DD got KGS10+, applying elsewhere?

[tess73]

We are in the fortunate position that dd got into KGS via the 10+ this year. I really like the school and paid the deposit to secure her place but am now wondering whether we should keep our options open.
I haven't prepped her for NVR so too late for Tiffin and would prefer mixed to all girls anyway. Similarly she didn't like LEH and i wasn't keen either. Surbiton High, lovely but i wouldn't choose it over KGS.
Am i missing any?
Tempted by St Paul's but feel it is too far and having done little tuition this year and state school she probably doesn't have a chance!
We are twickenham/teddington based.
TIA.

[ohtobeanonymous]

LEH and St. Paul's far more selective than Tiffin Girls. Know many children who were accepted to TGS but rejected or Waiting List for LEH /St Paul's!

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

Isit makes a good point because there is a huge improvement in St Georges A level grades this year, they recently rebuilt and extended their 6th form and are known to have made some very good scholarship offers to attract the brightest A level students. They will only have to do this for a few years after that their 6th form will become desirable because of it's good results and they'll get the same students without scholarships/discounts.

As for which school is right, DS is at one of the top London boys schools. He was specifically sent there because he is incredibly lazy and will do just enough work to keep his head above water. The lower the bar the less work he will do, so he had to be sent to the most academic school. DD is a very different personality and we chose a co-ed school with similar results school to KGS, and a similar size. I think size is very important because a smaller school like KGS can offer more opportunities as there are less pupils to share them between. The new Y7 intake at Surbiton will have 200 girls, only 7 can be in the A team for netball and it can become very demoralising to be in the H team.

I wouldn't chose a school only for it's extra-curricular activities, because we're in Surrey. There is so much available in this area, I can't think of a single activity my DCs participate in that you couldn't pursue out of school at a local club. Anyone pursuing any activity to an advanced level will be a member of an external club. Also, by the time they get to GCSE years you'll be yelling at them to send less time doing rowing/tennis/footall etc and start studying.

[tess73]

Wow, 200 intake at Surbiton!!!

Have booked to go and see LEH with dh and dd and will make a decision.
Interesting to see GCSE results next week too.

Re Hampton only the very very brightest and well tutored boys seem to get in at 10+ and 11 from our state school.

[Pop1ns]

My mother is now a retired secondary school teacher.Her colleague had 3 sons.One went to KCS Wimbledon,another to Tiffin and the last to state secondary.Did she love them differently or was it she was quite pragmatic and let her sons gravitate to the schools that they were meant to go to?
They all did well and the state school son is a maths graduate and teacher.

[ohtobeanonymous]

Think LEH will be a much better place now the Head is changing and coming from Wimbledon High. In fact, if it wasn't so darn far away and annoying to get to might even now consider it for DD2...

[papalazaru]

I'm not sure that's right about 200 girls in this year's Y7 intake at Surbiton. That would mean 8 forms at their max size. It'd be worth checking in with their admissions if that indeed is true. I also agree that LEH will be more attractive with the new head. Of all the schools I looked at last term I really did not enjoy their open morning......

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

The 8 form intake at SHS is absolutely certain and has been confirmed in writing. The total should be just under 200 as they should only have 24 in a class, but experience of the juniors tells me this often creeps up to 25. We realised when they bought the new buildings that the intake would increase but not by that many. This is one of the main reasons why we looked elsewhere for seniors, indeed it may be the reason they lost so many from the junior school this year.

They didn't confirm the year size until the last minute after other offers had been turned down. Admissions were still claiming up to the last minute that there was no plan to increase the year size, but the staff had already been informed that it would be 8 form entry and it quickly became an open secret at the school. They may try and do the same this year which is a shame because year size is a big factor when choosing a school.

[Alana1975]

Tess, my daughter also got a place at KGS through 10+ and we have accepted it. However, we are thinking to apply to LEH as well and based on the outcome we will make the final decision. I ruled out Tiffin because it's very awkward to apply there if you live abroad and also I don't support their selection process because it doesn't include interview and they make a cut off based on the results of reasoning exam. My daughter does a lot of exciting extra curriculum activities so I don't want to bore her with perfecting NVR and VR.

