Queen's gate school?

[allag]

hi all

sorry to keep asking in several threads but desperately need any insights into queen's gate school in London as we only have a few days to make a decision. can't find much on it although of course we have visited the school and did like what we saw. anyone who can share any views/experiences, I would be very grateful to.

I have a good friend with a dd there. She finds the teaching good and the pastoral care excellent. She plans to stay for the senior school. Three girls from year 6 were invited to interview at St Pauls this year so academics sound strong.

Another friend has a child at Hampshire. She finds it good but more transient than QG. She plans to move her children.

thank you nickmom - we are still hankering after Garden house but need to reply to queen's gate by Wednesday - so difficult to know what to do, given deposits are payable upon acceptance (I presume). With GH, have written the headmistress a letter saying we remain keen but haven't heard anything yet. I really did like queen's gate - i don't know whether academics are stronger than GH - although it is a lot less convenient for us. Not sure if we are quite as in love as we are (or think we are) with GH - it is jsut so hard to know what to do. And of course, there is not even remotest assurance re a place in GH, anyway.

Call GH and tell them your situation. The people there are very understanding. Tell them you can drop off a deposit immediately if they can give you a place.

Both are excellent schools, but try to get the one you really think is right!!!

this is the difficulty - so hard to know. thank you, will call them.

I went there! Only the junior school though. A few of my friends went all the way through, and loved it.

Can I just ask where the children go for their outdoor play now? We used to walk across to the Natural History Museum, but the bit we used has been turned into a wildlife garden now.

that is a very good question curlymama - i am not sure. i think they have a small outside bit and also i know twice a week they go to hyde park and obviousy the older kids do lots of games in battersea park but i do need to find out if they get to go outside every day - should do, right? do most schools? so when were you there - were you happy? would you recommend it?

I loved it when I was there, but I'm 34 and I left when I was 10, so I'm not the most reliable source! As I said though, I had freinds (same age as me) that went all the way through and I know they were happy there. They didn't seem to experience the same level of bitchiness that I did at my next all girls school. They have done well for themselves in terms of contacts for future jobs from being at QG.

I'd heard they had spread across to another building since I was there, so they may have more outdoor space now. We only had a little roof garden, but it was great going over to the museum every day. It's only now that I realise how great it was that my playground was part of that fantastic building, I still love looking at all the animals carved into it! I have lots of lovely memories of sports days at battersea park, and the parents used to arrange whole class picnics in hyde park fairly regularly.

You are making me remeber lots of happy times!

that is so lovely to hear. thank you. even though it was a while ago ( i am same age as you and have very very vague memories of being 10!! :))) it still is great to hear from someone who went there. (i know cammilla P-B did but i don't feel like i can ask her :) :)). before we went to qg we were obsessed with garden house, where we are on the waiting list, so still deliberating but we have found a lot in qg that is very appealing.

Anyone with a dd who goes or has gone to Queensgate for sixth-form? Heard teaching is very good but want to know how happy and from what backgrounds girls tend to come from?

Yes my cousin's daughter went all the the way thorugh and is now at Bristol uni. One of my friend's daughters has just finished and is at Reading uni and is currently in year away at a uni in rome. The girls seem to be very mixed. A few Jews, Quite a few Muslims and lots of Christians. It seems a lovely school for someone who would maybe find FHS or Godolphin abit pressurised but still wants to do well

My daughter attends QG Junior School and she absolutely loves it. She started reception/Preliminary, and is now in I B (year 2 ). I have to say it was not my first choice of school. My daughter is an August baby and while she is very bright, she did not get into the school we thought it was our first choice. I was crushed! really really upset then.... I had only applied to a few schools and was set on Ken Prep which gets excellent results and I was impressed by how confident the girls who gave us the tour were, etc. I saw other schools such as Francis Holland, but I found Reception crowded and dark. Thomas's...nice but I wanted a girl school. Faulkner House so tight! no space to move. I only found out about QG late in my search. I loved the school when I visited. The building had been recently re-furbished, the classrooms were big, bright and happy, the teachers gave a very good impression to be caring, work well with girls of different ages and abilities, but also to cater and push a bit harder those who could and needed to be stretched. The girls there seemed very happy and proud of the school. The Headmistress was kind and less "pretentious" than in other schools.... I liked that the school teaches several languages in addition to French (Spanish, German, Italian) later on in the Junior school. It is a school that has a good number of foreigners - for me that is a plus....but I could see for some this could be a negative.

It is not a hot-house but definitely my daughter is getting a top education. She is only 6 now (very young in her class) and she has mastered most of her time tables and is learning division and fraction concepts ! I did not even start this until I was 7 or 8 years old!. They study subjects like History, Geography, Science (I should say the school has a top notch Lab), and plenty of English, Maths,....etc. I know in her class some girls are at different levels in reading or Maths, but they all get special attention and most importantly they seem confident and happy. My daughter misses school after holidays!!! She misses homework and her friends!

The location is fantastic...they go to the Museums and have field trips to the V&A, Sion House, etc.
The one thing which is not great is that the school does not have a real outdoor space (play-ground). In Summer or good weather they do go to Hyde Park... in Winter they use the Gym at the Senior School. The Senior school is just two minutes walk away in separate buildings.
I think my only worry about the school, and maybe too early at this stage, is the senior school if I am honest. It seems to have a softer reputation and not too many girls get into Oxbridge. However, I know the Junior school supported several girls who applied and got into St. Paul's this year- so it is not necessarily a given that the students in the Junior school have to go to to the Senior school. At present, that is important to me.
When it comes to the Junior school so far I can only say good things about it. Also just a few weeks ago I went back to see Ken Prep, more curiosity than anything else..... and this time, I was not that impressed.
I hope this very long comment helps anybody who is thinking or asking questions about QG.

hello Passionfruitmartini, I know this thread is a few months old but I found your comments very helpful and interesting. DD has just turned one. I've registered her at Falkner House, Ken Prep and Pembridge hall which all except Pembridge have assessment before offering a place. I was just wondering how was your experince of their assessment. my baby is/would also be a bilingual kid, do you think that could be a reason beside being an August baby that doesn't get her a place? could I ask when your daughter started nursery? mine has been with a child minder ( with two other babies) since she was 9 month, I was thinking perhaps she could benefit more if she goes to a nursery. what do you think.

Hello mummy1390, sorry for the late reply. My daughter went to Pipa Poppins Nursery since she was 18 months old. My nanny only spoke Spanish and I worked full time, so I wanted her to have more interaction with other children and English speaking children. The assessment at QG was enjoyable for my daughter...I cannot the say the same for the others. She was barely 3 when she did her assessments. About QG, my dd still loves it and is doing great. For curiosity sake she took the 7 plus exam at a few other schools that have a reputation of very academic, and got great marks and offers. However, she loves her school so much and we really felt that the school is doing such a good job that it was unfair to change. We keep our options open regarding the senior school....but the latest reports from this side has shown a very good improvement with a higher number of students going to Oxbridge, Imperial, University Colloge London, and top US universities, that we want to discount it all together, as it might well be a good choice by the time dd goes to senior school.