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Original poster

the study or ursuline prep

13 replies

aglaia · 26/11/2012 21:37

Hi - not posted before - would be grateful for any advice. My dd is at an 'excellent' local primary but I am thinking of moving her to either the Ursuline Prep or the Study as I don't think the teaching at her current school is that good. She's in Year 3, and is doing well but is definitely coasting. The Study seems to send its pupils to good schools afterwards, whereas the Ursuline Prep has much more varied destinations. Not sure what to do. Any advice very welcome! Confused

OP posts:
OffallyGOod · 26/11/2012 22:34

We got a place at the study but turned it down in favour of ursuline. They are quite different schools. sTudy is a bit too polished, villagey for us. But a lovely school. Ursuline is obviously a CAtholic school and less polished but v. friendly with smaller class sizes than both STudy and Wimbledon high. our choice was based on particular needs for our daughter not anything against the STudy.

Where is your daughter now and why are you unhappy?

VictoryGirl · 26/11/2012 22:44

The Study is a lot more academic from what I hear. I have friends with girls at Ursuline and they love it. It is also on the Sunday Times list of top independent schools. Will be considering for my DD if we don't get our first choice Catholic school.

Original poster
aglaia · 27/11/2012 07:54

That's really useful, thanks. I'm not happy about my daughter because she is quiet and not pushy at all, and in her school you have to be loud and self promoting to be noticed. She is averagely bright (level 3 in sats), not brilliant, and very shy. She has never done 'show and tell' since reception, will wait patiently for the teacher when she needs to tell her something (with the result, for example, that once she had a very swollen and sore leg from a bee sting and the teacher just told her to 'sit down, I'm busy'. When another child bullied her, the emphasis from the school was on her doing something about it, and not the other child.
I don't know how bright she is, but I am keen on her being pushed academically more than she currently is.

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Original poster
aglaia · 27/11/2012 15:47

By the way, not saying other children are all pushy! Blush My daughter needs to learn to speak up for herself but I think needs to do it in a gentler environment.

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OffallyGOod · 27/11/2012 21:56

That is why we chose ursuline-only 18 in a class

Original poster
aglaia · 29/11/2012 20:41

Good point - some serious thinking to do now...

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VictoryGirl · 29/11/2012 22:36

Where is your DD at the moment? Finding the whole school thing a minefield. Need to get application in ASAP, DD wi start reception next September.

Original poster
aglaia · 30/11/2012 18:34

Having said she can't stand up for herself, she suddenly seems to have a newfound confidence. Maybe it's to do with age. She did show and tell this week for the first time ever, has been made a monitor, and has discovered that she is actually better than some others in her class so is working better. She's at WCPS - it is a good school, maybe she just needed more of a boost in the earlier years. Still in two minds, though...

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VictoryGirl · 30/11/2012 19:58

Aw, stil early days yet and WC has a great reputation. See how things go.

MertonBoy · 01/12/2012 12:15

I think the Study has many good qualities as does the Ursuline. But do start to think about future schools at secondary level. Most of the 'good' ones by reputation are academic 'hot-houses' which expect their girls to be quite confident and pushy. Pastoral care is often quoted as being good but inevitably isn't;similarly anti-bullying policies are always quoted-but ask any school how many students have actually been punished for bullying (and don't accept that they don't have any bullying-every school does). We went for Notre Dame in Cobham rather than Wimbledon High (although we live in Wimbledon) and our daughter loved it-and is now at Bristol doing Modern Languages. The bright children do just as well in a caring school as they will in a 'hot house' and depending on their temperament may be considerably happier. And ND has a Junior School -although we didn't discover it in time! We just put our daughter into the Senior School-and sport/music/voluntary activities etc were outstanding. It is a Catholic School (but I am not a Catholic) and the Catholicism is present but not pushed. And they look after their girls!

Original poster
aglaia · 01/12/2012 13:29

Thank you so much, Merton Boy. It was secondary schools I was really thinking of, as I know that confidence - that elusive gold dust - is key to everything. We can't manage ND at primary level because of the journey from Wimbledon, but I shall certainly bear it in mind for secondary school. My daughter asked not to have a speaking part in the Christmas play, but is fine now that she has been given lines (as they all have). It's really good to hear that "bright children do just as well in a caring school".

OP posts:
Nommoc · 26/04/2013 05:30

" She's at WCPS - it is a good school..."

Aglaia, your comment makes no sense, how can your daughter be at WCPS, Wimbledon Common Preparatory School, as WCPS is single sex and only takes boys?

MertonParker · 26/04/2013 09:15

Or perhaps Nommoc, more likely, OP is talking about Wimbledon Chase Primary ?

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