Schools for girls SW London area

[LondonMathsMum]

So here are the results for local girls schools. From the papers and websites. We were thinking of Surbiton High, but now . . .

A LEVEL

A* percents

Guildford High School for girls...43%
Lady Eleanor Holles..................35%
Tiffin Girls.................................31%
Putney High School...................29%
Wimbledon High School..............28%

Surbiton High School................22%

So this new A* for A Level hasn't been too successful in Surbiton High School.

G.C.S.E. LEVEL

A*-A percent

Lady Eleanor Holles..................98%
Guildford High School for girls...92%
Putney High School....................91%
Tiffin Girls...............................90%
Wimbledon High School...............89%

Surbiton High School................73%

So last in the pack of local girls schools for G.C.S.E and A Level.

More worrying is the rumour that there were several dozen fails at GCSE in Surbiton |High, in nearly all subjects they had failures, fails in a dozen or more subjects like Maths, English, French, Spanish, German, Latin, DT, Geography, History, ICT and Science. Girls crying when they got their results. Really bad.

Anyone here actually know if this is true, that there were fails in almost a dozen subjects at G.C.S.E.?

Also, if they have fails in the core subjects then they don't get everybody with 5 passes including Maths and English which is the baseline the absolute minimum surely?.

It's supposed to be very academic.
No idea why they're so much lower...are you applying for the lower or upper school?

According to the school website they are the best results ever.. I honestly can't see girls FAILING their exams there.
Maybe do another thread, headed Surbiton High School- you may get some info;

Especially as you are comparing with GHS, a fee paying highly selective girls school.

The A'level percentage does seem low, a local Comprehensive got nearly 17% A*.

few years ago I was told by one mum who was born and grew up in Wimbledon and herself had 2 girls that if a girl wasn't academic enough to get to Wimbledon High she would go to Surbiton High...

she knew her girls weren't probably able to pass their entry to the Wimbledon High so was planning for Surbiton High

From the playground talk Surbiton High school is considered to take a wider range of abilities than all those other schools. It certainly is suggested in our school for the less academic child and as a back up too to schools such as St Pauls, LEH etc. So if that is the case we would not expect them to get the same amount of a* then they are doing really well in helping each child meet their potential. I have a few friends with girls there and they can't praise the school enough.

Waldegrave got more than 50% A-A*GCSE. And unlike Surbiton High it's not fee-paying, or selective (apart from by catchment area...).

Our DD goes to SHS (she went to Blackheath High School before; another excellent girls school) - we didn't bother sitting the exams for any other independent schools in the area for Y7. We've been very happy with the Junior School (she joined in Y4) - friends who have dds in the senior school sing its praises (I wait to see what it's like for myself ;)). As Letsescape says, Surbiton take a far wider range of abilities than St Paul's LEH, Guildford High (in same group as SHS). So as these schools are cherry-picking and have a smaller intake in Y7, of course they will get better results. Do the maths! Doesn't mean they will be better for your child though. A bright child will get the good results wherever they are! Surbiton is very good at value added and helping the individual child do their best. My reasonably bright (all level 5s SATS) but slightly lazy DD has thrived there and its a far-better environment for her than in a 'hot-house' ...
muminlondon - as you say Waldegrave is selective by catchment area ... we live just over a mile away and would have to move closr to get DD in ... I have friends in Hampton who moved to Fulwell just for that reason ...

Our DD goes to SHS (she went to Blackheath High School before; another excellent girls school) - we didn't bother sitting the exams for any other independent schools in the area for Y7. We've been very happy with the Junior School (she joined in Y4) - friends who have dds in the senior school sing its praises (I wait to see what it's like for myself ;)). As Letsescape says, Surbiton take a far wider range of abilities than St Paul's LEH, Guildford High (in same group as SHS). So as these schools are cherry-picking and have a smaller intake in Y7, of course they will get on paper better results. Do the maths! Doesn't mean they will be better for your child though. A bright child will get the good results wherever they are. Surbiton is very good at value added and helping the individual child do their best. My reasonably bright (all level 5s SATS) but slightly lazy DD has thrived there and its a far-better environment for her than in a 'hot-house' ...
muminlondon - as you say Waldegrave is selective by catchment area ... we live just over a mile away and would have to move closr to get DD in ... I have friends in Hampton who moved to Fulwell just for that reason ...

You are comparing Surbiton HS with Guildford HS but not, say, with Sutton or Clapham and Streatham HS.

Factors which may be involved are:

1. A school with a junior section is likely to have a wider ability range, simply because it is hard to test/predict ability at 3+
2. A school with other competing schools within the catchment (especially Tiffin which is free) is likely to to have a wider ability range.
3. A school with a relatively small de facto catchment is likely to have a wider ability range. The de facto catchment for SPGS is huge, whilst LEH run buses from all over.
4. Some of the schools which did well in the London Evening Standard table a very small numbers of students. Those with large sixth forms, eg Dulwich, are almost bound to have a bigger ability range.
5. School can vary from year to year, and results at A level depend in part on the caliber of students who sat 11+ eight years before.

