Alternatives to Wellington College

[ThatJadeTraybake]

Hello, I'm wondering if anyone can help with some advice. We have a super bright girl who is on track to receive all 9s and 8s at GCSE from Wellington College and is moving into her exam year now.

She has been here since the start but we feel increasingly as if we've chosen the wrong school and are looking to move her for 6th form because we don't feel the school is particularly academic and doesn't stretch the sparky pupils sufficiently. We have been disappointed by the teaching quality (not enough really good subject specialists) and my daughter has been disappointed by her peer group - save for a few good friends; the social set isn't a good reason to stay imo. In her words, it's become a school of jocks and girls who want to be influencers and she wants a change.

The A-level results have been grim again this year too which doesn't fill me with confidence. The issue is as much the attitude of the senior staff and master's as much as anything else as our concerns haven't been taken seriously despite talking to them respectfully and regularly.

I wonder if anyone could suggest any viable sixth form alternatives a step up from Wellington? We're in the London/Surrey area and she's happy to go Boarding or Day. A school with academic stretch and ambition please without the feel of a holiday camp.

Wellington has never been viewed as particularly academic. You are spoilt for choice with academic schools in London, including Westminster, St Paul's etc.

If you’re local did you consider Kendrick’s? Good school with more focus and you get the bonus of being at a state school.

Are you sure she’s really that academic? I wouldn’t consider “all 8s and 9s” particularly stellar for an indie - the local comp kids are capable of that in this part of the world. I’d be expecting a strong expectation of nine or ten 9s with a rogue 8 if she has a bad day.

Is over 2/3rds A*/A at A level for a school considered grim?! Maybe she would be better off at Wycombe abbey, Westminster or Winchester which are less ‘all rounder’ and more focussed on academics above all else?

I genuinely think you’d like Highgate. It just got the best coed a-level results in the country and top 4/5 a levels in the UK if single sex schools are included.

Lots of movement in the London/Surrey day schools at sixth form. Does she want single sex or Co-Ed. And if Co-Ed, ‘Proper’ Co- Ed or girls in sixth form Co-Ed?
Big intakes of girls to KCS Wimbledon, Westminster, Reed’s etc. and about 20 new girls join Putney High, Wimbledon High etc. Latymer Upper has a big intake at sixth form- around 60, with a few coming from boarding schools.
Open days and registrations coming up soon though.
Also a lot of movement to state sixth form as well. Esher College being the big one.
but would agree that All
8s and 9s is pretty standard for all these schools and won’t mark her out as super bright.

For goodness sake 8/9s is hugely academic! A rogue 8 what planet are you on? Exceptionally rare to get all 9s at any school

Usually about 0.2% of the cohort will achieve straight grade 9s. I am not sure that poster would get a top grade in GCSE Statistics.

It’s really not exceptionally rare to get all 9s in the best performing schools. At DS’s school this year around 20% of the year group got all 9s and most got all 8s or 9s.
There are plenty of nearby schools which will have done better than that- state (usually grammar) and private.

Or rather it is rare in terms of the entire GCSE cohort but not when you’re looking at the schools the OP is probably looking at…

I don't disagree that a number of pupils achieve straight 9s at the top academic schools.

My reply was in relation to a pupil getting 8s/9s not being academic, which is clearly not true.

If your DD's open to IB, then it sounds like Sevenoaks would be right up her street. Right academic vibe, and big sixth form intake.

@ThatZingyMintCat- fair point- having reread, I agree with you!

But the OP is London / Surrey borders - isn’t Highgate a bit out of the way?

OP my DD is leaving a north London girls school for UCS for similar reasons, but more due to the peer group than academics. However I don’t think UCS is the right location for you either.

My DC was taught by an ex Wellington C teacher and they were, pastorally, bloody useless so I hear you, OP.

They do have buses but yes, terrible trek from Surrey borders and I wouldn’t do even if it was the best school in the world.