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Original poster

Perse Upper vs Stephan Perse vs St Mary's in Cambridge

15 replies

KatherineCam · 14/02/2015 20:45

My DD is in St Mary's Junior at the moment and overall we are quite pleased but have a hard time to decide where to go next. Most of the other pupils got to St Mary's senior but we feel like a change.
Anyone has a recent experience of Perse Upper or Stephan Perse? Bothe schools gone through a lot recently and we wonder what to expect.

OP posts:

TheGoodTheDadAndTheUgly · 15/02/2015 13:40

Have a son at Perse Upper. This is a bit simplistic, but i think it focuses on what might be seen as a more "male" learning style, maths and science seem to more emphasised, and learning is quite competitive with regular written tests. I guess it's a hangover from being a boys school, although there are plenty of girls there and I'm sure that's gradually changing things.

Obviously, it gets fantastic results because it has an academically able intake which are pushed - lots of homework. An able student who is a bit under confident might find it tough.

There is a huge offering of lunchtime and after school clubs which was a big attraction for us (and our son). I'd heard on the grapevine that SPF doesn't offer as much on that score, but that's something you could research, and obviously it depends what your daughter is in to.

Original poster

KatherineCam · 15/02/2015 23:11

Thank you very much for your feedback! However I am bit lost - some people say that S. Perse is stronger academically and Perse U. results are sliding some say otherwise. Do you know which is correct?

OP posts:

TheGoodTheDadAndTheUgly · 16/02/2015 11:19

I hadn't heard that, but then I'm not always good about picking up on these kinds of rumours! I've got no reason to think that Upper is going downhill academically - all the ingredients are in place for success and there's not been any recent turmoil that can be a warning of things changing.

To be honest, all schools fluctuate from year to year in their results, and it is more a question of deciding whether your child is going to be stretched and stimulated at a given school. You probably need to speak to someone with a daughter who has been there a few years - they might have a different perspective!

Cantusemyusualnickname · 16/02/2015 11:37

Not sure about the sliding Perse Upper results.
DS was there a decade ago and thrived because it was very much boy learning orientated (girls only in sixth form at that time). Homework was something often done in a group in the morning before classes started, many boys only working hard near exam time etc... which suited my lazy DS very much.
I would love to know whether this has changed much now that there are girls all through the school (a change which I rather regret and DS would have hated!)

JennyWren1234 · 16/02/2015 16:07

DD is in year 9 at Stephen Perse and we are really pleased with our choice. She is doing well academically and is really happy there. We visited all three of the schools you have mentioned (a number of times!) before choosing. What I would say is that they all seem very good schools but quite different in their approach and I think that if you visit them (if you haven't already) then you will possibly know instinctively which is the best one for your DD.

Regarding lunchtime and after school clubs, there seem to be plenty available. There's an example of an enrichment timetable on the website if you wanted to take a look.

Feel free to PM me if you want any more info.

Original poster

KatherineCam · 16/02/2015 16:25

Dear Jenny, thank you very much for your reply. It is most helpful. However I don't know what PM means :(.
Everyone is saying that the school should be right for your child and a couple of visits to a school is enough to understand their approach to education. I and my husband could actually never figure it out. Yes, I agree that when I saw Sancton Wood school I did not have a feeling I want my daughter to be there. I have nothing bad to say about this school but I got a feeling it was too relaxed about academic results. It may well not be true but it gave me an impression of a friendly village school without much ambition.
We ( me and my husband) both fell in love with Perse Upper because it reminded us so much of our University years but at the same time it felt too big for our daughter. We fear she may fall under the radar there as she is not loud or super active. I would love her to go there and drive and enjoy all the opportunities there but I wonder if she will be overwhelmed.
I got a feeling that S.Perse has a more calm, girl friendly environment but also I though that some of the teachers were a bit "sleepy" in contrast to Perse U. I don't think my daughter is a girly girl but she is quite shy in unfamiliar environment and while bright she needs guidance and close monitoring otherwise she will relax and not fulfil her potential.
Any comments?

