Which SW London independent(s) should DD try for at 11+ ?

[castlesintheair]

It's all a bit complicated as we are currently overseas and DD1 has been learning a different curriculum in a different language since last year. We have a potential plan to come back for September 2015 when she will start secondary school.

Older DC has a place at KGS and DD1 is sitting that exam in January. However, given that she's not been tutored and has been out of UK system for nearly 2 years, where else can she realistically try for?

She's happy with co-ed or all girls. She's bright but wasn't top set bright at her UK outstanding state school. I don't think she'll thrive in an overly competitive all girls environment. She's an all-rounder really: loves sport, art, and very much into drama, dance, singing etc.

I'm not keen on Radnor or Ibstock. Any ideas?

Where will you be living? A long commute should rule out several potential schools leaving you with a more manageable shortlist of schools with a reasonable journey, then you can start to sort those in terms of how academic/competitive etc

From what you say LEH would probably be too full-on, you're already trying KGS, and then there's Surbiton High although this has expanded and the current Y7 is huge

I wouldn't recommend St Catherine's (recent family experience)

But it really depends on where you're living...

have you considered Kew House, or Surbiton High School? The problem with the sw London schools is they are on the whole, very selective, so from what you say it sounds like LEH, Putney High, Wimbledon, Latymer or NHEHS might be too selective?

Thanks for the replies. Will probably live in Richmond/Sheen.

Is Putney very difficult to get into these days? Surbiton High I've heard good things about but how big is it now soddinghormones and is it a problem big?

jinnybag, is Kew House the new school near the M4 turnoff? I know nothing about it.

Is there anywhere a bit further out, say if we moved to Kingston or surrounds? Although I do really want to stay in Richmond if poss.

What would be my chances of getting into Waldegrave be if we returned in July? Non-existant I imagine?!

Claremont? It's out if london so might not be ideal but has great grounds, not to competitive, co ed and pastoral care is great

Kew House is very new. I think it is a bit too early to tell which way it will go. but Radnor House was in the same position 4-5 years ago and from what I hear is doing really, really well.

Harrodian? People who go there love it and I think its reputatin has changed a lot recently.

Emanual? Easy to get to if you are within striking distance of a mainline station.

Queens gate is a great school.

If you live in Richmond or Sheen then Ibstock is an easy car journey/cycle ride through the park. Although the HM is a bit of a marmite figure, Ibstock has great facilities, is getting very good results these days and most importantly the children are very happy there. Kew House - mmmmm...very new, no outdoor space, and very keen to fill their school. As an earlier poster said, a bit early to tell which way it will go.

If you move to somewhere near kingston, you could look at sir William Perkins (Chertsey) Claremont fan Court (Esher), notre dame (cobham) or tormead even ( Guildford). Not sure I'd consider surbiton a backup for KGS?

plumnc, why would you not consider surbiton a backup for KGS?

Interested in all you views. Thanks and please keep them coming. Feel very out of the loop after 2 years away. Not heard of Queensgate. Off to do some googling.

Sorry, I was probably being a bit unclear. Have a feeling it might be more the other way round ( or fairly even in which case I'd definitely consider both, they're both good schools) But I could be out of date.
Also anecdotally, KGS used to be considered easier to get in to for girls due to more boys applying and the school trying to have an even intake. Again, not sure if this is out of date ( as well as a rumour!)

Thanks plumnc, that would be very encouraging for me at the moment if it's true! My friend just emailed me a results/Stats type link and Surbiton is considerably lower down than KGS etc.

Yes Putney High is very difficult to get into now

Surbiton's current Y7 has 200+ girls which I personally think is too big. It means that the majority of the year group won't be picked for sports teams or get a part in the school play etc and makes the whole experience much more anonymous

Sadly there's absolutely no way you'll be able to rock up in July and
get a place at Waldegrave, or any of the other popular state choices

We have friends with dc at Radnor who are very happy with it

Ok - sounds like I'm a bit out of date.
I too have friends who are pleased w Radnor. Also, I forgot, there is St Catherine's in Twickenham, just up the road from Radnor.

Also, where are you coming from?
There ACS in cobham (American)
And almos forgot st George's in Weybridge

Thanks for the advice.

plumnc, moving back from Europe.

Does anyone know anything about Turing House? I looked briefly at their website. Do they have a site yet?

Have you considered RPA in sheen
Much improved these days but not private obv
Also Emanuel is popular with people in Sheen looking for less academic environment, also the Hall in Wimbledon (there is a coach from Sheen)

Oh and Harrodian (more popular with foreign parents IME though)

Yes I have thought about RPA thanks CountessDracula but as the earliest we will be back in UK is June/July I thought we would not stand a chance of getting in for September? Would be interested to hear how it's doing from those in the know and whether it's oversubscribed now.

Emmanuel I liked but been told I've missed the application deadline!

There was a waiting list this in the end this year but AFAIK everyone got a place in the end.

DD's best friend has just started there (as did 28 of the 60 y6s at her primary) and seems v positive about it. You could try calling them and seeing what the situation might be next year.

