Rosendale vs Dulwich Hamlet

[vcfromhk]

Hi, which one of the 2 is better and why? Assuming I have place in both.
Thanks

Well, better is surely dependent on what is more appropriate for your child, surely? That could involve many things - SEN provision, playground space, school size, ease of school run, music provision, sports activities, academics etc etc etc.

You won’t get a place in both unless your child is already at Rosendale and you are planning to apply for the Hamlet in Y3. In which case, you presumably have a reasonable amount of insight into Rosendale and you’re not happy, which is why you’re considering the Hamlet.

Hi, my daughter is an exceptional mind and much advance for her age. I need a school that can give her attention so that she is not bored in class and is challenged. We are not in any of these schools. We got a in year transfer seat at Rosendale and separately Dulwich hamlet is offering a place for year 3. I could send her to Rosendale for a few months and then move her to Dulwich hamlet after the year end in few months but won't be a great idea to keep changing schools. Alternatively I can let her stay in her present school and send her to Dulwich hamlet straight away if that would be more suitable.

Or send her to Rosendale and she stays there for good.

I have to decide if I should take her out of her present primary now.

Do you have any knowledge on comparison between both?

Thanks

No, these two schools are so far apart I was struggling to see how/why you were considering them.

Have you been able to visit the schools? That is the best way to evaluate them and there you can ask what sort of provision they can make for your daughter. But to be honest, if she is advanced as you say, I think any state school with 30 children per class might not do what you’re hoping they might.

How are they apart? We are new to UK and don't know much in terms of difference. I do agree that to certain extent all state schools are same.

Location wise. If you lived near Rosendale, which is in West Dulwich, you'd be unlikely to be offered a place in Dulwich Hamlet, which is in Dulwich Village.

It was a few years ago that my daughter went to Dulwich Hamlet, so things may have changed, but I was so so impressed by the school. My daughter moved from our local primary school where she wasn't being challenged, was being left to coast, and was getting increasingly bored; bullying problems were never addressed and there was a horrible culture of favouritism. The day she started at Dulwich Hamlet, I actually cried with relief when I left her in the morning - it was in a completely different league and was everything I had hoped for in a school. The teaching staff were superb, and she had the great fortune to start off with the class teacher who is now the Headteacher. She was encouraged, respected, nurtured, and like all the children, given differentiated work as needed. Expectations were high, and outcomes were outstanding. The school had strong traditional values, and at that time had extraordinary music provision. I work in a number of primary and secondary schools in the area, and the music productions were better than anything I've seen in any other schools. The standard of art was also amazing for a primary school. There was always a regular trickle of children moving to Dulwich Hamlet from Rosendale.

Unless things have changed dramatically, which isnt the case from what I've heard, I would move heaven and earth to send your daughter to Dulwich Hamlet.

People mean they are 1.6 miles apart which in London is substantial as most people are within a 5-10 walk of their local primary school.

It sounds like your main criteria between picking between the two schools is academics (rather than music, art, wrap-around care, pastoral care, etc).

Dulwich Hamlet has historically had a higher achieving cohort (more than 50% are classed as high achievers based on testing at the end of KS2). However, bright children get good results at both schools.

If either school will be able to challenge her will depend on exactly how gifted she is as there are budget constraints that limit the extent of classroom differentiation offered.

How old is she and how advanced do you think she is and in what way?

Thanks. She is 7.5 years old. We live midway between both schools and have offer from both.

My girl is gifted. She knows the entire periodic table by heart in sequence. She knows the full form of pi till 15 digits. All this without effort. She sees something once and remembers for life.

She reads 5 books a week and has interests in sun atomic particles, quantum physics etc. she is in year 2 and in her school online portal has completed year 4 maths.

She is a great singer.

She is recognised as the best drama artist in all school plays. Gets the lead role all the time.

She loves to write stories and writes at least 1 new story which usually goes into 7-10 pages.

She is better in spelling than my 12 year old elder daughter.

She has ocd and organises her room, our bed, keeps everything tidy.

I can go on and on. All our friends who meet her socially say she is unique. Her class teacher says she has never seen anyone like her before.

Her aim in life is to get noble prize in theoretical physics. And she wants a blue plaque outside her house.

I was at Rosendale from age 5 to 11, then Alleyns. I was much happier at Rosendale to be honest. Hamlet is 'posher', no doubt about that, as are Oakfield, DCPS, etc. At age 9 parents wanted to switch me to Fenstanton but I refused. If your kid is brainy and motivated she'll do well regardless of the kudos of the school, and may end up more rounded if she goes to Rosendale.

Op, she sounds very passionate and curious indeed with an amazing memory.

Why don't you call the schools and learn about their approaches for differentiation. Typically going deeper with open ended investigations is preferred to acceleration. Is she actually complaining of being bored in school?

Unless Dulwich Hamlet has changed drastically, your daughter's talents and abilities will be celebrated and she will receive the support she needs to help her to fulfill her ambitions. I really can't stress what a wonderful school it is.

No my daughter isn't complaining of being bored. Her biggest strength is her passion. No one tells her to learn. She is just on a rampage to learn more and more and just reads encyclopaedias all the time. In fact we have to find ways to now distract her from reading as it's too much for her age.

That was me. Still is. Rosendale was brilliant and I will argue passionately with anyone who suggests it might hold a child back to go there. My mother worried that 'too much' reading would 'hurt my eyes'. A. Who says how much is too much? B. It didn't.