Northwood College or Heathfield School?

[Saffy77]

Hi

My daughter has recently been assessed for 3+ entry at the above schools and has been offered a place for Sep 2010 at both. However,our first choice is St Helens,on which we are awaiting a response (next week i believe). If she is unsucessful at St Helens which is better, Northwood College or Heathfield?

Also does anyone know why Northwood College was ranked 122 in 2008 by Sunday Times then 269 in 2009!!!??

This assessment process has me in an absolute spin and state of confusion so would appreciate some help.

[bump]

I don't know Heatfield college, but I used to live at the same street that Northwood college, so probably I would choose Northwood College. Probably I would choose it instead of St Helen's where I have been told of students been asked to leave the school as they were not "as Intelligent as the school wants, which I think is very bad.
Hopefully someone else will come and give you more input

Seems like a long way off but you need to look at what they offer at GCSE. e.g. Heathfield only offer dual award science and have a 'carousel' language system which may be good for the natural linguist but may make it harder for those who don't find languages natural to get a good result in the 1 modern language they must take to GCSE. I'm not a fan of the 'base' language from year 7-9 being Mandarin - I suspect that will go the way of Rusian which was trendy in my youth and who learns it now!
Re Northwood Collegde and the the league tables I guess they has a bad year - but remember all but the very high ranking schools go up and down quite a bit over the years. You need to take at least a five year view on that.
We have a daughter at St Helen's. It is results wise firmly some way further up the tables nearer the 'almost perfect' high ranking schools like NLCS, Habs and City. Not heard of anyone asked to leave on academic grounds from miscellaneous years but there is certainly no free pass to 6th Form if you don't get the required grades.
You have to remember all these schools are essentially competitive businesses. The main advantage over the state of any of them is that they are going to try to get A, A* out of your child not 5 A-Cs.

Thank you so much.

Mitbap, I saw some of your postings regarding the schools and was very interested in your opinion. So you managed to secure a place at St Helens! Thats pretty good going. Well done to your daughter.

Your point regarding the science dual award is a very valid point that we have not even looked at. I think my husband will be very interested in that.

In regards to the language, i do agree with you. This school does seem to be preoccupied with languages.

Hhhmm lots to think about. I'm really hoping DD gets into St Helens but am very worried about the competition of securing a place. it seems as though its 5 applicants for 1 place.

Well i'll have my fingers and toes crossed. If not then it maybe Northwood College.

I would choose Northwood. I know of one girl who recently left St Helens because of bullying, which the school did very little about. We had already looked around and found it rather aggressive in spirit. Northwood just seemed friendlier.

Re Bellissima's comments - just illustrates you have to do your own due diligence and go with what you are comfortable with. That picture of St Helen's is incomprehensible to me.

Yes the bullying thing has really got to me. I was worried about bullying anyway! Its easier to do due diligence on the larger schools as everyone seems to have an opinion and there is more information around. Havent been able to get much on Heathfiled though.

If DD does get a place at St Helens (and that seems like such a big IF!!!) i will try and think of what you have said mitbap. You have a daughter there so you would perhaps know more of the procedures.

We also found St Helens a bit daunting and Northwood College very friendly,however,DD cried at the Northwood College assessment but was absolutely fine for the other 3. I dont think the nursery teacher at Northwood College was very good with my daughter and that also puts me off Northwood College.

The first time we saw St Helen's I remember being overawed and thinking there was probably no chance in hell that this was for people like us (at this point I had previously had no experience of the independent sector and had no idea of the standards/background required and whether my daughter could aspire to meeting them). However, now we feel completely confortable with it and will probably send younger sibling if she's lucky enough.
Re bullying, I am not saying that serious problems don't arise absolutely everywhere but you have to be aware of the 'modern' tendency to categorise all childish playground nastiness as bullying that your child has a right to be protected from leading to over intervention and protectiveness imho. Even at my advanced age I remember being young and believe me girls can be horrible with their cliques and fall outs etc. A child that doesn't learn the skills of coping with all sorts of people and dealing with the impact and the consequences of others actions and views will be awfully exposed in adult life. Not every one will like you, sometimes for very unfair reasons, and people will not always be 'nice' to you. There is a limit to what schools can do anyway and frankly I'd prefer those who do not intervene too early too often - which is the attitude I take as a parent. When my own children have been upset because of fall outs, teasing etc I take the view that they should smile and carry on regardless, perhaps taking a low profile with the 'enemy' for a while - and as I expect usually everyone is best of friends again sooner or later. They have to recognise that there are times when they have to take issue with people but they also have to assess the impact this may have on their own progress, advancement, popularity and sometimes it's best to let it pass. They particularly have to learn that it is a skill to get what they need from their teachers with whom they will not always feel a natural affinity! I'm not advocating taking real suffering in silence - it's just there are times when it is in your own interest to tolerate but you don't have to be best buddies!
St Helen's has it's fair share of traditional private school using families with conversations regarding libraries, swimming pools and 'staff' but ultimately they are interested in academic potential and there are many familes who must be comfortable enough but are definately making sacrifices elsewhere to be there. They also have a reasonably balanced mix of ethnicity so no one will be a seriously exposed target on that front also.
Our first contact was at 11+ so I have little info about Little St Helen's and Junior school specifically. I guess another point is that is you do end up feeling you've got it wrong you've got another chance with 7+ and 11+ entries elsewhere.

