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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Whitgift School - how do the Non-sporty boys fare?

62 replies

Rolymo · 29/10/2010 21:03

My son loved the science course at whitgift, but I can't shake off the feeling that he may get lost if he doesn't shine at sport. Anyone got any experience?

OP posts:
breathtakingben · 18/11/2010 22:02

Trinity do IGCSE maths, physics, chemistry, and biology. They've recently moved to IGCSE German as well (I did GCSE, 96% :D) and they may be moving to IGCSE english as well.

camptownraces · 23/11/2010 20:28

Re IGCSE and performance tables:
the following is a quotation from an article in The Times, 14 January 2010

"Private schools are abandoning the International GCSE just a year after taking up the new qualification, which was heralded as offering greater stretch and challenge to pupils, The Times has learnt.

"The Government does not recognise the IGCSE in its league tables published yesterday, meaning that independent schools who offer it plummeted to the bottom of the ranks even if they got stunning results."

However, the original poster was asking about her non-sporty son, would he get lost? For myself, I think it possible he could become demoralised unless he was "academic" and well motivated by comparison with the majority.

PinkElephantsOnParade · 24/11/2010 09:32

deiddei - was that Coombe Boys?

deaddei · 24/11/2010 14:00

It was indeed PinkElephants [smile}
Is your ds there?

PinkElephantsOnParade · 24/11/2010 17:09

No, but it is near us.

breathtakingben · 24/11/2010 21:31

Trinity have done the IGCSE for ages, I technically have no C in GCSE maths as a result... Pretty sure my A* at IGCSE will make up for it though Grin

PinkElephantsOnParade · 25/11/2010 08:56

By the way, deaddei, well done to your DS and the rest of the team! Smile

My DS not yet at secondary age but CB a serious contender.

(sorry, hijack, carry on)

deaddei · 25/11/2010 09:07

Can recommend- ds very happy, is being pushed and so far hasn't been knifed Hmm

PinkElephantsOnParade · 26/11/2010 16:37

deaddei - how do you think a sensitive DS would get on at CB?

deaddei · 26/11/2010 21:00

I would say my ds is quite sensitive, as are a lot of his friends. They all play sport, which I think is a plus- and are all in the top set, getting great results.
I really am delighted with the school- where is your ds?

PinkElephantsOnParade · 26/11/2010 23:41

He's at private prep ATM but rethinking and considering local state schools.

We live close to CB.

He is yr 4

deaddei · 27/11/2010 10:36

S school by any chance?

PinkElephantsOnParade · 28/11/2010 00:03

SH school

deaddei · 02/12/2010 15:20

Pink Elephants- let me know if you need any more info. Maybe we could meet.

frenchlady · 04/02/2011 12:39

hi could anyone recommend a tuition centre or a tutor that could help my son for his entrance exam to whitgift school.

basildonbond · 04/02/2011 13:19

well the school themselves say 'don't tutor' as they're looking for potential rather than achievement

ds1 didn't have any tutoring at all - just looked at a couple of practice papers a couple of weeks before - and sailed through

for the English paper, just get your son to read lots and read widely

if he's a bit rusty on Maths, get the Bond maths books and do a little extra practice

and ditto for the verbal reasoning

and don't forget extra curricular stuff - if your son has something extra to offer (sport, art, music, drama to a high standard) he'll be looked on more favourably than another boy of the same academic standard who can't offer anything else

frenchlady · 04/02/2011 16:51

he is very good in maths but his story writing is not great...being trying to get him to read...hopefully he'll get there. he does swimming and archery maybe that will be a plus.

TulaHatti · 21/02/2011 09:03

Have just found this talk thread and am going round in circles about secondary schools right now.

DS1 has been offered scholarship/bursary at Whitgift reducing the fees to half (reassessed annually depending on income) but he is not really sporty.

Good swimmer but not outstanding. Need to accept/reject by March 3rd but won't hear if he has a place at Wilsons till March 1st.

Has passed test for Wilsons but so have some 390 others and all competing for 150 places.

Seems a no-brainer, ie if he gets Wilsons it's free and excellent school. But Whitgift does offer more choice of extra-curricular clubs, societies and future networking possibilities.

