Comparing grammar schools - QEB, KEGS, Wilsons & Colchester

[akb123]

Hi - Just 5 more days to give our priority list and we are looking for some urgent help comparing the following schools - QE Barnet, Wilsons, KEGS Chelmsford, Colchester Royal. We are currently renting and are happy to move. My sons likes chess, cricket and guitar. Thanks in advance

two years ago we were in your position, multiple grammars. Do take into account journey times, curriculum, quality of teaching and most importantly how it felt like a good fit for your DC.

Pick the nearest one!

My child is at a grammar and I can't stress how exhausting commuting is for children starting secondary. Be sure to do the commute at the right time of day too - 45 minutes at 10am can be 1.5 hours at 8am.

not sure there will be anyone out there who has ever compared that list - they're so far apart geographically.

which one did you like best at the Open days?

all anyone can do is go on their own get feeling - random advice this later in the day is not going to help you?

I'm sorry to be harsh, OP, but I find this type of educational tourism unbelievable. It's one thing to try for the best of what's available locally but these straddle the four corners of London?

There really is very little to choose between them TBQH. Your child should thrive whichever one he goes to.

I think that somewhere down the line going to the best independent schools in the land (Eton, Westminster, King's Wimbledon etc...) will stay with you for life BUT not sure that the same applies to one super-selective over another, particularly when they're all so good?

At the end of the day it is about which school suits your son best AND your family circumstances. You would have an idea having visited all of them? To look at the results alone is not getting the full picture of any given school.

A happy and fruitful time at secondary school is more than just about the academic side of things, isn't it?

I must admit that although we did have many choices it didn’t involve moving. Do consider this is a major change in your DC’s life and some constants like same home, same Scout/Guide pack , same music teacher can all help with making the transition that much easier.

Agree with you 100% @teddygirlonce

Thank you all. We decided to rent just to have these options. Commute wise all of these places are okay for me. But from what I am hearing you cant really go wrong with any one of them.

Do check the admissions as some schools are strict about short term renting. Can you prove you’ve cut ties with other schools for example?

*properties not schools!