Thank you so much Mitbap for taking time to respond.

You are so lucky to have your daughter in a very good school and be happy with it. Only a few days to go and we shall know whether DD has a place or not. If not then,like you say,we can go for the 4+ or 7+. Or perhaps just stick with Northwood College. TBH,am really hoping for a place at St Helens as that was our first choice and the one that I feel the most comfortable with. I will have to deal with the bullying situation,if it happens(obviously hope it doesnt happen) at that point in time.

just reading all your postings and I would say you should give Heathfield a go too. They are a small, friendly school producing excellent results (better than Northwood) yet people always seem to choose them as 'second' choice. They must be getting something right to produce the results. They are also one form entry in Juniors and three form at 11+.

The girls do IGCSEs in Science and Maths which are much harder levels to reach and which is why the school offers these over GCSEs. by the way the government do not recognise igcses in their league tables!

perhaps you should go and have another look at the schools once you get your offer and ask your daughter too, after all, if she thinks she will be more settled at one school over another, doesn't that matter too?

good luck.

Hi
Did you get St Helen's

Hi Mitbap

We did indeed, we got the letter on time,i was worried as our post has been awful of late.

So i dont have to worry too much about the Northwood College v's Heathfield Schhol business.

Even with the info about the bullying we have decided to take up the offer. Both hubby and I are impressed with the school,its facilities and the way they conducted the whole assessment process. So its our No 1 choice.

Do you have any advice for a new St Helens Parent?

Saffy77
Well done to your daughter.
We were new parents in senior school so probably haven't got much that's relevant to pass on.
It would seem that the parents of the girls that came up from Jumiors were all quite well known to each other whereas those of us that were late starters are really not much in touch. At 11 you leave then to make their own friends and manage their own social life to a greater extent.
So I suspect there are quite a lot of opportunites to get involved with the school/PTA etc when they are young.
Good luck.

Saffy77

Well done to your daughter. Mine did the assesement but we are on the reserve list, which by the sounds of it sounds endless! I am very disappointed and wondered if you would mind telling me whether you dd can write her name and if she can draw stick people? I was told that the name writting was not important but was wondering if my information was correct

Thanks guys

Mitbap, i think youre right about the juniors being known to each other,all those birthday parties and PTA meetings! Thanks for all your help and advice.

Hi Jambo

Are you talking about 3+?
DD definitely cant write her name,she does pretend to and can say some of the letters in her name. She cant draw stick men but can draw a vague face with eyes mouth and nose.

The problem is that there are so many things we were told by people that she had to be able to do for a 3+ assessment, one was that they should be able to dot to dot. Personally i think thats nonsense! We just did all the normal stuff that a 2.5 year old does. The other thing is that its a bit of a numbers game. God knows how many people apply and there are only 48 places. Good luck for the list. When we attended the parents evening for prospective parents we were told that the waiting list does move so maybe just see how that works out.
Did you apply to any other schools and did you get any other offers? Theres always the 4+.

We were pleasently surprised with her offer and even a week later cant believe how well DD has done. We thought her chances were lower as she is an August born and also very shy. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your reply. your message does make me feel better. My dd is also very shy and quite. I had not applied any where else as she is currently in a nursery that she loves so we are happy to leave her there till 4+. the only problem is that the 4+ does get very competitive and sounds very stressful.

good luck to you both with the new school.thanks again for the info about what your dd can do and not do.it helps alot.

Hello i'm new at this so pls bear with me.

My own dd attends NLCS and started there when she was 4 (so passing the 4+ assessment) and it is so stressful!

I did however put alot of time and work in with my dd. So Jambo if I can help prep your dd for 4+ let me know.

Hi Mumteacher

I am thinking about sending my daughter for the 4+ assessment at NLCS - so any advice would be very helpful!

Thanks

Hi Jambo 5

I wonder if your daughter got in? My daughter is on reserve list this year and I wonder if everyone on the reserve list gets through. Also did you attend the new parents evening?

Hi saffy
Would you know how long there reseve list is? Also do many get in on reserve list at 3+? I'm very anxious