Sacred Heart Hammersmith (vs Putney High)

[MartaHamm]

New to mumsnet and have been searching for information about Sacred Heart High School (in Hammersmith) to no avail.
Our daughter has offers from this outstanding state school as well as 5 independent schools (of which we have for now accepted and paid a deposit for Putney High and declined the others). We are however now having second thoughts and we think that perhaps we could save the cash and take the place at Sacred Heart which is also an amazing school. Also, we are 20minutes walk from SHHS and a 40-50 journey (tube+walk) from Putney High.
Our daughter is very good at sports and likes drama and music, which is why we first choose independent route but is the provision really so lacking at Sacred Heart? We could do a lot of extra curricular stuff with we the money we save! We were also first concerned about class sizes but this might not be an issue in reality (?). Most of the girls I see in the street seem really nice...
.
I guess what we are looking for is an honest opinion from current parents at Sacred Heart regarding:
*the sports and extra curricular activities provision
*how do the girls get set, and is this just for maths and English?
*how do they identify and stretch bright girls when the class size is so large (33 if I remember correctly)?

We are both catholic and state educated, but not in this country. Although not wealthy by any means (good sized mortgage) we could pay for the fees relatively comfortably (we both work), and therefore it is not just about fee vs free (but we will take into account how much easier life would be with no fees!). We would like to decide by the end of the week and we are very confused at this point. Thank you in advance for your opinions!

[SW3mummy2]

I am considering for my daughter to go to Sacred Heart High School (SHHS). I know it is oversubscribed therefore need to consider a Plan B if she does not get accepted. Can someone advise the retention at SHHS / if on the waiting list what are the chances of getting a place within a year or two?

[Karmelek]

Hi, my littelone is in year 6 and we are looking at Sacred Heart. Was your final choice sh?if it was would you advise this school? Is your girl happy there. Many thanks for advise.

[MargSal]

Hi MartaHamm, I’m a bit late but only just seen this thread. I used to teach at SHHS and can assure you it is a truly amazing school. The girls are pushed but the staff are extremely caring. Lots of activities: music lessons, school choir, PE clubs, other extra-curricular clubs (all teachers have to offer at least one extra-curricular activity a week), etc. Of course the school can’t afford to offer what private schools do but there is so much going on. I am sure your DD will be very happy there. PM me if you have questions.

[testbunny]

Well done for making a decision, MartaHamm! Always best to go with your instinct.

[MartaHamm]

Thank you to everyone for your contributions! 🌹

[MartaHamm]

I will look into the places you mention. I think I know which school your daughter attends. Too far for us but I have heard good things. I hope she enjoys her remaining time there!

[MartaHamm]

Thank you Nettleskeins for the comments. It does seem as if there are no SHHS parents here but I guess they don’t want to be identified.

[MartaHamm]

Back from a long weekend visiting family. We have accepted SHHS. We are still having some doubts tbh, and have yet to turn down the PHS offer, but we are confident that our daughter will would have been happy in either place. We will use the money saved to pay for sports and other extra curricular activities, tutors if and when needed, some lovely holidays for her to see other countries and experience other cultures, and we would also be able to pay for her university studies so that she finishes debt free.

[Nettleskeins]

I don't think you will find many people admitting to being at a particular school, as it is too identifying once you have mentioned school year no of children in other threads. Sacred Heart can be a high pressure school, that comes with academic success, the bad stories I have heard have been on this basis, too much pressure rather than too little. Also a small site constricting activities, and the usual problems with getting good Maths teachers...but these are anecdotal. I know no parents who removed their children, although some moved at sixth form to go Co Ed. A proportion remained for the new Sixth Form which shows it is a happy place for the majority. Again anecdotal would be the fact that Sacred Heart girls seem quite sociable/party set, this again has its disadvantages as there can be some peer pressure/bitchiness, but perhaps that would be the case of all high stakes girls' schools.

[Nettleskeins]

all the girls from my children's primary who went to Sacred Heart (it was v popular "first" choice school) have been academically successful and motivated. For drama there are Saturday schools, ditto music. Arts Ed and EJMS spring to mind in the local area. Sport can be pursued independently of school if you are a runner or swimmer or dancer. Sporty girls will find sport, unsporty girls will generally not find sporting opportunities.

