Queue to submit forms for South Hampstead High School?

[stretto]

We are hoping to apply to South Hampstead High School. The applications are being sent out now, and have to be submitted after 9 am on 1st Oct, ideally by hand. They only accept the first 250 applications. My husband and I will both be away on 1st October, and the only person who can submit the form for us is my MIL who lives 60 miles away from London.

The school said that if we send the form by regsistered post to arrive by 9 am, they won't accept it if it arrives before 9 am, and if it is picked up in the post after 250 forms have already been received, they won't accept it. So it seems our only option is to ask 79 year old MIL to submit it for us. Is it likely that there will be long queues? It seems awful to ask an old lady to stand in a queue for hours.

You do need to queue if you want the place.

I've a couple of friends with children at the school and they are really happy with it. However, it is difficult to get into (although they my no means take siblings first - all children have to pass the entrance test).
It is very academic and certainly won't suit all girls.

No helpfully advice, but really glad I live in leafy home counties where none of this bonkers stuff goes on. In my DD's indie reception class the last child accepted into the class registered 24 hours before term started!

Oh and SHHS isn't the only/best place. It is quite intense and whilst my friends were mostly happy with it, some found it too competitive. Have you looked at the Cavendish in Camden? Close to you, lovely, easier to get in, great results and fab head of music.

I know far too much about daft application procedures in London but getting people to queue from dawn is ludicrous. Totally biased in favour of the rich sahp. Why not pick names out of a hat? it reminds me of the - possibly apocryphal - story of an African airline that was overbooked so made all the passengers run three times round the plane, with the top 100 getting on board.

I would be interested to know how many people they 'invite' to queue and what proportion are still interested in a place. I should imagine a lot move out of the area or decide to send their child to a siblings school etc

No one I know has missed out on being in the top 250 and not all of them got there early (I certainly didn't)

I imagine it's great pr for the school to have a queue - makes it look desirable. Top private schools seem to manage their applications without this madness!

I've reread this thread, just to check I'm not missing something. This sounds absolutely ludicrous!! Man alive am I glad we shipped out to the Home Counties before DC - it's bad enough here. Not sure I could take the stress in London!! not particularly helpful, I know

My DSSs' school in Paris, in common with quite a few schools, only gives out a limited number of application forms. Once they've handed out the allocated number, that's it for the year.

This is even more bonkers than it was the last time I sat DD2 at SHHS (7+ 4 yrs ago) and DD1 (4+ 12 yrs ago). Delighted I turned down both offers. With DD2 I actually told them what I thought of the way their potential fee-payers were treated. The disrespect for parents- bordering on contempt- was consistent throughout the process. Girls sitting for SHHS at all entry points will all be sitting for multiple schools within the same bracket. They will all receive more than one offer so don't think this is the game in town.

workingitout getting into that gymnastics class is even worse than school, competition wise !

To the poster talking about the very clever child being 'dinged', from my understanding, SH doesn't just want clever, they want intense, people pleasing, compliant girls who fit the mould...maybe your friend's DD showed a little too much independent character . It's certainly not for everyone.

OP have you checked out the Cavendish, as suggested? Or St Christopher's in Belsize Park is supposed to be wonderful?

As always, Mumsnet is fab for perspective and advice. Thank you all!

If you really are keen, pay someone to get in line at 730 am. A nanny or babysitter may be willing to take such an early start for a little extra cash?!

SHHS is the only school that does this, the others take all applications and weed out at the 4+. It is a bit crazy and unsurprisingly the parents are on the pushy end of the spectrum!

Ah, that answers a question for me. Glad to know none of the other schools do this!

NLCS certainly doesn't, nor Habs. They are either too lazy at SHHS to see all applicants or they get a kick out of watching parents perform like seals.

Just as a reference for future generations... Been there today at 7:10 AM, #50 in the queue. Those arrived at 9AM have clearly been too late

Wow - I was convinced that it couldn't really be like that but clearly it is. I think Horsemadmom is right - this sounds like pure ego trip for the head. Very British though to select children based on the parents' queuing skills.

It is what it is I suppose... The school is very popular, and whatever requirements they come up with, parents will be happy to accept. To me, this is more fair than closing the lists when children are 3 months old. Flipping a coin would be even more fair though.
FedericaO - as far as I know, two years ago they did not have a single advertised start time, and parents were supposed to rush to the school as soon as they received emails. Again, I suppose the current system is more fair.

The year that October 1st was a Saturday I put a form through their letterbox on Sunday afternoon and there was a huge pile of them, I don't know how they opened the door on Monday!

Give them a break and the new head too. She is nice and Mrs Lough is a hard act to follow. They were actually trying to make it fairer somehow. Maybe it backfired. Whatever they do, people complain.

I think it is a wonderful school, friendly and not pressurised at all -especially since they don't have to do the 11+. My daughter is neither stupid nor bright and she got in at 7+ from a state school without being tutored. She loves the sport, the DT, the art, all her lessons,the food, her teachers and all the girls in her year. I don't find it "intense" nor egotistical. We are so fortunate in north London to have a plethora of good schools (state and private) and good chances to find a school and a peer group that suits our children.

I came across this post looking for something else....last year I missed the 250 as they sent the forms out at the end of sept ( they said it would be 1st oct). They happened to be sent out on my daughters birthday and we had plans so I dropped it off the following morning and missed the 250. What about the people who have a family crisis/emergency on that day?!

My husband and I are both bright and I went to another gist school so I was interested in shhs. Actually I thought the application process was a bit of a joke, did not give a good impression. Basically a lottery for a slim chance to get a place. No sour grapes, seemed like a very good school and I was very impresses with mrs lough but not for my family I'm afraid.

OP did you get your application in?!

Hi, was wondering if anybody will see this. I am writing about south hampstead high school so you may be able to shed some light. i went to their open day recently but didn't ask specifically about the reception class. i want to know if they have any specialist classes ie. music/language/PE and how much time do they spend in/out of their classroom (i didn't think it was big enough for so many children). Does anybody on this thread know? Thanks in advance! x

Mumoftwo you'd really be better off starting your own thread than bumping numerous elderly ones!