SW/W London Independent Schools thread part two

[Chillaxalready]

There. I've done it and started one.
1001 messages and counting!

You will have made someone else very happy! I've not heard about LEH as I don't think anyone got an offer in our playground...

Yes, I hope some little girl was met at school pick up with some good news! Quite scary to give it up and know that we were making our choice on the indie front but feel much better for it. Now know of people who are sitting on offers even having paid deposit elsewhere. Pleeeeaaassse give them up if you don't plan to take them!

But I suppose they are not fretting and reading this thread(-;

Could there really be someone who isn't fretting? Certainly not in my house ;) We are off to see St Catherine's again on Friday, in advance of acceptance day. Now I think I'm leaning towards Surbiton I'm worried DD will change her mind and like St C the best based on it being the most recent visit! GAH!

Wondered if anyone was at the Latymer Q&A session this evening and what they thought of it? The Head and other teachers were very impressive but wasn't at all sure about some of the children there. I know that sounds awful but there were a few pompous children (who asked questions hence it wasn't just the terribly smart uniforms!) that left my DH and I a little cold. I didn't get the feeling that there was a balance of private and state children from different walks of life which is one of Latymer's apparent selling points. Interested to know what anyone else thought...

GJHmum,
OMG, your post has just spooked me out as it is word for word the sentiments I expressed to my DH on the journey home from the Latymer Q & A!

(I'm very new to Mn so not sure how to pm you.....)

Interesting about latymer. We liked latymer a great deal based on its inclusive values but at both it and kcs I felt like a fish out of water amongst the international jet set. It made me want something altogether more provincial and started me seriously thinking about fleeing london so my kids don't think its normal to have homes in 3 countries.

Hi GJHmum and Scabby,
I was there too and DD (state primary) said the same about some of the other kids, although she asked a question herself (which I hope did not come across as pompous .
I wouldn't be put off - I know at least 4 other state primary kids who are not like that and who will accept the place.
We sent our cheque to LU today and are really happy with our choice. The kids we know there are from different backgrounds (although admittedly not quite as socially mixed as the Head wants us to believe). But certainly not all pompous, or no more so than at other indies.

Oh and we only have one (tiny) home in the backwaters of Hammersmith .

Scabby1 I have sent you a pm. If you click on the My Mumsnet tab at the top right of the page you'll see it in your inbox or you'll also have an email with a link to it!

DS has a large group of friends and not one has more than one home, some live in a modest flat, some yes they live in a big London house. None of them are pompous. They are really lovely. Could be a good year or could just be that DS chooses well of course :-)

I cant speak for Latymer but I can assure that KCS is not all 'international jet set'. Loads of normalish families (us included) who've worked really hard to afford it. No second home and cheap and cheerful hols.

It's very easy to make huge generalisations based on a quick view. Sorry if that's sounds irritable but I'm on yet another unglamarous work trip this evening. I know there are loads if other Mums working as hard as I do to pay those fees.

I am a current parent at LU, but wasn't there tonight. Could it be that the slightly more, ahem, confident children were the ones most likely to ask a question in those circumstances?

Latymer is a very large school, and out of the 160-170 in each year group there is a huge range - yes there will be a sprinkling of super wealthy, but also a lot of hard working folk, with plenty of working mums. Latymer has a well deserved reputation for giving a lot of means tested bursaries - I forget the statistics but many children are fully or partially supported. I'm sure it is all on the website. I really wouldn't be put off by a few pompous children - they may take up offers elsewhere!

Merton and chose, thanks for the reassurance! I kept trying to convince myself it must just have been luck of the draw in the people we met at exam and interview in each case, which didn't fit at all with the parents I know at both schools. I just was very surprised as it didn't match our perception of either school.

Just discovered this thread! My DD is also waitlisted on LEH. No news yet. The school said they probably won't know until the end of this week. Good luck to those waiting.

Thank you all for your feedback. This thread is such a fantastic way to tempature check these things! My DH and I thought it was a very artifcial situation last night and probably didn't do LU justice at all. He is adamant that we mustn't judge the school by those few children and that it can't be indicative of the whole intake!!

Another LU acceptance here. Did not go last night. Now by my reckoning - there's already a handful of decent, grounded folk on here so our DCs should have no problems finding each other and feeling at ease...I hope they develop an attitude of 'who cares which school we've come from, we've done well to get here'.

Now got to work on my DH to stop calling ourselves Mr and Mrs Bucket...

Hi DS in current Year 7 at LU and he genuinely has no idea who has come from an independent prep or from a state primary - nor even who has come from Latymer Prep. Its just not relevant at all once you get there. Yes they do tend to be a fairly verbal bunch and I can see why some may appear on the slightly precautious side, but its horses for courses and the ones who accept places all seem to love it as far as I'm aware!

Easlingwestmum, I believe LU has a welcome day for new entrants in June, you could try dying your hair purple for that, that will put other parents at ease .
Seriously: the more "non-pompous" kids and parents choose NOT to be deterred and accept the offer, the more grounded and mixed the new intake will be, the better for all pupils. If you and your DC like LU and the teachers (as we did) you should go for it and defy the "posh" reputation.

BTW: we had exactly the same conversation with anxious parents a DD's state primary about all the other London independent secondary schools....

You already know what I look like theintrepidfox!

Doubtless LU has the less socially mixed intake. I think it is not just a reputation, even it is trying to get rid of it, the truth is that London´s international jet set children aim to be there ( providing they are bright enough of course)
I think it´s important for kids to be grounded, specially at this age. Even DS is coming from an indie prep, I would be careful about this for next year´s 11+. I believe KCS is much more mixed than LU (knowing parents in both schools )

There was a funny incident after DS had been at LU for about 2 weeks. It was a Saturday in the market on Chiswick High St and I was wondering why DS was talking to a builder while I was in the queue. It turned out to be the LU head - wearing some kind of denim dungarees! Didn't recognise him at all out of a suit. But was very impressed that he had approached DS for a chat about how he was getting on and already knew DS's name - good going given the size of the intake at LU.

We were also at LU last night and I got the impression that the private/prep school children were less shy which might explain why it seemed that there were more of them!However while LU has plenty of bursaries I think the social mix selling point can be taken too far. After all the children have passed a difficult exam for which most of those coming from the state sector like DD have needed private tuition for a year beforehand. While some may be richer than others I suspect that most of the LU children come from pretty similar backgrounds -indeed every state school LU applicant I have ever known has been middle class. Having been to the school a couple of times on tours etc I would also have to say that anyone who thinks LU has a social mix at all representative of inner London hasn't been to a comprehensive for a while.That said we still really like the school and appreciate it (and the head) being very down to earth compared with some private schools.

And that, to me, sounds like a pretty grounded take on things

FWIW I can think of:
A few americans and europeans, most working for good companies with, I imagine, good salaries and maybe school fees as part of a relocation package?
A few finance people working in the city.
Lawyers and the occasional barrister
Doctors
journalists--media in general
People in film and tv
People in advertising
Lost of people with well average paid day jobs
Some shams
The rare oligarch
Musicians and designers artists
Teachers and staff at the school
Etc
I think I could be describing the parent body of many London private schools!
I do think it is unfair to guess what or how a child will be based on what his parents do and earn. However we all make that mistake. Like I said the kids I have had a chance to know well are nice, bright, curious, well mannered and a pleasure to converse with. But there will be all sorts?