Tiffins Girls - what's it really like??!

[mashedbananaontoast]

DD is in Yr 5 and we are exploring secondary options. Though I think she could get into Tiffins, I have concerns over the super academic nature of the school - how much room is there for the arts or any creativity or is it pure hard slog?! Currently abroad and wanting to look round to gauge for myself, but no exceptions it seems to the July open day. But we need to know now if we are to put our dd thru tutoring and don't want to go down that road if the school does not seem right for her. Any info please!

Can anybody give me info about a tutor for Tiffin girls in the Ealing/Brentford Twickenham area. Want to have her tested by someone who knows the score on this so we don't waste our time/money. She's in top sets for maths and literacy but that's no big deal when it comes to Tiffin standards. DD in Yr 5.

There are various Tiffin threads on here and I think your questions have probably been asked before. You might also want to look at the Elevenplus exams website which has a wealth of discussions and tips about entry to this school.

Mashedbanana on toast, for what it's worth, we have found that art is extremely well taught at the school and all girls at GCSE get A or A*, the work on show at the school especially the Sixth form art is amazing. There is a specialist drama studio, but my DD hasn't pursued that to GCSE. Music is extremely popular (useful for entry to Med School!), and there are lots of opportunities to join ensembles and eventually the orchestra. The standard is extremely high.

Tiffin is "academic" because most of the girls are very clever. In my experience they are not worked particularly hard. Even my DD in year 11 gets less homework than her younger sibling in year 8 at a comprehensive. It is certainly not a question of having no time to pursue the arts or other interests. While saying that, loads of girls want to pursue scientific or medical careers and I think the school (arguably) has an emphasis on those subjects to please the majority of the customers!

Thanks for the info Kensingtonia. Also would be interested to know how you get on with 2 dcs at different schools - my dd has younger sibling who I don't think is Tiffin's material - has the different schools caused any problems / rivalry / self esteem / practical type issues?

As there are 3 years between my kids, the rivalry is not so intense. My younger DD was disappointed when she didn't get in but she had very little chance as a dyslexic. I offered her the opportunity of tutoring but she didn't want it, she was in the high 90 per cents on practice papers but that was not good enough. She is in the highest set at her Comp and considered very able; as she is gifted and talented in art which is a specialism of the school she will probably go down that route career wise. Yes there are practical difficulties, but as there is an age difference they were only at the same primary school for around three years anyway.

What is the approx percentage that wins a place at Tiffins?! If high 90% isn't then is it 100% or bust?! I can see from their website that the adjusted score of 235 points was the cut off, but do you know how does this roughly translate into percentages? PS is the other school Teddington School? This would be our alternative.

I think that good experienced Tiffin tutors would be able to tell you more. My DD was getting 97/98 (sometimes 100) per cent in non verbal reasoning but her average was around 96 per cent in verbal. My elder DD was typically getting 98 per cent in both. It is difficult to compare the practice papers and the real thing. I think you need to be very strong on vocabulary to get into Tiffin which for dyslexics is not easy, as she got easily confused. She thought she had done all right on the day but obviously not and she didn't finish the non verbal - though her score on that was much higher. Some people literally train their kids for years, others like my elder DD do some practice papers at home in the months before and get in. I would look at the elevenplusexams website as there are lots of people who have got through last year and they would have more up to date advice.

No the other school is not Teddington, we live in central London.

OMG what is the world coming to when you need to get so so close to 100% to get in!? Your 2nd dd sounds like she did amazingly well to get 96% in the verbal reasoning practise papers! I know there's huge competition but some of it must be just down to luck on the day as well - the top 120 scores must be within a whisker of the next 120 - all super bright but I suppose they have to draw the line somewhere. Thanks for all your advice anyway, have a lot of thinking to do!

I think some of it is down to luck on the day. I think from the scores my dd2 got that she was caught out by the vocab. In my opinion most successful are tutored; and the unsuccessful - actually we know of a girl who was tutored for 4 years and didn't get in. My elder dd's impression is that the school is becoming less diverse, as getting in nowadays for most girls seems to depend on how much time, effort (and money) families are willing to devote to tutoring.