Choosing a six form in the Surrey Guildford area

[Mumtryingtomakeadifference]

I am currently looking into sixforms in the Surrey Guildford area for my DD however I have mixed views on the different schools we have seen so far. She is very sporty yet very academic and would like to do Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Maths (then drop one the second year) however so far we are not sure were to go. She prefers the mixed school environment however only girls is not being ruled out. She currently goes to Tormead and has had a great time there and is also considering staying however she would rather go somewhere with more sports and boys . When she was in year 7 we applied for GHS and she got in with an academic scholarship however we decided not to send her there as it seemed very pushy and the pastoral care didn’t seem to be very supportive. However again we would not rule it out. At the moment we are very open to suggestions DD especially likes the look of Reed’s as it is sporty and only is mixed in the six form. Any thoughts or suggestions ?

Have you looked at Godalming College? Quite a few of our friends with older daughters have opted out of single sex schools and have gone there.

Oh I was just about to say the same about Godalming College. Fantastic reputation - even friends who’s children went to massively expensive Private schools send their children to godalming as it’s got such a good reputation. I think most parents I know send their offspring there.

Godalming College

Yes we had a look at Godalming College many of DDs peers are going there how ever we are not sure how the dynamics would be there. She seems to benafit a lot from small classes and one on one teaching so we are not sure if Godalming is for her however it is definitely an option

She seems to benafit a lot from small classes and one on one teaching

Which she'd be unlikely to get at university so maybe a good idea to get used to a different teaching style before she goes?

"She seems to benafit a lot from small classes and one on one teaching"

She'd definitely get this at Tormead, as far as I know. From what i've heard the girls have a great time in the sixth form, once the girls have left who want boys!!
St Catherine's- might have similar pastoral care issues to GHS.
Charterhouse?
King's Wimbledon?

worriedmumagain1 Charterhouse seems good defiantly will look into that thankyou

Godalming College is fantastic. A great prep for university in terms of all round experience.

Cambridge pre=U or IB at Charterhouse. Day fees are almost as much as boarding! If she's very academic, might get a scholarship to Hurtwood House??

Hurtwood scholarships are for performing arts in the main. However if that is an interest the academic results are enviable. Godalming college is very good but can seem overwhelming if coming from a small cosy school. Also needs self disciplined students who can manage their own time - they can pretty much come and go as their timetable dictates

Maximum scholarship at Hurtwood for maths/science is £2k per term which is about 20% of day fees and about 15% of boarding fees.

I would say look at the other options not just private schools. So: George Abbot, maybe St Peters and County too. Then also both Godalming and Woking colleges. Farnborough is probably too big.
Tormead does offer one on one but I don't always think that is the healthiest/best option.
And University will have much larger class sizes.

why is everybody always carrying on about "prep for uni"?. Isn't that the whole point of uni, that it is the next stepping stone in life. I know lots of girls/boys from nurturing sixth forms who were are happy at university. Why does everyone want their 16 year old walking around Godalming (if it isn't a financial decision, which I understand)?

Hear good things about City of London Freemen's School in Ashtead but no direct experience. See www.freemens.org/Default.asp?

I'm sure that Tormead will be sorry to lose her. The sixth formers would definitely benefit from more shared lessons/ tutorials with RGS (and it would probably also make GCSE leavers think twice about going......!)

Umm maybe not given the way RGS teachers talk about Tormead. RGS and GHS do share some classes, especially general studies.

Nurturing is nice but 1:1 is very different to Lectures of 100+

Bekabeech,
What do the RGS teachers say about Tormead? Why would they be any different to the GHS girls?

Bekabeech - what do RGS teachers say of Tormead? They do a lot with the school. More, from what I can tell, than they do with GHS. DC mix more with Tormead at St catherine's girls than GHS which has always surprised me.

Uni teaching style can be a shock to spoon fed sixth formers who are used to tiny classes and who haven’t had to organise their own time due to a packed schedule of timetabled activities. That drastic change can lead to dropping out of Uni. So having a flavour at 6th form college can be an advantage

As someone who was not “spoon fed” in 6th form and had boys disrupt and dominate A level STEM classes I would take small classes and all girls any day!

She can adjust to uni later.

I agree with DOZER!! All this "spoon feeding" is a load of rubbish. If you want to do well at A level you have to be incredibly well motivated whatever type of school you are at. It just might be easier to be so in some environments.I don't remember uni being a shock after an all girls sixth form experience and I don't remember all the privately educated students "dropping out".

I can only speak to what I know- my older child absolutely thanks the teachers at his small ish private 6th form that taught A level in the “uni style” (not all did) now he is an undergraduate. Several of his cohort have indeed dropped out partly because they could not cope with the teaching style and having to manage their own learning

Three sixth forms worth looking at - Godalming, Alton and Farnham. Farnborough Sixth Form also has a fantastic reputation but might be a bit far for you.

Not quite sure what we are expected to infer from the reference to RGS teachers' opinions of Tormead.

My understanding (gleaned from both a parent of an older Tormead girl (now reading medicine at Oxford btw) and a current RGS teacher friend) was that it was Mrs Foord who rowed back on too many shared lessons with RGS when she first arrived as wanted to lay her stamp on things. Not sure what her current thinking is on shared opportunities between the schools.

We have had no issues with pastoral care at GHS and have been extremely pleased with it. Lots of activities with RGS 6th form: Joint general studies lessons, joint chamber choir, joint orchestra for special occasions including annual tour, joint musicals (West Side Story last year was outstanding). Plus lots of informal things. The impression I have is that RGS does much more with GHS than with Tormead, but of course I don't see what goes on between RGS and Tormead.

There are always a few Tormead girls who move to GHS for the 6th form. I don't know of any who go the other way, though there may well be some. It's also true to say that there are always a few girls from GHS who go to Godalming. Most of the children from my daughters' primary school ended up there and I know people think very highly of it.

I'd say GHS would suit the OP's daughter well, though I can imagine it might feel odd to go over to 'the other side'! The sport is excellent, there is a high proportion of girls doing science A levels, and they get excellent results.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed its been a lot of help! Does anyone have any experience with reeds? I have mixed opinions as some people see it as being brilliant and others think that it is a step down from Tormead

Reeds 6th form competitive to get in for girls, quite high academic bar to jump to get in and very full on. Incredibly sociable - parties every weekend and some havevreputation of being v boozy /druggy