely academic single sex girls school. The others on the list lower down are obviously less selective and less academic but still very high standard.

SORRY. I have a child joggling my elbow.

I suggest you go to The Times League Tables here

ABetaDad
Thanks very much for that - really helpful.

I have also heard very negative things about Oxford. Very good friend from uni went there in the 90's and said the bullying was horrendous and everyone turned a blind eye.

I am a big fan of Putney High, very creative and big emphasis on drama, music, sport and independent thinking versus pure exam passing. Every school has a different ethos. If you are near to several you must bein London? Putney High has reputation for being more rebellious than Wimbledon but also does better at exams. Steatham was quite bad in my day, much lower standards academically but much more mixed socially (70% on assisted places).

Ime putney high is as much an exam factory as other gDTS schools (all schools?). Teachers there have told my DP that they depend upon and focus on league table position hence they do GCSEs not IGCSEs - apparently parents wouldn't understand the lack of recognition in league tables if IGCSE were offered. Putney does have good sport offer but if you are not in first team don't expect right level of competitive matches. Junior school girls seem to dominate the various teams.

Putney High must have improved then, cos in my day it was the fall-back if you didn't get into St Paul's or Godolphin

Only joined Mumsnet to add my views on Oxford High. Have a daughter currently at the school who is very happy and loving every moment. School has the reputation of being very high pressure and it is a very academic school but I don't think the school puts pressure on the girls particularly. Because the girls are high achievers they put pressure on themselves - unfortunately. Most of bad reputation comes from rumour from people who have never actually had a child there. Pastoral care is fine, in fact when we had an issue when my daughter first joined the school the nurse was excellent and very supportive - I have heard similar from other parents. Basically, like all schools, it is horses for courses - Oxford High suits some girls extremely well but if it does not suit your child she may well be miserable - but this is the same for any school.

Which one are you interested in wheels as my daughter is at one of these ?

Mimsum, Putney High is certainly no 'fall back' school. Very high academic intake going in there now, and very oversubscribed.

Some GDST do do IGCSE.

Norwich have done iGCSE Maths for a few years now.

I'd like to know when Susie100's day was 'cos when I went to Streatham it was pretty damn good academically (pretty crap on everything else imho - I got loads of O'Levels but no 'social' education)

I'm actually surprised by the desire to defend it actually as I spent most of my time there wanting to be somewhere else (but I was a rebellious assisted place pupil :P)

However, given that I left there in '87, my experiences are incredibly out of date IIRC there is at least one MNer who has a daughter there atm, can't remember who though.