OP posts:

TheGoodTheDadAndTheUgly · 16/02/2015 16:54

PM means "private message". If you look at the coloured bar where JennyWren's name appears above her post, over to the right you'll see "Message poster". Click on it.

I can't really answer your question, but I could pose this: I know there is evidence that girls on average do better in a single sex environment, but at what point do you think it would be good for your daughter to experience the ways boys work and compete with them, as she will have to do later in life? (That's not meant to be a loaded question, I can see arguments either way).

Original poster

KatherineCam · 16/02/2015 17:44

Oh well. I think for me benefit of achieving more academically does not outweigh the experience of working and romantic life in mixed school. I saw a number of train-wreaks ( in private life) who blamed their single gender school environment for being totally out of tune of how to behave with an opposite sex.
I am totally torn between the two schools. I wonder if sending my DD off to a mixed Six Form will be a good idea to restore some balance and learn about boys.
Does anyone know a single sex educated people who turned out to be a happy, rounded and relaxed partners in their private life. Am I exaggerating the possibility of problems arising from single gender schools?

OP posts:

JennyWren1234 · 16/02/2015 19:29

I'm not sure from your posts KatherineCam if you have realised that there will be boys in the Senior School at least some of the time your DD would be there. At the moment there are boys in the junior school in year 3 and those will gradually move up the school with more boys starting each year in year 3, therefore boys in the senior school by 2018 and in all years by 2022 (I think I've calculated that right). www.stephenperse.com/about/welcoming-boys-and-a-new-school

Original poster

KatherineCam · 16/02/2015 20:38

Yes, I am aware of the boys intake from 2018. However by 2018 my daughter will be Y10. And if they are going to start to take boys from Y7 they will be significantly younger than her. I assume the school waits for the 2014 first boys intake in Junior school to feed their year 7 in Senior. Therefore there will be never boys around of my daughter's age. :(
I am also not sure how are they going to accommodate them all since the school's premises are rather limited.

OP posts:

JennyWren1234 · 16/02/2015 22:21

Yes, you are right about the dates re: boys being in the Senior School. Although there are boys in the 6th form and there are often activities which include 6th form - particularly in the upper years. These include day trips, residential/exchange trips, workshops and enrichment activities.

As for how they will fit them in, I'm afraid I did wonder that but haven't asked as our daughter will be left by then so it won't really affect her.

gv123 · 18/02/2015 20:24

how competitive are these schools at Year 7 anyhow? I suppose it may also be a question of the choice being made for you - where your DD gets into one but not the other. It's good to see all the schools, but setting her heart on one and then not being offered a place (always a chance, no?) - I think that would be a major confidence hit, and not the boys/girls mix. or I am completely off the mark?

JennyWren1234 · 19/02/2015 09:41

gv123 Not sure what it's like now, but when we applied it was certainly harder to get into Perse Upper than the other two. I think though (and may be wrong), based on the OPs last post that her daughter is due to start year 7 this year and therefore presumably has already taken the exams and has been offered places.

Original poster

KatherineCam · 20/02/2015 13:36

Unfortunately (mostly father reading posts here) we decided not to apply to PU but did so with SPF. Our daughter got a place in SPF and we suddenly started to worry that may be it was wrong no to consider PU. At the moment they have two people on the waiting list and we can be third. So if some people will not take their places we could get to PU.
However my daughter says that she actually prefers SPF and PU feels too big for her.
After taking her opinion into account and reading posts here and looking at the info on schools websites we decided to go of SPF.

OP posts:

Lizardc · 20/02/2015 17:57

If it's any help, I went to an all girls school from 11-18 and think I've managed ok handling mixing with boys at university and relationships etc. I was quite shy and reserved at school but found my niche at university and had a great time.

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