I can't comment on LEH because we haven't visited it yet because we live abroad. However based on my limited knowledge of both schools I prefer Kingston grammar because it's co-ed,and it reflects the real world, it's medium size school so I assume that my daughter will have more opportunities there,because there is less people to share them with and also I am keen on mandarin which is on offer at KGS. My only concern is travelling, LEH is at my doorstep unlike Kingston grammar.

[Pop1ns]

From a different post,Tiffin girls have posted the league tables in pdf format and the Times have listed KGS 48th in the GCSE national rankings.

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

The table on the Tiffin Girls site is only for selective state schools, The Times Indy list excludes many schools which refuse to publish figures e.g. St Pauls, it will be months before a proper list is produced.

There is an article in the Independent which gives the national average of A levels at A as 8% for all schools, but 20% for Independent schools. Many Indys are not selective and a lot of the more expensive schools are "selective by chequebook". KGS has a lot of applicants and can be very selective, this is why I think the percentage of their pupils getting As at A level looks low, particularly as there is a movement away from girls schools at that age and a coed can select some very bright girls for 6th form.

Schools are very good at promoting themselves. There was an article I think in The Times celebrating that a boy from Kings College had achieved 15As at GCSE which they though was the best in the UK, but a girls at Holy Cross just down the road achieved 14As at the "local girls comp" but this is not newsworthy because Holy Cross doesn't have a PR department.

[CountessDracula]

We were in the same position, dd got in on the 10+. We visited all the other schools and couldn't find anything we liked as much as KGS for dd. We (and she) did prefer co-ed but weren't totally stuck on it.

It was the friendliness and the relaxed feel of the school that we loved, along with the fact that they are so big on independent learning (dd is a real self starter and would not respond well to an "exam factory" type environment). Plus she is a genuine all-rounder, loves everything, and we felt that KGS catered to this type better than any of the other schools we saw.

It has obvious downsides in that it is fairly cramped and in a not terribly lovely location, but in fact I tend to ignore things like this as I think the ethos and feel of the school being right for your child is way more important than facilities or indeed reputation. If she is going to be an A* student she will achieve this at KGS as well as any of the other schools we saw. If she isn't (and who knows which way they will go, at the moment all is good, but I was very good in primary and fell off in secondary for eg) then I feel she won't be gasped at in horror and humiliated for getting a B or a C!

I think you should go and visit any schools you are keen on the sound of and then make your decision!

(by the way she has been there a week and is bouncing off the walls with excitement at how wonderful it all is! Let's hope that lasts...)

[tess73]

Great to hear she's enjoying KGS Countess. Keep us posted! DD is fed up of school already this term. She is ready to move on. I think getting the 10+ means in some ways you do everything a bit too early. It must feel like forever to her since she got her place and yet she still has a year to go.

[Pop1ns]

tess73-what is your heart and brain saying?

[tess73]

Heart KGS, head LEH, wallet Waldegrave!
Going to see it end sept with dd and dh to make a decision.

[CountessDracula]

My head kept saying silly things to me while observing the frenzy around me
I went with my heart

[Pushka2]

I didn't even consider KGS as it is co-ed and DD's 1 and 2 only wanted single sex however from doing open days, my views completely changed as to what I thought I would like to what I actually did like. I expected to love LEH but hated it - as papalazaru said, it was the worst open day I have ever been to. So I ruled it out completely however that was with the old head and I think the new head is fantastic and if she does at LEH what she did at WHS, I think it will be an amazing school (part of me now wishes I had considered it).

So, I would encourage you to keep an open mind when going to the open days, take DD's views into consideration and be prepared for a change of heart from both you and DD.

[tess73]

DD spent a day at LEH last term on a G&T science day. She loved the science day but was adamant she didn't want to go there. They had a complete tour/sell of the school which is a bit outrageous really, though quite helpful in my position. i would have been mad if independent wasn't something we were considering.

She will take some pushing to even apply. Anyway let's see after the open day.

[CountessDracula]

If she spent a day there and didn't like it I would be wary - what did she not like?

[tess73]

she thought the yr7 girls showing her round seemed scared and not very happy (exams were on, they weren't sure where they were allowed and not i think, not entirely sure)
they watched some older girls in a dance rehearsal and she thought they weren't very nice to each other
she didn't think it seemed like a very happy place.

she did like the teachers and the science labs etc... there will be a few going from her school, KGS maybe one or two others but none from her friendship groups.