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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

I'm a weeny bit cross that there hasn't been a SW/W London Independent schools thread this yr.

999 replies

SonorousBip · 03/01/2015 21:46

Every blinking year there is one - and I read, and nod, and note. Sometimes they go on for months and pages. But this year, when I'm actually doing it - pah, not a sausage.

If anyone wants to do a last minute SPGS/Latymer/Godolphin/ KGS/LEH/WHS/PHS thread, please do! (disclaimer - I'm not doing all of those.). But views welcome. Because I've got several days to form my final views Smile

OP posts:
Dinocroc · 14/01/2015 20:52

Castles we were phoned the week after the exam when DS did KGS 11+ last year. I think Tuesday or Wednesday so early yet. Phoned at home in the evening and given an interview date

Lolteacher. I'll just ease myself down from the moral high ground of having kids at a primary just failed by Ofsted to say I am not judging children, or parents, or schools with capes. I just worry that some people may be put off by the overly dressed uniforms and feel they won't fit in, or worse still shouldn't apply. I think you make an incorrect assumption that we are all privileged. Obviously we are massively ambitious for our kids. Why not be?

Dinocroc · 14/01/2015 20:57

Actually strike all that. What farewell said Grin

Beingfrank · 14/01/2015 21:23

When ds sat KGS 4 years ago we got a letter saying we would get a phone call. Have they dropped the letter stage?

castlesintheair · 14/01/2015 21:40

I hope so Beingfrank as the post is very unreliable here! 2 years ago we just got a phone call 're interview.

Beingfrank · 14/01/2015 21:59

Gosh that sounds horrible, waiting for a phone call that may never come....I think I preferred the old way

KingscoteStaff · 14/01/2015 22:13

Has anyone had a call for the JAGS sports scholarship assessment yet?

mertonmama · 14/01/2015 22:26

Kingscote - we got a letter today for academic scholarship for JAGS so I think they must have marked all the papers.

Any tips for what to expect at scholarship interview from those who've been through it previously?

ealingwestmum · 14/01/2015 22:40

Music audition received today for DD by G&L in post which was welcome news

purplegirl16 · 14/01/2015 23:22

Did anyone's dd do Phs today? Mine thought the English went fairly well but struggled a bit more with the maths.... Fingers crossed

Condemned · 14/01/2015 23:41

Hi ppg16 mine thought the same she said she missed the last couple of questions of the maths paper C - good luck

DarkBlueEyes · 15/01/2015 08:06

My very u confident DD reported that Putney High exam was ok. Easier than surbiton. Which astounded me. And she finished the paper!!! first time...The world is turning on a different axis!

Of course that means if it's an easy paper then everyone will,have done well, so of course there will be scaling.

They all seemed quite happy coming out. DD also reports her favourites have changed but she won't tell me why. She says she doesn't want to be disappointed if she's not offered her favourite. Bless her.

Wry smile at LOLTeacher's comment. Yes I am ambitious for my daughter. She's not the most academic but I want the best school I can for HER. I don't care what the uniform is like and actually would prefer a less poncy version. Love LEH for example. You can say what you like but it IS intimidating when your child turns up in a marks and Spencer skirt and a sweatshirt with a logo on it, and the girl next to her is wearing a stripy blazer, 72 badges, a couture skirt and a silly hat. Having said that I'm quite glad she isn't wearing that kind of get up. And as for knickerbockers which I have seen. WTAF?

DarkBlueEyes · 15/01/2015 08:06

UN confident.....

Waitingandhoping2015 · 15/01/2015 09:44

Rejected by KGS which is fine but seems bizarre given what I know he is capable of and the fact he felt he had 'nailed it'.

Interview at Hampton later this month.

minoula · 15/01/2015 09:52

Hi - interesting debate about uniforms!

I can quite see how disconcerting it would be to be waiting for interview next to someone in a beret or something. Some schools do have more "stand out" uniforms than others, that's for sure!

I think by the time you get to secondary level, indie schools have to tone down the uniforms - after all, there's no way anyone could ever persuade a teen to wear a cape! But I think we have to face the fact that at KGS, PHS, Latymer etc, even these uniforms; while not "poncey" can still send out a message to the vast majority of people for whom private / public schools are far from the norm. You don't need to be wearing a cape for people to be able to see that you go to a school with 20K+ fees, a boathouse, trips all over the globe and great results. So the sight of a senior indie uniform could potentially be just as disconcerting to those outside that system as the berets are at 11 plus!

