CLSB or RGS

[Minka123]

Hi, My DS has offers from RGS Guildford, Whitgift and CLSB and struggling to choose between these schools. Does any of your DS,s travel from three bridges or nearby to Blackfriars or Guildford. Any advice to help us decide would be great. Thank you.

I'm not sure what you're asking. Do you mean, does your DS travel from Three Bridges to Guildford?

RGS is a fantastic school - really was faultless and an excellent environment for my DS. He has solid friendships with RGS friends still despite being in his twenties.

CLSB - It has a great reputation and is slightly more socially mixed than other independents as it has a big state intake and bursaries/assisted places are high. Results are great and I always thought the city location must bring about very street-wise and switched on boys.

I don't know about Whitgift.

What strikes me is all of the schools are very far apart and you are aiming for a long journey time? Lots travel to the Guildford independents with about hour journeys, there is a big 'train community' of GHS/RGS/Tormead who all socialise and love the additional social life it brings! Not sure how many come from the Crawley direction though - you could contact RGS and ask? I believe most clubs and sports are during the school day or on Saturdays so he would almost always be able to leave at 4pm.

What is your DS' preference?

Sorry to confuse you but my question actually was to know from parents if their boys travel to school from three bridges to either of these schools. My son is at a local prep school now and were trying to find out travel options if we have to opt between these schools. Alternatively we are also looking at options to move towards Guildford.

Caramel Tiger thanks for your inputs which are quite useful. Our Son likes both schools and hence makes it harder to decide. Going to CLS is convenient as there are direct and frequent trains. For Guildford I have to drop him at Gatwick and only one train per hour. Other option is to move closer to Guildford which is going to be expensive. Any suggestions on areas we could move closer to school? Areas between Redhill and Guildford?

If you live in Three Bridges there are closer schools, such as Worth, Reigate Grammar & Caterham for example. It's probably too late, but I wonder why you aren't looking at those. Our DS goes to a school 7 minutes away from us, and life is so much easier for us/him than for his friends who live an hour away.

Hi Bearliegh my DS has an offer from Reigate as well. Going by the stats etc RGS and CLSB have few more of our votes. But you are right convenience need to be considered too.

if coming from Crawley direction, one area you might look at moving to is Horsham; no direct train but bus is every 1/2 hour to Guildford.

Hi. DS at RGS - quite a few days when DS finishes later than 4 due to sports clubs - so I wouldn't bank on a 4 pm finish every day. Many do travel and lots either further out from Guildford or into Woking, Weybridge areas. We are on a short direct line train but depending on train times can still take an hour door to door. Any longer than that and IMO then the travel starts to really eat into time esp if they want to do clubs etc, keep up with homework and have some free time!

Thank you inthename and Surrey Gild fish. As I work in Redhill, was also considering drop / pick up at Dorking Deepdene station which is one stop away. Not sure if that is something that can be done on a daily basis.

People have told me that there is an RGS school bus from Horsham (Broadbridge Heath Tescos) but I may well be mistaken. Certainly there are lots of kids who go into the Guildford schools from that direction. Slinfold and Rudgwick villages are also on the public bus route to Guildford, which is a bit slow but regular and very convenient.

Alternatively villages like Gomshall and Chilworth are on the train and bus route into Guildford but tend to be more expensive than the West Sussex villages (and presumably the W Sussex ones would uproot you less from your current social network).

Villages like Milford south of Godalming might also work (your DS could get what is locally known as the "snogging train"!!)

Socially I wouldn't send my DS into London from Crawley as it would be really difficult for him to get to friends houses.

Well done to your son. Those are some very good schools to have offers from.

Thank you Yetanotherchangename. You have provided very interesting facts. I will certainly look into the option of travelling from areas you have mentioned.

We considered sending DS to Sevenoaks, as we thought that, especially the fact it does the IB would suit him really well, and it would. However, we are so glad we decided against the long journey every day, and sent him to the closest school, which we initially thought would be less suited to his quirkiness. The school is actually very good, and he's thriving. I think one can over-think and try to get the perfect school, while ignoring other aspects such as journey times, and convenience for the whole family. The nephew of a friend of ours lives very close to us, yet has to get up early to traipse to another very good school. She really cannot understand why he doesn't go to the same school as DS - she feels the extra ¾ hour each way is counter-productive - he's always tired and has no time for any fun.

If he has been offered a good scholarship from the schools you cite then that might make it worthwhile I suppose... I could understand people going to Caterham rather than Reigate, before Reigate improved its scholarships a year or so ago!

Thank you bearleigh. Agree totally with you on this. Will have to consider DS and rest of the family's convenience.