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Secondary education

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Original poster

Perse Upper vs Stephan Perse vs St Mary's in Cambridge

14 replies

KatherineCam · 14/02/2015 20:32

My DD is in St Mary's Junior at the moment and overall we are quite pleased but have a hard time to decide where to go next. Most of the other pupils go to St Mary's senior but we feel like a change.
Anyone has a recent experience of Perse Upper or Stephan Perse? Both schools gone through a lot recently and we wonder what to expect.

OP posts:
Draylon · 14/02/2015 20:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
KatherineCam · 14/02/2015 20:51

Thank you Draylon. I have seen those posts but they are from either last year or two years ago. I am interested in a current picture - does Perse Upper become more girl friendly or what people think of the new headmistress in Stephan Perse.

OP posts:
Truffle40 · 15/02/2015 14:51

I have a daughter at the Perse Upper and I know a number of girls at Stephen Perse. If you would like to ask any specific questions please do and I will do my best to answer them

Original poster
KatherineCam · 15/02/2015 23:05

I am afraid I don't have a specific question. So far our pros Perse Upper - next to our house, nice big university like campus, exciting number or clubs and lectures, co-ed ( I see it as a plus). Cons - may be too big for our small daughter ( youngest in her class); she may get lost among its 1400 pupils ( St Mary Junior is 160 pupils)
Pros Stephen Perse - smaller size, have a more academic reputation (doesn't it?), good pastoral care.
Cons - girls only, further away from our house, had a change of a headmistress and two deputies, housed in a small old building.
Can you (or anyone else) comment on those points?

OP posts:
Original poster
KatherineCam · 15/02/2015 23:07

Oh yes, we wanted to go to Perse Upper but got cold feet after hearing that the "boys school" culture is quite strong and girls get overpowered by it. Also that the academic side is sliding. What do you think of it?

OP posts:
Truffle40 · 16/02/2015 20:34

Perse Upper is certainly not sliding - just look at exam results and all the competitions they win. Very academic - more so than the girls' school. Girls' school - when I visited Tricia Kelleher told me that the don't tend to reject applicants as they self select. Perse Upper quite hard to get into and most certainly do reject! Yes, the upper feels a bit boysy but definitely improved. However, it is not a ver creative school - very little emphasis on art ( much broader range at SPF), no cookery, textiles, pottery etc in the lower school. The do have DT but it is ver engineering focussed. SPF also excellent academically, more nurturing, sometimes a bit twee. Upper is large and you really have to be a self starter- not nurturing at all

Truffle40 · 16/02/2015 20:44

Forgot to say, facilities at Perse Upper are far better- lots of space

Original poster
KatherineCam · 16/02/2015 20:54

Truffle40 - I appreciate your answers very much! Thank you! I am definitely a self starter but I am afraid my daughter is not :). I am not very worried about creativity - I certainly place more value on academic side.
Do you think PU - is a survival of the fittest or even a shy but able child will be given some guidance and help?

OP posts:
Truffle40 · 16/02/2015 21:33

They will certainly be given some guidance but not a lot in my experience. For example, I don't think my daughter's tutor has particularly understood what she is like and tried to encourage her to do appropriate clubs. You have to check your school email every day to see if you have homework. You have to check for yoyrself if you are in a match - no- one comes to tell you. And so on

Original poster
KatherineCam · 17/02/2015 13:18

Thank you for the explanation. I don't think my daughter is that organised. However it may be a good idea to throw her in the deep end...

OP posts:
xWurlyCurlyx · 19/02/2015 07:40

Hello

I don't have a daughter there (yet!) but have just been going through this process so have done a LOT of research.

I don't know about St Mary's but we looked at Perse Upper and Stephen Perse and were impressed with them both. PU had incredible extra curricular activities and we like the fact it was mixed, SPF had much "cooler" facilities and a lovely mix of old and new. Both are brilliant academically.

Have you looked around them (and more importantly has your daughter?). My DD really liked PU but spent a day at SPF and came out literally begging to go there - she absolutely loved the atmosphere which IS very different from PU. She was lucky enough to get scholarship offers to both, but after spending time there, there was no decision for her - it was SPF all the way.

Truffle40 · 19/02/2015 09:26

OP - why don't you apply to both-if she doesn't get in to Perse Upper you are spared a choice. In the process of applying you will see much more of the schools and it will be easier to decide.

whinge4britain · 19/03/2015 15:09

Katherine,
Why not also get some other opinions? One above seems a bit odd.. the exam results at SPF are for example much better than PU; they just don't submit them to league tables. "Just look at" is not a good argument.
I have a DD at PU; like wurlycurly offered scholarships at both; but regret not having sent them to SPF. PU has better facilities but SPF seems to pay much more attention to getting the most out of individuals. You do have to take the risk that SPF going coed will undermine its ethos.
w4b

HereIAm20 · 19/03/2015 17:28

I am always amused by the posts that suggest that 92% A*/A at GCSE means that Perse Upper's standards are slipping!

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