Before Xmas, my 11 year-old son had the unfortunate experience of being verbally abused and kicked by a group of 3 slightly older boys while walking home at 12pm on a Saturday, after having had to go in to school to help with tours on the Latymer open day. These boys obviously thought he was a "ponce" for being in blazer and school tie on a Saturday. Now he covers up his blazer if walking alone.

Beret or no beret, the fees are the same - its all about relative perceptions.

ClaraMaugham · 15/01/2015 10:17

In my area, by far the smartest looking children go to our local up-and-coming state secondary. They have a very strict uniform policy - ties, blazers etc.

Well done to all of you who are hearing good news so far, and fingers crossed for everyone else. It's such a gruelling time - constantly waiting for the phone and the post man...

wheresthebeach · 15/01/2015 11:00

And the kids are shattered.

The tricky one is how to handle it if no offers? I've gone with the 'it's all about options, no biggie if it doesn't happen' but I know she'll be upset.

It will be hard in the playground with others celebrating. I guess that's the risk we took, but it's hard.

DarkBlueEyes · 15/01/2015 11:21

Wheresthebeach I a so worried about this too. There are some very bright kids in her year, some also annoyingly amazingly talented at sport too, which DD is totally not. She's not special at all, although obviously she's special to me. EnvyEnvyEnvyEnvy

Her confidence is already lower than a worm's whatsit and I'm so worried that if she doesn't get any offers this will knock her sideways and really damage her. Maybe I should have just gone for the state option and saved her the heartache. Sad

GJHmum1 · 15/01/2015 11:24

Hi Waitingandhoping2015 - did KGS call you to say no interview (we haven't heard yet)? Incredible to be rejected by KGS when he passed the Hampton exam. I guess its all about how they perform on the day.

wheresthebeach · 15/01/2015 11:27

We're surrounded by this too...lots of very talents kids at sports in DD's year (nationally ranked type of talent) and some of the music kids are grade 5/6 is their first instrument, grade 3 in their second.

Ho hum...fingers in ears....ho hum...

Toomanyexams · 15/01/2015 11:30

If you haven't gone for any "safe" choices because your local state school is your best "safe" option, then I think you just have to say that you like the local state school; it's very, very good.

Big up what an achievement just going through the process is. Also help them understand that 9 kids are going for every 1 place, or whatever the metric is. Point out that a lot of their peers never even had a go at it; and that learning to have a go even when the odds are against you is an important attitude to have in life.

All that said, I really hope all our DC get offers!

Waitingandhoping2015 · 15/01/2015 11:31

Both letters and both posted yesterday.

wheresthebeach · 15/01/2015 11:42

That's good advice TooMany...will add 'the process' to our litany of comfort.

farewelltoarms · 15/01/2015 11:56

Wheresthebeach and darkblueeyes - I'm convinced that ds will get no offers, on top of not getting either of the grammars. And his confidence was so knocked by that, he got a lot of self-esteem from being considered one of the brightest ones in his (not very high performing) state primary that this will diminish it still further.

And I'll blame myself. It seems bizarre that I've spent my life as a parent trying to protect him from life's awfulness to have voluntarily put him through something far worse.

Now I'm wondering if I should have gone for an easy private that we didn't want but I really wanted to keep exam taking to a minimum. Also what if he'd failed that one too?

Argggghhhhh. Nothing in post today (different bit of London, one school started sending out letters yesterday. Letters? What is this 1954?)

Beingfrank · 15/01/2015 12:07

Waiting and hoping - we are in same boat with twin 1 - I/v Hampton, no from KGS.

Twin two has two no's. Gutted for him, it is horrendous.

castlesintheair · 15/01/2015 12:08

I am sincerely hoping they aren't posting letters to overseas candidates! Why can't they just use email?

I too feel full of doubt about DD1's future mostly because we are abroad and for all the reasons that brings. And we don't have a state option to apply to from here right now so we really could be up that ole creek without a paddle. It would be nice to know. Soon!

Congrats to your DS 're Hampton waitingandhoping. Courage to all those still waiting.