Emanual only take a limited number I think, so I guess they are full. The Hall worth a punt, if you like their style of education

Would you consider living in Wimbledon? We have friends with dds at Sutton High (in Sutton but the school provide a bus from Wimbledon). They also have a ds at Kingston Grammar - both schools near train stations too I think.

I second Harrodian. Although I understand it's becoming harder to get into.

Frances Holland?

Hi castles

My latest insights

KGS Definitely getting more popular and harder to get into for boys and girls but easier at 11 than 10. Another set of better than ever before results and popular New Head who seems to come from a very similar stable to Sarah Fletcher isn't going to change that.

Surbiton High still plenty of happy pupils but definitely a feeling that at that size it is difficult to sustain the personal attention / smooth admin etc. It is definitely not as hard to get into as KGS. However we were always happy to have it as a back up because it feels like a safe pair of hands IYSWIM.

Putney High is harder to get into than Surbiton but not as tough as KGS, worth a look / try.

St Georges Definitely worth a look if you don't mind the fairly low profile Catholicism. Results getting better and good pastoral care / sense of community. I would say somewhere between Surbiton and KGS on selectivity.

Ibstock I wouldn't touch with a bargepole because of the Heads attitude to Specific Learning Difficulties. Even if you could be absolutely sure your child isn't going to have issues identified when working at higher levels (which you can't) it doesn't suggest a focus on realising each child's individual potential

William Perkins Also worth a look for good pastoral etc and not as competitive entry as KGS

Claremont Fan Not at all selective, maybe too easy to get into....

Reeds As Claremont but plenty of sport on offer

Radnor does have lots of happy parents and happy looking pupils and is obviously looking to fill the gap in the market for parents seeking a school that includes them more.

St Catherines I know a lot of parents who have been very pleased with the more er structured environment and bright girls do do well there in small classes. I think a problem can arise when parents are taking girls out of schools where they are being led astray and then they bring that behaviour to the small classes where it goes undiluted.

LEH New Head from Wimbledon High who puts more emphasis on the pastoral and a disappointing set of latest A level results (dysfunctional year but that won't stop some people being out off ) might change the picture on admissions. I would be tempted to take a look. They always did have a bit more emphasis on seeking out potential as opposed to going on attainment than the others (including KGS) especially for pupils coming from overseas.......

State Schools

Last year was the first year with more applicants than places. The Council avoided the egg on their face by over offering places, something like 60 more offers than places at RPA and at the last admissions forum they were saying it was full and still getting more applications for the waiting list. It remains to be seen if it was full on opening in September. It looks as though the only places not full with waiting lists will be Twickenham and Hampton Academies. The other effect of over offering will be less waiting list movement. However I did hear there may be some chance of making an application before you are actually back in residence in your house if you can submit the necessary documents - not sure what and how. Of course you could always move back to the house next to Waldegrave in Fifth Cross Road and prey someone does not turn up in September.....

Turing had over 300 applicants for 150 places, the Head really inspired parents, so had it been able to open (and it had a temporary site) it is unlikely it would have been other than full with a long waiting list. They are making an announcement soon in their September news on site but after a lot of flack the Council are really getting behind securing a long term site (as well they might after giving a site away to the Catholic Church for an exclusive school and now trying to build a boathouse the size of a block of flats on the riverside Open Space for the Council leader's mates replica royal barge ) Bayjay over on the local thread is the horse's mouth as far as Turing is concerned ;-)

Hope that helps. Good luck with your return. I am in some weird limbo at the moment watching the schools go back as we wait for my youngest to go off to uni. In that regard she really couldn't have had a better experience socially or academically at the school she went to for sixth form, has achieved more than we could have dreamed of when at her previous school. I hope for the same for both your son and daughter......

By the way I always think that on selectivity / popularity this record of destination of leavers from a non selective girls' Prep gives an interesting insight. www.oldvicarage-richmond.co.uk/admissions/destination-of-leavers/

I agree with Shootings' excellent summary.

Except I am not sure Putney any easier than KGS. It depends on the day. Some kids will get one, some the other.

Also if you are in Richmond plenty of your neighbour's children will be getting on the tube for G&L and Latymer Upper. The latter is a bit "ecole du jour" but their admissions always seem to throw up a few surprises and there are usually a lot more boy applicants than girls.

Many will apply for five schools in the hope of getting one. Fine as long as you have a good fall back.

St Bens is also worth a look.

Yes Needmore I nearly added in the attraction via the District Line of the Hammersmith Schools. And I agree about on the day performances in exams

Actually Castles with the bus to KGS from Chiswick (though IME an hour long commute at each end of the day with a busload of hyperactive oversexed 11-14 year olds becomes very tiresome by GCSE / A level time) you could even consider schools in that direction, G&L and Latymer are more selective than KGS (though have known girls who you would have thought were being aspirational with Putney High get G&L, I think like LEH they like to spot potential) but Notting Hill and Ealing High might become a possibility, or St James's Girls, Frances Holland etc.