Also concerned about the proposed change for Wilsons to Academy status. Not sure what that will actually mean longer term.

If he doesn't get Wilsons we are feeder school for Riddlesdown, so not complete disaster.

Comments/opinions welcome please to help us decide.

Ladymuck · 21/02/2011 15:57

He may not be sporty, but is he competitive? If so, then Whitgift is a good place to be, and he just needs to find his niche be it chess, golf, rifleshooting, debating. It is a school where winners thrive.

Wilsons - the boys obviously get the academic results but far fewer seem to get involved with the co-curricular side of things (unless they are into football!). Also most of the co-curricular activities are provided by external companies. What I think that you miss therefore is the bonding between teachers and pupils which then allows a more mentoring relationship to develop.

I also felt that some of the school-parent correspondence had a slightly hectoring tone to it (based on letters on the school website).

If your son already has some strong out of school interests which you think he will carry on regardless of which school he attends, then Wilsons has to be an attractive option. If you opt for Whitgift then you are in part paying for the increased number of teachers, and therefore the greater influence that you would expect them to have on your son.

Depending on your finances the other aspect to consider is what impact the funding cuts are going to have on local state schools over the next few years. Croydon Council has just scraped the entire school improvement budget I understand. No idea on Sutton's plans, but I can see what a school might want academy status right now.

TulaHatti · 21/02/2011 19:09

Thanks, Ladymuck - think you've confirmed some of the things we're thinking. It's the overall school life we want to get right, not just the academic side.

Yes, he is competitive in certain areas. Doing very well academically - didn't have any tutoring to pass tests, just some practice tests at home.

Still quite a financial commitment, especially with DD to consider in the future(currently Year 4).

nancy12 · 01/03/2011 21:33

Best Wishes to all that have already accepted offers at W and T ,these are all very good Schools.
Hi Tahiti, How did your DD get on?.
Is Wilson's an option. Mine will be accepting the place at Wilson's as he is academic and declining offer at T (did not sit W),his Musical and sporting interests will continue out of school as we have done even though he is currently in a private school.
We we discovered that even though they are available in School,most Children who excel keep some of the activities out of school otherwise they miss lessons and have to keep "catching up"(of course he will also join school orchestra and sports team but the actual music lessons will continue outside school )

TulaHatti · 02/03/2011 07:14

Stressed - have not got Wilsons, offered Riddlesdown. Need to find out where DS is on Wilsons waiting list today and decide about W, which would be cheaper option for us than T. Doable...just but more difficult when child benefit taken away in 2013 and DD goes to secondary - want to give her same chances as DS.
Heart saying go for W - brain saying it'll be a financial struggle. Extra activites/family time/outings together are important and we want to give both DCs the best. Don't we all!

nancy12 · 02/03/2011 21:05

Hope all works out well for your DS TulaHatti. Some of the boys will be declinig the Wilson places , so if not too low on the waiting list, may still get a place, best wishes as you make the decisions

TulaHatti · 03/03/2011 06:57

Thanks nancy12 and congrats to your DS.

Have spoken to Head at Wilsons - said he couldn't tell us where DS was in rank list from exam and doesn't know about waiting list until all offers have been acepted/declined. Did say if DS was low down the exam results he would tell us there was no hope and that wasn't the case, but he didn't want to raise our hopes.

Going to see Registrar at Whitgift this morning. Perhaps it's fate - we're just destined to struggle financially to send DS there! DS is very keen on W having done the Primary Project and a Science Taster there, also his swimming club uses the W pool. But DS is a a sensible boy and knows Wilsons would be the better option financially as well as offering the right academic environment.

Don't really think Riddlesdown is an option when we have W dangling before us.

nancy12 · 03/03/2011 20:47

Hi TulaHatti
In the mean time , if possible discuss your situation with W to see if can increase scholarship / bursary offer and reserve yor place without deposit for now??.
After all the Whitgift foundation is financially secure.
It is definitelyworth remaining on the waiting list for Wilsons if you are still interested as few boys will eventually decline places (some of those i know have chosen independent schools).
No matter what happens , i hope your son gets in to the best school for him, and if you have to pay and can gather the money together it will be well worth it.N