Any decision should be based around the child. Is the child very very bright and confident and thus would thrive at an academic hot house like SPGS or similar despite a longer commute. Or would the child be happier at a more local school, with the assumption that the best at SHS do very well and that many children enjoy a school which allows them to find their own level without the pressure that exists in a very academic school and enjoy having local friends.

It is also not unusual for bright girls to move for sixth form (which may also impact on SHS results) for example Westminster, Kings Wimbledon, Tiffin or SPGS.

In short lots of things to consider in terms of which school will be right for your child. Average results of pupils 8 or 9 years older are only one.

Dear London Maths Mum,

I am Ann Haydon. Principal of Surbiton High School and I wish to respond to your messages posted on mums net.com.

? Firstly, Surbiton High School is an Independent School and, as such, is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. No Ofsted report exists for the school.
? Secondly, academic standards at Surbiton High School continue to be strong. Indeed this year, the School achieved their ?Best Ever GCSE results'. 19 girls gained 10 or more A* grades which is a phenomenal achievement and testament to the girls' commitment and ability and the quality of teaching which they receive. For the record, Guildford High School does not have half the number of girls that Surbiton does; in the GCSE cohort of 2010, there were fewer than 20 additional pupils at Surbiton High School
? Thirdly, we were delighted that 24% of all grades at A Level were at the new demanding A* and that in the local paper we were listed as the ?Top School in the Borough for A level results?

I hope that those reading this will agree with me that these statistics speak for themselves and that academic standards are far from declining at Surbiton High School.

With regard to buildings, the previous Head, Dr Longhurst was responsible for the main school rebuilding project which cost several million pounds. It was a wonderful addition to the School?s superb facilities and the girls have gained from an improved learning environment as a result. All the projects with which I have been involved have continued this move to enhance the teaching and learning environment and our vision with regards to upgrading the physical structure of the School goes hand in hand with a first class education and strong and improving academic results.

I am also pleased that in your comments you recognise my commitment to Sport. My view is that Sport is an important aspect of the type of well rounded education which we provide at Surbiton High School. However, I am also pleased to use this forum to draw people's attention to the vastly improved quality and variety of Musical and Dramatical performance, along with Extra Curricular and Enrichment provision since I took up my position as Principal in 2008. In the last two years our Senior School Choir has increased from 14 to 350 girls and the quality of their performance is outstanding.

It is a pleasure and a privilege to lead Surbiton High School and I am extremely proud of our wonderful pupils and our dedicated and well qualified staff.

The vast majority of our parents are delighted with the education we provide and if you are ? as your comments here would lead me to believe - dissatisfied with the quality of education that your child is receiving and the leadership of the School, then I encourage you to come and meet with me face to face to discuss the issues. This would seem a more constructive way forward for all concerned rather than using a site like this to attack the School and me personally.

Well I live in an area where the local comprehensives get 36% of pupils with 5 A*-C GCSEs so I think you are being extremely picky here as I wish there were schools as good as that near us.
I really wouldn't pick a school on the number of A at A level either. As an A level examiner I know that an A at A level is much harder to get than at GCSE you need marks of 80% plus across the whole syllabus. A level grades (and GCSEs) from C to E are not failures either - these count as passes.
PS My cousin went to Surbiton High obtained 4 high grade A levels, a 2i degree from Edinburgh Uni and a very well paid job in the City!

Crazy, Surbiton is a private school so would generally be expected to get better results than an average comp. And they do get very good results, generally very good reputation in the area.

Londonmathsmum has been conducting something of a private crusade against SHS, a bit bizarre given that apparently her DD is at the school.

It is a pity the principal has had to come on this forum to defend herself against this, as she says if you have a problem with the school your DD attends surely you should sort that out with the school, and if you are still not happy why on earth are you still paying the fees?

Is anyone else wondering how the head of Surbiton is finding the time to post on here?

Not really KeithTalent no, she posted at 9 o'clock last night and has every right to defend her school.

Yes am aware that Surbiton is a private school and that fees are being paid. Had no idea from reading the original post that she already had a dd at the school.
Think that she is being unreasonable posting on here to complain about results that compared to most schools nationally are excellent and that the Head is justified on commenting on this forum.

Not sure if OP said she has DD at school on this thread, she has also started threads on this in MN local, so it may be one of those.

maybe she is a mother and posts here regularly, plenty of people in paid employment do

sfx - she cut and pasted exactly the same rant about exam results into four different threads.

I would call that a bit of a crusade.

Oh, did you mean Ann Haydon, sfx?

I meant the Head yes Ann Haydon

Sheesh,

Agreed she has every right to post here, as does everyone.

My point was more about finding it odd as every rl headteacher I know is ridiculously busy.

Anyway, I only know about the state sector, things are obviously different when you go private

These threads have been here some time now, Keith, she was probably told about them by a parent and felt a reply was needed.

Well that told op.