St Helen and St Katharines

[Hattiehoo]

Hi just wondering whether anyone has experience of this school? How pressurised is it, how hard to get into etc?

I know the school and have heard mixed things. Some happy, a few left and went to Oxford High. My dd "is not St Helens material" apparently (!) so I've never looked into it much. Sorry. I think its top set only girls at prep school who are deemed to be made of the right "material" for that school.
Hopefully someone will come along and be more helpful!!

Yes, I've also heard it's highly academic and there is strong competition for places. Results are excellent though.

Sorry can't tell you much more - my DS is at Abingdon School but I didn't even consider St H & St K's for DD as I don't want her to have the pressure, she's not confident enough.

Top set girls who want to be part of everything. My DD fits right in pushy little thing that she is. She thrives on competition and needs to have no where to hide or she will coast along under the radar.

CQ - can I ask where you did consider for your dd? Thanks.

Sunny - we're the Reading side of Abingdon so we looked at The Abbey, Leighton Park and Queen Anne's School.

Thank you for your experiences.

CQ did you get the feeling it was much more academic than the Abbey? We are considering both, but as we are coming from state primary, not feeling too confident now if we are up against top set at prep schools!

I do think it is more academic than the Abbey. But better facilities for sport.

The Abbey has a fiercely academic reputation but the pastoral side has got a lot better in recent years. They have just appointed a new head, who was previously Head of 6th Yr, and parents and girls alike all seem to think she'll be great.

In retrospect, the good thing about going to a private school in Yr 7 is that you have time to decide if that's the best one. Because of Common Entrance, there is also an intake at Yr 9 from private prep schools. My DD is currently Yr 8 and we are taking a hard look at her current school to see if she'll stay there or jump ship for next year.

Apologies for hi jacking a zombie thread...

Does anyone have any views about the new head about to join SHSK?

Also, what is the level of competition like for entry? If dd is in top set of a state primary would she be considered the "right material"?

Hi, my niece goes to SHSK and her younger sister is due to join her from a state primary in September. Both girls are shy but able (not in a fiercely competitive way though) and I would say the school has definitely brought my older niece out of her shell (their brother attended Abindgon). I don't live locally to Abingdon so no personal knowledge but I would disagree that pushy, competitive girls are the only ones who thrive there. I suppose it's like any school - visit for yourself and see what you think :-)

I gather there is good collaboration with Abingdon boys' school for some drama, music and some subjects. I am thinking about it for my daughter later, though I was dismayed to see that RE appears to be a compulsory GCSE topic. Does anyone know if that is right, and if there is a way of avoiding it?