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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

As the Tiffin deadline looms, is there a girls SW London grammars / indies thread yet?

969 replies

FlumePlume · 26/08/2018 18:15

I just realised that I need to get the Tiffin Girls form in ASAP, and wondered if anyone else is in the same position? I could do with company in this process!

We’re not yet decided but probably applying to Tiffin, WHS, SPGS, Sutton High and maybe one of PHS / Emanuel / KGS.

OP posts:
tvfriendagain · 24/09/2018 21:53

I don't think the numbers applying for Emanuel will be any higher without the cap. I know many people who were panicked into registering way before they'd seen any other school and sat the exam even when they weren't that keen on the school. I think now they have moved to the same system as everyone else they will get a more sensible number of applicants- although I may be totally wrong!

Greenleave · 24/09/2018 22:49

I dont have confidence in applying only 2 schools (1 grammar, 1 Indie). We applied 5 Indie(one is already in the bag, 1 is boarding which unlikely we want her to go and not too sure if we could afford but for her to have another type of option and we know some children who go there and the other 3 are very similar and all in Hammersmith). Yes, it feels many but it feels safe and less pressurised if we have a bad day. We might drop 1 nearer to the day. I have a last minute panic today I think as I thought Tiffin is GL and some reason in my head it doesnt do multiple choice and my daughter told me today that the first stage is multiple choice. She isnt great at multiple choice type rather than tricky, hard questions type.

iwanttoescape · 24/09/2018 23:14

TVfriend, yes, will be interesting to see what happens with Emanuel! I heard 1200 this year, although may have included 10+ / not be true!

Greenleave I think 5 sounds about right, tbh.

iwanttoescape · 24/09/2018 23:20

tvfriend. If Emanuel over offer, then it didn't feel like that where we live - only 2 out of 8/9 (at least) were offered at our school. A fair few boys that didn't get offered at Emanuel got offers at Whitgift.

tvfriendagain · 25/09/2018 08:15

I think at our school ( 1 form entry) 12 applied, 10 got offers and 1 went. At least 4 of the 10 who got a place had no intention of going there but had registered years ago so thought they may as well sit the exam.
I really like the school and have another younger DC so hoping the numbers don't go crazy!

Original poster
FlumePlume · 02/10/2018 09:21

A nice morning to queue! Dd safely in, and met a few friends in the queue.

For anyone reading this next year, the queue only starts to move at 8.00, although the letter says to arrive by then - we could have taken a later train as the end of the queue was still quite long when I left around 8.30.

OP posts:
Sweetnhappy1 · 02/10/2018 09:35

We felt lucky to queue in good weather this morning! I also think we could have caught a later train but might have stressed about getting in. The queue was immense wasn't it? It reminded me of queuing for a ride at Chessington in the summer hols. Good luck to your DD xxx

montenuit · 02/10/2018 10:04

so that's why the traffic was absolutely horrendous this morning !!!

TheExtraGuineaPig · 02/10/2018 15:09

I'm in the pick up queue for the afternoon session- thank god the weather is so good!!! Coming here on the bus was hectic, had to reassure DD (who's suddenly not keen) that it wouldn't normally be like this!!!

Original poster
FlumePlume · 02/10/2018 17:10

So, now the wait until w/c 15 Oct.

I got home to find a letter with an invitation for the SPGS pre-test, so that’s another one to put in the diary. Luckily it doesn’t clash with anything (well, not for dd, anyway).

OP posts:
Greenleave · 02/10/2018 21:33

Good luck to everyone! I was told tonight that maths was tough(from someone who loves maths and is naturally good at it). My husband managed to park near

Jimjam68 · 02/10/2018 22:16

We concur re the maths.

Melfish · 02/10/2018 22:49

We’ve been having a look online at the various SW London girls’ schools and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a private day school for an average/middle set DD? I attended one about 25 years ago so I’m a bit out of date. we looked at KGS last weekend but I think the entry requirements have moved on considerably since my day. I’m booked to see Surbiton High in a couple of weeks. We’re in Kingston if that is any help.

TheExtraGuineaPig · 02/10/2018 23:18

Mine said the maths was very hard and the English was fine. She is much stronger at English

Greenleave · 02/10/2018 23:25

I went to SPGS yesterday for a music event, regretted it as we didn't feel like it. Probably because of the Admin lady who didnt make us feel being welcomeat the start. Oh well! I should have sticked to the rule that no school visit. It just happened that I could manage to get away from work for an early evening and she is free on Monday afternoon after school so we made the decision to visit in the morning only. Someone is less driven for an exam now:(.

Glaciferous · 02/10/2018 23:27

You are genuinely nuts not to be visiting the schools you are thinking of applying for. I cannot imagine why on earth you wouldn't. As you see, somewhere that looks good on paper may not suit your daughter at all whether or not she can get in.

Greenleave · 02/10/2018 23:31

Thanks for the nice words Graciferous. I thought I explained, but here, again, we think of only visiting school which we have offer. Her choice/preference and I agreed and I stick to that rule.

Glaciferous · 02/10/2018 23:38

I cannot understand why you are allowing a ten or eleven year old to dictate the terms of her future school choice. I don't understand this explanation and think you are really letting your daughter down here. Please just go and look at the schools - she might love some of them and then your choice is easier. Also, why bother to take an exam for somewhere she/you doesn't like? Much better to concentrate on places that you are both happy with.

Sunshine5050 · 03/10/2018 06:35

"Melfish", you need to visit Norte Dame in Cobham, St Catherine's in Twickenham, Radnor House, Ewell Castle, Claremont Fan and if the travel works St Theresa's Effingham and Tormead. These are all back up schools for SHS and KGS (Ewell Castle being a step below).

florenceheadache · 03/10/2018 07:22

i just read the emanuel admission policy with no caps in the future, the 145 GBP application fee will be a good money maker for the school.

AnotherNewt · 03/10/2018 07:29

That fee is pretty standard- they range from £100 to about £250. And most schools do not guillotine the number of registrations they accept.

Schools don't aim to make a profit, rather they want to cover the entire costs of the admissions process.

Has anyone seen info on how many Emanuel will be interviewing this year? Up to the lifting of the cap, it was every candidate, and they said they attached weight to it. This looks more like a straightforward 'highest mark' approach

Greenleave · 03/10/2018 07:48

@Graciferous: you have changed my mind, we will be visiting the school properly this Saturday and couple of other equally first choices. Many thanks.

Glaciferous · 03/10/2018 08:08

Oh good, I am so pleased. I know when I looked round schools there were some I expected to love and really did not, and vice versa. Good luck.

TJsAunt · 03/10/2018 10:47

Just make sure when you visit these schools that you remain (at least outwardly) neutral! We just about pulled this off with dd (despite preferring 2 of the 4 schools) as we didn't want her to ever feel she was going to her second choice school.

Meant we could then revisit once she had passed and discuss calmly together.

Best of luck all.

Greenleave · 03/10/2018 11:00

TJsAunt: that was one of the reason mine didnt want to see it. We talked about it earier this year”mom, what happens when I visit the school and like/hate it”. Us “it matters only if you have an offer”. Us”if you have choice what school do you want most, most academic or best care”.”please the best academic”. Thats why we put school in order of most academic(within the similar distance) then will be easiest to get to.

I am contradicting myself here to be honest as we sit Henrietta (at first considering it as a mock test), we came bck for second round today and I love the area. I can live here and could move. We have been living in Richmond for nearly 10 yrs now, it could be a nice change.