Info re Wimbledon college, please

[BarkisIsWilling]

DS is in y6, and tells me this is his first choice. I don't know anything about it, beyond what is on the school website.

What do y'all know? Is it hard to get into? (I am RC).

Your imput gratefully received :)

St Joseph's and Wimbledon College.

Pretty sure our paths will cross at the latter, albeit unknowingly. :)

Friends ds just started Wimbledon College this year and not having a brilliant time, one even being bullied in an undercurrent menacing way causing mild distress. The other two just said it's okay (bearing in mind it's still early days). Friends with ds at at LO and Cardinal Vaughan who started this year absolutely loving it. Also dc happy at BTG but be aware not in the same league as the Vaughan and LO so not a fair comparison.

@Bizzey: With regards to headmaster's speech at LO, to discard such a great school to the bottom of your list on the words on one individual is brave, bordering on foolhardy. Words are wonderful things - actions however, is what makes or breaks. Still, the less people who apply is one less application among the 1000's they'd have to shift through I guess:)

@booksandbrunch...thank you for your comments ...but I think you have missed the point of ANY headmasters speech. /and view around the school /,in that you listen to it and think is this school right for "us"?
Just because OFSTEAD rate it as outstanding ..doesn't mean I have to ..

I am very familiar with LO as my brother ,cousin and lots of their friends went there....and I agree actions however,is what makes or breaks....in alot of pupils I have known of ...it broke them .

I am entittled to put a "great school"at the bottom of my list if I feel it maybe it is not the best choice for my DS , and no it was not foolhardy or brave just ...sensible !

"Such a great school " for one person is not "such a great school "for another.

@Bizzy: Not sure if I missed the point or more just responded to what you actually wrote in that you were relegating it to the bottom of your list based on the headmasters speech - which I maintain, on that aspect alone would be nuts for such a great school. I've heard over the years and even on another thread at this moment in time, people turning their backs on good schools based on things like a 15 minute journey, the uniform and the like. Now that you have expanded your reasons as to why, then of course, being a human being with my faculties still in tact, I can understand why it's not in anyway your first choice. I think you would agree that you've added quite a bit more important information. My nephew visited Westminster, the greatest school in the country based on academic results and hated it. Not for a millisecond did I encourage my sister to send him there when there are other great alternatives.

Indeed LO is not not for everybody but you can't expect one to deduce that your friends kids as well as families kids hated it and it absolutely breaking them from statements such as, it's going to the bottom of your list on the basis of the headmasters speech.

Tonight I went to St Joseph's SE19, so only one more to visit!

School grounds way more spacious than either LO or CVMS, but some of the (older) buildings needed sprucing up. This was one school where we saw so much of the classrooms and facilities that we made our excuses and left! This was because it was 8.30 pm and I have training to attend tomorrow.

We were shown around by 2 year 9 boys for whom nothing was too much trouble, whether it was guiding parents to the toilets (and waiting for them) or taking note of areas my son wished to see and making sure that he did, even if they did not appear to be on the official itinerary. They answered questions and were polite, just like the teachers who welcomed us to various subject rooms.

While we waited for the speech, one of the college's bands played a medley of tunes.

Headteacher's speech very clear, and he did not use a microphone. It covered the essentials about applying, same as the others, but was the most entertaining so far. Only Liverpool fans need apply to year 7, apparently. Being a Catholic does not appear to be a key selection factor for this school, from what he said. It appears to be the most diverse school I've visited so far, hardly surprising given its location.

Final open evening report:

Wimbledon College had a guide for each family, making it easy for us to see exactly what we wanted to see. The pupils were very friendly and polite, and nothing was too much to ask of them. There was more of a laissez-faire atmosphere, compared to LOS. The buildings were large and sprawling, compared to LOS and CVMS and there seemed to be more recreational space. The headteacher made a speech at 8.30, but I didn't stay for it and so cannot comment.

I really appreciate everyone's input on this thread.

@marriedinwhite
i have a ds currently attending Wimbledon College, he is in year 8. he is also in the rugby A team and i can assure you that Wimbledon College is a most definitely RUGBY school. He is in good sets and says all of his teachers are very good. the pastoral care they get is amazing, as well as the teacher parent communication. Any punishment is told to the parent, and why the punishment has been given, E.G failing to hand in homework.
Yes i do know that Wimbledon College boys in Wimbledon are very boisterous and also meet with Ursuline and Ricards girls making large groups. Without trying to be offensive a large majority of the boys usually take the tram from Wimbledon to Mitcham. You'll find that if you head in the Raynes Park direction they are a lot better behaved and in general have higher standards, so to speak. This being said the new headmaster Mr. A. Laing has tried very hard to stop this loitering about, he has already banned pupils from taking the 200 from the ridgeway to Wimbledon as a result of bad behavior on buses. My son is quite a sporty person and as i said is in the A team for rugby. this season his year had 20 scheduled games (7 of which got cancelled due to weather). They went up against: Trinity College, Dulwich College, London Oratory, Eltham, St. Georges, Gunnersbry, RGS Guildford, Kings College Wimbledon and Hampton, as well as a couple of others. They beat all of them, in fact finished the season unbeaten. In 2014 2 years are going to America on a rugby tour (9&10) and years 11&12 are going to Australia. So anybody who says Wimbledon College is not a rugby school are either ignorant or deluded.

ps. ds has so far absolutely loved his time at the college! really do recommend it. Next year i have my other son (year 6 currently) going into it and i am half scared that he will not cope as well. my eldest son is as i said sport,confident,socialable and is the kind of person who will try to be the class clown. my middle son is different, definitely no where near as sporty, quieter, quite shy and nervous, and from what my other son has said they are not traits you want to be going into ANY secondary school with, as it marks you out as the weak or vulnerable. well im just happy that i do already have a son there to look out for him :)

BUMP!
I need to find out more about this school so can someone please enlighten me about it and preferably other state schools in the area! Secondary only though. Would be rally grateful if some could help. Thanks

You've just said on another thread that your sons go there so why do you need information on the school? I'm confused