Stephen Perse or Perse Upper?

[sunlightsunset]

Hi everyone! I'm looking at schools for DD to join in Year 9 and am looking at both SPF and PU. Not currently sure which one is better after looking at many threads

Do both have spaces ? I know some private schools in Cambridge are full due (the AZ relocation effect maybe?)

I don't think one is better - just one will suit your dd better.

Would she prefer girls or co ed? I think next years year 9 will still just be girls. I've also heard that SPF is stronger on languages / arts subjects than science / maths but think this only really comes out at A level since GCSE results are fine.

DD is in Y7 currently, so will take the test for both in Y8. So not for Sept 2015 entry didireallysaythat

She says that she really doesn't mind whether or not it is co-ed, but I have seen on other threads that PU seems to still be male-dominated ? DD is quite sporty (and prefers the PU facilities), and likes music too.

Both are excellent schools and it is not worth nit picking about which is best academically.

I think PU is about 1/3 girls. It will definitely suit certain girls. I would have loved it, but it might not suit all girls.

The music department is great and the sports facilities seem pretty good (I have boys but they aren't that sporty more musical). They like the things like climbing and shooting clubs at lunchtime.

Given there are more than two applicants per place at Upper (and I assume similar at SPF) I'd be applying to both. In any case, the experience of the entrance days (they also run taster days) may be enough for your DD to decide which school she prefers.

Would second the advice to apply to both. The entrance texts run at the same time of year so if she did get offered both, you could decide then which to chose. The Perse girls is known to be a little easier to get into, though still has plenty of bright girls. There won't be any boys in your DD's year, only in the younger years.

I have children at the Perse Upper. Is day it's great for bright, self-reliant and confident children. Less good for those lacking confidence or who feel pressured by quite a comparative atmosphere (frequent tests, ranking test scores in the class, etc) The sport and extra curricular is brilliant. It's about 2/3 boys in the current y7

I'd disagree a bit about the competitive atmosphere at PU cambsmumm. Yes, there are tests throughout the year, but we've found they are very good at bigging up all achievements and teaching that no-one can be good at everything - so as long as your child is good at something, they can cope with being less good at other things. And any child who passes the entrance test is going to be bright. I have a sporty, stridently feminist maths and science loving girl who gets terrible scores in language tests but is doing brilliantly at the school.

I would second the suggestions of doing entrance exams for both, and going to both the taster days. Whilst both schools are academically excellent, they do "feel" quite different, so your gut feel will be the best indicator of which to choose if she gets offered places at both.

I guess it depends what you're comparing to. Compared to DD's state primary, I don't find the Perse bigs up everyone's achievements so much. Her primary was actually much stronger on that! DD has found the way the Perse give you a test score back, telling you what the highest, lowest and average scores in the class were to be a very different style to what she was used to. She's happy with the school and is learning a lot faster now but I would definitely describe it as quite a competative school.

I didn't mean that they big up average academic achievements, but that it's not just academic achievements - so excellence in all ways is celebrated, which means that a child who is consistently getting below average in academic tests (which still makes them extremely bright in terms of national averages) may well receive praise and mentions in the newsletter because of sporting prowess or musical success or dramatic performances. I've just asked dd (Y8) about the test results thing - she (unprompted) said she's never had a teacher tell her what the bottom mark was, and that some teachers won't even tell you what the average was "and that they just say 'you should be pleased with your own achievement not compare it to other's' which is stupid, because you want to know how well you did against your friends" and ds piped up "yeah, 'cos we are competitive like that" so maybe we have different concepts of what competitive means

I have a son at the Upper and cambsmummm rings true to me. (In fact, if it wasn't for your mention of having two at the Upper, I was wondering whether you are my DW posting, as I don't know her username! )

I don't think I'm your DW (at least I'm fairly sure my DH isn't on MN)

We've had experience of both schools: daughter at SPF and son was at PU, and obviously it's all subjective but I'd say SPF is better pastorally and academically and far more progressive in outlook. I think it also really allows girls, in particular, to thrive on their own terms particularly in the sciences. PU still feels very like a boys' school that admits girls. At sixth form I think SPF definitely has the edge: it's far more collegiate and contemporary.

I think it's fair to say that PU boys have a local reputation for arrogance which, in my experience, I'm sorry to say might be justified...although that could just be my son's choice of friends! I think the culture of the school does promote a certain sense of superiority whereas SPF always felt much more grounded.

A the end of the day they're both excellent so it's just finding the right fit for your daughter. Good luck!