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Secondary education

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

Original poster

leh or spgs?

32 replies

gohalep · 23/01/2015 10:33

if you have to choose between these 2 which one to choose?I wasn't impress with spgs,but I've had a good vibe from LEH

OP posts:
theintrepidfox · 28/01/2015 21:52

Hi WorkingItOutAsIGo, I'd love to hear more about SPGS! There are so many negative comments but DD and I really liked it on visits and during DD's interview. My main worry is that she'll have so much homework there won't be time for extra-curricular activities and just having fun, reading etc. Myth or truth? Our local alternatives are Godophin and Latymer Upper, plus CLGS (much further but close to my work).

WorkingItOutAsIGo · 30/01/2015 21:59

Hi intrepid just saw your message. There is another thread on SPGS at the moment which might be helpful too. Let's make no bones about it there is I think more homework than my DDs friends at other schools seemed to get - and most evenings she will spend a couple of hours on it whereas some of her friends were getting it all done on the bus ride home from their schools.

But to give you a sense of extra curricular feasibility - last term my DD who is quite normal and does what she enjoys (no pushing from us) did the following:

  • acted in two plays
  • performed in two concerts
  • took part in two sports including lots of Saturday fixtures and training
  • took grade 8 in one instrument
  • studied for a drama qualification
  • saw her friends, went to parties, watched a full box set of Downton Abbey, watched her football team play regularly, played with her siblings, painted her nails...
And all this in a public examination year - she was tired by the end of term it has to be said but she had an absolute ball!!
WorkingItOutAsIGo · 30/01/2015 22:00

Oh and she's an avid reader so am sure she read lots too.

But think there will be very little difference amongst the schools you list to be fair - all have a work hard play hard ethos!

Eastpoint · 30/01/2015 22:06

My dds are similar - one plays two instruments, co-wrote a play, acted in another play, does LAMDA classes, is in a major sports team & plays cricket. The other is doing her grade 8 in an instrument, works on plays, still does 2 ballet classes a week out of school, was a sub-editor on a magazine, helps run a science based lunch time club for younger pupils & volunteers out of school. She has gone to a party tonight but won't be back late as she has to be somewhere at 8 tomorrow morning. My school days at a GDST school were very similar, the activities are too much fun to miss out on.

theintrepidfox · 01/02/2015 00:44

Thank you WorkingItOut and Eastpoint - sounds really reassuring! I am also on the other SPGS threat and I feel more positive now about the school.

DD also plays 2 instruments, swims, sings, is member of an acting company and loves reading and hanging out with friends, all with a a passion, resisting my attempts to slow her down. I was worried she'd do too much and exhaust herself, but she only seems unhappy when she's NOT doing five things a day, so I just ask her to prioritise (which she does with varying success).

Learning to "work hard play hard" but take responsibility for getting the balance right is something I learned too late in life. What I like most about your posts is the idea (apparently embraced by SPGS) of taking charge and being accountable for one's own choices. Too many schools are so worried about "discipline" and behavior that they take responsibility away from young people. Growing up, however, means (gradually) taking on responsibility for your own actions, weighing up consequences rather than obeying blindly. A good school allows for failure rather than preempting it, whilst also protecting students from harm and guiding them to make sensible choices. Not easy. Glad I can offload some of THAT responsibility to someone else (-:

Eastpoint · 01/02/2015 08:10

Sometimes in tutor time thepupils are asked to write down all their activities eg before school practices, lunch time activities (lunch is 75 minutes), after school etc & if it seems too busy a tutor will ask a pupil if she thinks she is taking on too much. Tutor group size is about 11 so they get to know each other quite well.

PetraDelphiki · 01/02/2015 08:18

The leh junior school is very big on taking responsibility for yourself too (don't know about the seniors yet)... From day 1 the girls get themselves around the school for lessons, they have to go to the senior school for music without being reminded, sign up for all the clubs without parental knowledge etc

The new leh head seems amazing, although I can't compare her to the old one.

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