My daughter is not at Sacred Heart, but at another very successful convent in West London, and I have to say I think the facilities are better where she is, but in the end it all comes down to location. If you are near a school you are better placed to take advantage of the extracurricular stuff, especially when you become an exhausted overworked teen! My daughter does all sport and drama outside school, despite a myriad of opportunities in her [state] school because it is too far away once you have factored in travel and other homework commitments.

Sacred Heart is probably a local school for you, which has many many advantages in terms of friends and community, I would snap it up and perhaps change at sixth form if there are issues, using the money you save to pursue extra curricular stuff.

[testbunny]

MartaHamm, what have you decided??

[MartaHamm]

Thank you Jeanne16. You are so right. My daughter makes friends easily but at secondary school age it is probably a little more complicated.
I wouldn’t chose a school with the intention of changing her but having the possibility of moving her into the independent system if needed would make The decision easier if we decide to send her to SHHS, if you know what I mean. As in it isn’t a “there is no way back” if things don’t work.

The other concern I have is that our daughter is bright but could be guilty of doing the bare minimum if she can get away with it. I hope she is pushed as she really is capable.

Any Sacred Heart parents our there?

[jeanne16]

Don’t underestimate the complexity of moving schools in year 8 or 9. All the friendships have been established and it can be very difficult for new pupils to make friends.

[MartaHamm]

And thank you Cake too!

[MartaHamm]

Thank you Sandy. Very helpful.

[sandybayley]

Greek not compulsory. I think it's being offered as a twilight GCSE next year (from scratch).

[sandybayley]

If she joined in Year 8 she would study the languages on offer that year (say German and Mandarin) plus Latin.

If she joined in Year 9 she'd choose 3 languages of the five. I guess she'd pick whatever she studied at her previous school plus another 1 (or 2) languages from scratch. The school would advise but I think entering in either year would be fine and she'd make good progress.

Then she'd make her GCSE choices and end up studying 1 or 2 in Year 10 and 11.

[MartaHamm]

Sorry Sandy. I had not read your last message. it might be feasible if joining at y8, perhaps trickier at y9 if she had only covered one MFL until that point. is Greek not compulsory?

[MartaHamm]

I probably didn’t explain myself well. I know the core subjects will be the same as they will follow the national curriculum but say our daughter joins to Sacred Heart in y7 and then we decide it is not for her and re apply to PHS for entry in y8 (or y9). She would not have done any Greek or Mandarin for example. She can’t just join in y8 or 9 and join the normal class. How does it work?

[sandybayley]

I'd say it was very easy to start in Year 8 or 9.

PHS have a slightly unusual approach to languages in that they do French, Spanish, German and Mandarin in Year 7 and 8 (2 each year).

Latin is studied in Year 8.

Then in Year 9 they choose 3 of the 5. In Year 10 they must chose at least 1 language for GCSE - although many seem to do 2 or even 3.

I wasn't keen on the system when I first heard about it but it actually gives the girls a chance to try out all the languages before settling on GCSE options.

[sandybayley]

Latin, mandarin, French and German available to everyone at PHS as GCSE options - no restrictions.

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

Also the numbers sitting Latin/Mandarin seem very constant even in the bigger year groups. Can a Putney parent clarify if these language options are available to everyone or only the most capable linguists.

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

I just realised I picked up 2016 figures, 2017 are similar at GCSE but have 2 entries each for Latin and Mandarin at A level. I would now put money on the Mandarin A levels being sat by native speakers because the results are all A* and it is very rare for a non native speaker to achieve this, not impossible but very rare.

[cakeisalwaystheanswer]

Marta - new DCs start every year except Y11. For languages you hear a lot about DCs learning Latin, Mandarin etc in Y7 but check the number of GCSE/A level entrants to see how many continue with them. For PHS I can see 16 for Mandarin at GCSE and 1 for A level, for Latin 13 for GCSE and 1 for A level. I wouldn't be completely surprised if the Mandarin candidate was a native speaker.
And I disagree about the curriculum, it is the same. Both types of school are heading to sit GCSEs in Y11 covering the same topics,the same subjects whilst using the same text books.

[MartaHamm]

Thank you cakeisalwaystheanswer. You have raised some very valid points. I can understand children will get disheartened if that is the case. I assumed (as one of the attractions of private education is the extracurricular activities) that all children would be encouraged to make the most of the facilities. Otherwise what do we pay for?

Do you really think it’s easy to move from state to independent in y8 or y9, for example? I thought once they start - taking into account that the curriculum is not the same (eg languages: Latin/Greek/mandarin) - it would be hard to move until maybe 6th form. How does it work? Do they still test the children?