I heard all girls from Basset House (London) get into St Pauls, is this true??

[tonyee]

Is this an urban myth? DH says his friend 'said it was true' and has a daughter there. Sounds a little OTT to me. Does anyone know about Bassett House? Is it good? Is that true? THANKS!!

I've noticed you post a lot of threads here

Do you really think that's true? why don't you ring the school and ask them?

I have noticed that when private school says "all our girls/boys get into x/y" what they actually mean is "we only let those kids who are guaranteed to pass the exam, sit the exam then that means we have a 100% pass rate" but it is a pass rate where only winners get the chance to sit the exam!

RW & B, Of course I can call the school, however sadly my husband won't believe what I report back to him although I guess I should call, I am just so busy with work etc, easier to ask Mums and frankly I don't even care enough to call the school. Getting them into the right school later is a big deal to him, not to me, I just want them to be happy and well ajusted that's a good school.

Miggsie, very interesting point about pass rate, never thought of thet. that could be the 'mystery 100%'. Two girls sit and two girls get in that's 100%. Ridiculous.

Yes, of course all girls get in. 100% pass rate guaranteed by the school and underwritten by Lloyds of London

The very fact you posted the question tells you something.

I thought your dh wanted them to go to Holland Park

I know isn't it confusing? It's doing my head in! I guess he thinks the grass is always greener but can't make up his mind where! I just try to defuse discussions before they start by getting the inside dirt from Mums! I appreciate the feedback!

Actually, I think that it is more the case of Bute House, rather than Bassett House, being the feeder into SPG.

Agree. There is no formal relationship between Bute House and SPGS, however BH is still the one which has the reputation of 'the feeder'. It does help that the SPGS headmistress is on the Bute House Board of Governors. Also must help when a candidate is borderline in the entrance exam.

I would say that only certain girls would make the grade regardless of the school they are in, there is only so much a school can do.

Getting girls into SPGS is seen as a real marker of the success of a West London Prep....

I think a better measure would be confident girls who reach 11 with good social skills and who enjoy learning, and then go on to schools which are right for them and where they will thrive.

Anyway there is a certain amount of sport in tracking which schools did well in any given year. Bute is always the front runner and can get as many as half its girls in. But the two schools essentially share a site and have strong links. Bute also has a large and very selective intake of 8 years olds. Local rumour is that Kensington Prep did particularly well this year, whilst some other regular feeder schools were quite disappointed.

Kensington Prep 8/39 got offers for SPGS I'm not sure how that compares.

Who says St Paul girls are anymore bright than others. Take Harriet harman who couldn't hold down the DWP job. Or Kitty Usher's forlorn and rather sad attempt the other night to justify her expenses and CGT avoidance.

I grant you they are perhaps slightly better at passing exams that equally bright and perhaps better socially adjusted girls at other selective girl's schools.

One very bright girl I know who went to SPGS said she never felt she was clever enough and her low self esteem still marks her to this day.

Of course there are exceptions just as there are in every school state or private