80% bursary at Godolphin & Latymer or Tiffins girls school?

[Piggy456]

Hi ... looking for some opinions and advice. My DD has got some great news from GL. She passed the exams and we have secured an 80% bursary for the duration of the school years.

If she manages to get into Tiffins girls school (free) Which would you send her too and why ?

We live about in between the two schools so travel either is not an issue ( I chose the schools based on realistic distance and travel ) and academics.

Any advice would be most welcome. My DD likes both and is a confident person, likes sport and music.

Thanks again nylon14

Your absolutely right, we can only commit to this if we have a real understanding of what will happen and what is required of us. To ignore it could have dire consequences for DD.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

Thanks farangatang

Well we are still waiting for the results of Tiffins. So all of this may be a moot point if she doesn't get offered a place.

But if she does get a place, we only have 4 days to chose, which was why I thought I'd post first, to allow myself some time to reflect and make an informed choice.

Your question about where DD would like to go was the first question I asked her. Specifically I asked what her her thoughts on both of these schools.

She said she likes Tiffins as she currently has some friends there and her cousins went there.
She likes Godolphin as they gave her a dolphin toy after the entrance exams.

I never told her about the wall climbing section of the gym hall at Godolphin (as I never thought she have a realistic chance of going there, purely due to the finances and didn't want to get her hopes high). But as soon as I did, she said oh fine I'll go there then.

So if we get a place a Tiffins, she would be happy going to either.

Just wanted to say congratulations to your dd, I bet she's so pleased.
I don't know the schools at all, but my advice was to go for the one that's easiest and quickest to reach. She will no doubt have friends she'll want to visit, or after school activities and living closer will help with transport.

Thank you gillybeanz for your kind words.

One thing we decided very early on, was choosing schools of no more than 30 min actual travelling time. As we felt life was too short to be spent simply sitting on a bus at this stage of their lives. So both schools have a bus travelling time of 30 mins from door to door.

Thanks again.

Thank you Backingvocals for your insight and kind words.

It is immensely helpful to understand the history and roots of a school. It will give me a better understanding of where and more importantly why, the school is directed in the present and the future.

Thank you for sharing.

I was at g&l at the same time as Zoe Williams (we were in the same English class) for 6th form. I found it a happy laid back place, not too pushy but I did very well academically - much better than was expected - was stretched and encouraged to pursue what I was good at enjoyed and turned down an offer at SPGS to go to g&l as it just seemed like a happier school. About one third of kids are in bursaries when I was there which made it not snooty. No experience of Tiffins but my male friends were always disparaging of Tiffins girls... But teenagers eh, what do they know.

I'm also a current Godolphin parent and a former pupil, and unless someone has actual proof that the school is taking girls purely on the basis of parental wealth I would seriously dispute it. Although there is definitely more money in the school than there was in the 80s, I think that's a reflection of how London has changed and it's not shoved in your face at all. The vast majority of the girls my DD has come across have been very down to earth, including some on perfectly legitimate bursaries. When we first started I did think the school had become glossier but after spending some time there I think the ethos is just the same as it used to be. I've read what Zoe Williams thinks of it but I just don't recognise the place she's describing.

I don't have any personal experience of Tiffin, but I have heard that it can be a stressful environment for some girls. I also think as an all-round experience Godolphin probably has more to offer - just in terms of the facilities and the extra-curricular opportunities. I hope your DD is very happy wherever she ends up - she is clearly a bright girl!

'Anecdote does not equal data'.
Everydaybusy, your posts make me smile.

Thanks coldlocation for sharing your experiences.

It is re-assuring to know that children will be stretched and challenged in a laid back environment.

Many thanks Mulberry10 for your perspective on the school, both past and present.

Its helpful and important to me, to understand where a school has come from, to fully understand why and where it's heading towards. It's also nice to hear the girls there, are down to earth.

Although academics is important to me, nothing is more important than her general well being.

Thanks again for your kind words and I'm glad your DD is enjoying her time there.

Afternoon all,

Just to let you know that unfortunately we can see there's a fair amount of sock puppeting going on on this thread. This is not only disingenuous but also in breach of our Talk Guidelines. We're going to be deleting a number of posts now - apologies if this means the thread is difficult to follow.

Thank you DawnMumsnet for your intervention, this thread is much more clear and pleasant now.

Many thanks

Have you decided what to do, Piggy? We are in a similar situation with a different school and the possibility of Tiffin so this thread was an interesting read for me.

piggy, we are trying to choose between Latymer Upper and G&L. i am an old G&L girl. I loved it. I remember Zoe Williams and tbh, i got on with her, i think she always seemed like she didn't want to fit in. i am unsure for dd as G&L has changed a bit. when i was there lots of my friends were on bursaries and i loved the down to earth feel. we are going to go back to have a look at both schools as the tour dd went on more than a year ago was very full of parents and kids and doesn't give a fair idea.

Hi Heliophilous , we haven't fully decided as yet but we will be visiting GL together with DD again. As we have been to TGS a number of times before already.

How about yourselves for yourselves ? Any preferences for your DC or you and your partner ?

Hi princessllama, to be honest I have yet to read Zoe Williams views on the school and her experiences. Honestly speaking, we didn't dare to think our DD would have any chance of realistically attending GL, even if we did pass the exams and interviews, (due to the finances).

So for us, the bursary is a real life changing opportunity for DD.

May I ask, what will you be looking for from the schools ? And what type of things do you look out for, during your visits there ? Have you any questions in mind ?

Sorry for all the questions. I just wanted your view on how to get the most out of these visits.

Many thanks.

Piggy, I think we are going for the independent offer (SPGS, so very similar to what you are looking at). There are a number of factors that have brought us to that decision but the main one is that DD just loved it there on all the exam days and looking round. And I thought they made the process very non-scary and easy for her so it seems to me a place where children are valued, which is v important to me. I was not very impressed with the Tiffin process tbh although I do think it's a good school and I liked the talk from the headteacher we heard there.

It's difficult, isn't it? Although a good difficulty to be working through!

Heliophilous, I and my partner am currently leaning towards GL.

For me, I was impressed by the way the school staff treated us and our situation. They were kind enough to arrange a viewing for us and DD to see the school. As we told them we honestly never thought she had the option of attending the school.

Tiffins was the only realistic option that we dare hope for. And I still believe it is a great school with great opportunities. I was fortunate to have spoken with the head teacher of Tiffins at a teaching event. He seems very friendly and sensible person.

I have had 2 nieces attend the Tiffins school, who went onto Oxford and LSE. The one who went to Oxford, told me one thing she noticed about the people from the independent schools (during her first year), is that they had the same knowledge academically as her. But they had more self belief in themselves and that made them more confident.

And as you have mentioned, how a school deals with stressful times (like exams) reflects the general ethos of the school and is a good gauge on how they would look after the children in their care.

We are blessed to have this dilemma (assuming we get Tiffins). Best of luck with your decision. SPGS is an amazing school and will be an amazing opportunity for your DD.

If I remember correctly Tiffin is in the middle of nowhere on Richmond Road between Ham and Kingston. There's nothing around it.

G&L would be cooler location wise. Alot more going on, more places to go especially as she gets older.

Congrats to your dd.

Tiffin Girls is only a 10 minute walk from kingston town centre.

Really? Maybe to the boundary with the station but deep into Kingston where the good bits are, I dont think so.