Alleyns / JAGS/ or Sydenham GDST. Which school to choose?

[tinatea]

We need do make a decision about where to send our Daughter for September 2023.

Was hoping we didn’t have to choose like this as it’s very difficult but essentially every school we’ve applied to, we now have an offer. This includes Alleyns, JAGS, Sydenham Gdst, DUCKS, Rosemead etc.

We think it will come to 3 choices. Alleyns, JAGS or Sydenham as they go all the way through and we avoid the 7+.

Our daughter is very creative and so want a school which nourishes her creativeness.

Also important to us is the pastoral care of the school. We need our daughter to feel supported and heard.
Also after opinions on (Classic question) co-ed versus single sex school? Never really thought about it until now.

Looking for parents who attend these schools or others who have an opinion. Is your child happy and thriving? Did you feel you made the right decision?

Thanks!

@tinatea if you send me a private message I’ll tell you more about why I didn’t select JAGs. I don’t want to out myself!

Pm sent!

It's interesting that you think you can tell the "diversity" of a group of children simply by looking at them.

Fair enough - I had a totally different vibe when I went round, I felt excited being there but if you are not feeling it then probably better not to chose it?

As the mother of mixed race children, I don't think you can "easily tell" so we'll have to disagree on that one. If people want diversity figures, it's probably best to ask the school.

Please tell me more!
Need help here. Feel free to please dm. 😭

@2135mumsnot I agree you can’t easily tell. Three of my DD’s friends are half-Indian and just look tanned / Mediterranean. She has other mixed race friends that look completely Asian!

@hexagonhz that’s why I said the school is more diverse than it looks potentially from a quick tour.

Thank you.
My daughter is very very good at art. She's four and just surprises me.

Just need do make sure the art gets nourished at whichever school.

If I have to pay for an external art club my husband would kill me!

Fair warning- private school parents pay for a lot of activities on top of school.

You don’t have to but it’s pretty common - club sports, music lessons, etc, etc I don’t mean Alleyns, this is the case most everywhere. School activities are great for exposure / exploring but those with a serious passion typically pursue it beyond what school offers

Thanks for the warning! Yes I'd imagine.
Daughter already does 4- 5 additional clubs on top of everything else.
1 more thing would throw me over the edge ( more time wise) as well as it happens over the weekend 🤪

In the kindest possible way OP, you must look to prep and beyond and stop focussing too much on pre-prep. The years fly by with DC.
All seriously talented DC in whatever field tend to have committed parents who ferry them around even beyond private school offerings. Applies in music, drama, art and sports. The DC can get scholarships but no school orchestras is going to beat the National youth orchestra performing in the Barbican or doing an actual musical theatre show in the West End or playing county sports. Lots of academically gifted DC also have serious extra curricular talents and it remains the parents problem/cost - private schools will help a bit but the peer group will never be there at the top level.

Wow! That last sentence. 😩Is this the 1950’s?

It is common to pay 20-30 pounds per half an hour for music lessons in all schools or at home so I would imagine 1:1 art would cost at least that (plus materials). If you want individual attention like that you pay up. Same for 1 to 1 tennis lessons etc

@IsThePopeCatholic

Good grief. It's a figure of speech ! 🙄

Ok

It’s just so faux concerned.

Just to say deadline is noon today.

Thanks for everyone's input.

I 'think' I've made my mind up but it keeps swinging back towards to other school.

I keep telling myself that if we don't like it, we can change to the other later but that isn't realistic is it? That doesn't happen.

I love Jags pre prep. Lovely focus on just play which isn't evident at Alleyns at all and I wish it was.
But love the roundness of what Alleyns has to offer.
Oh dear. I hope I'm making the right decision for my daughter here.

Wish me luck!

Switching schools later is certainly possible, and does happen in practice. Either school will be a great choice.

Reception in Alleyns is play based (all reception classes are as that the EYFS framework). It might be less so than JAGs reception though (I can't say) but the kids do spend most of the day playing. The first term all I ever heard about was her hama beads creations.

The start of reception is still 8 months away so the kids are usually ready for it even if it seems like a big transition now. Alleyns for the first time allows for naps for the littlest ones who still need them during the day so its all still fairly gentle.

Good luck with your decision!

I've got one at each at JAGS and Sydenham, and some tangential experience with Alleyns. Now they are both in Senior school, having been at the respective preps. Very happy with both for different reasons. Feel free to DM me for more specifics, but don't want to be too outing!

Pm sent

Curious which school you chose in the end…😀

After going back and fourth for a week, we chose Alleyns in the end. The one only thing bugging me even to the end is that I did feel it looked a lot less diverse than JAGS.
I went on gut instinct and hoping that this will absolutely improve in the near future.

It's hard to say if we really made the correct decision as both schools are really fantastic and I'll guess will never know how she would have performed at the other school.
Never the less will remain happy and firm that at the time, we chose the school which I think my daughter would thrive in more. 🤩

Such a shame I saw this thread only now! I could offer advice. What did you choose OP?