Old Palace and Royal Russell in Croydon

[ContinentalMum]

Hi there. Am new to all this. Anybody has an oppionion on the above? Read about the Old Palace of John Whitgift in my bible: "The Good School Guide" but can't find anybody who actually knows it. Same about Royal Russel. DD1 to start 2008. Local comprehensive is quite bad. Also like Ibstock Place and Sutton High. Not sure about Emanuel. Any views?

Hi CM,
I think you'll find Old Palace is a bit of a hot house - I've actually seen it referred to as an "academic powerhouse" - but it does get fantastic results. My neighbour's daughter goes there and loves it, though!

As for Royal Russell - very nice school, beautiful grounds (100 acres, I think), but not in the same academic league as Old Palace. However, it is very friendly and relaxed - I know children at the Prep, though, not Senior school. It really depends on your DD and what you are looking for. Do you prefer single sex or co-ed? Is she a real high flier or not?

Sorry, I'm not up to speed on the other schools you mention. If you are looking in the geographical area of Old Palace and Royal Russell there is also Croydon High School (also girls only) which is a very good school too.

Hope this helps!

Thank you. DD1 is quiet and shy in class and boystrous (?) outside class. She loves school and learning, is doing well but not gifted. Wouldn't really want anything too pressured, prefer an alround school with lots of extra-curricular activities, but still good results. One can only dream

The girl options are Old Palace, (hot house reputation, but does still produce some normal girls), Royal Russell (in terms of reputation it is the school you opt for if your child has failed all grammars/selective independents, or you need boarding), Croham Hurst (traditionally school for "nice" girls, but is joining the Whitgift foundation soon - which contains Old Palace too, so will be able to offer more bursaries and therefore attract more of the grammar level girls) and Croydon High - GPDST. All of these schools have junior departments so you would need to check how many join at 11. There is also Wallington Girls Grammar, which is another favoured school (and of course free).

Hot housing - really depends on the child. Ds1 is at a school known as a hot house, but doesn't know any different. I think he prefers to play rather than work, but would have that preference at any school!

Would also add that OP has a disproportionately high Asian intake (who tend to prefer single-sex schooling, and are keen on seeing their children work hard). The majority of parents will be pushing for their children to aimm for law, accountancy or medicine.

My SIL went to old palace and from what she says I would say it was very academic in outlook. I did my teaching practise (12 years ago) at Royal Russell, it has stunning grounds and is friendly, but as others have said not as academically driven as others. There are lots of extra curricular activities. Many of the boarders are from the far east which also impacts on the general atmosphere

My SIL went to old palace and from what she says I would say it was very academic in outlook. I did my teaching practise (12 years ago) at Royal Russell, it has stunning grounds and is friendly, but as others have said not as academically driven as others. There are lots of extra curricular activities. Many of the boarders are from the far east which also impacts on the general atmosphere

That's another issue: single sex or coed. keep changing my mind, coed is more like the real world and with single sex there are no distractions once dd1 gets older. She easily makes friends with both genders, but she's just not into girlie stuff.
Both me and my dh went to school in our home countries, coed only, and are quite confused with all the different options here and as you mentioned the reputation each school has.

Ah, Ladymuck - I forgot Croham Hurst had a Senior department!

Emmanuel is around Battersea somewhere isn't it? There is also Colfe's somewhere around there plus St. Dunstan's in Catford - both of which are co-ed. Croydon is not over endowed with co-ed independents!

You appear to be looking at quite a wide geographical area (if I may say so!) - isn't Ibstock in SW London? Is there a reason for such a wide area? Do you have boys as well as your DD? That might also influence whether or not you go for co-ed (thinking of the logistics here).

You're quite right about the location. We're in Wimbledon close to the station and are looking within 30 min of the station. So there's the tram to Croydon, SW train in both directions and district line. Because we're are just starting our research we're still quite open. Never considered independent, went to open days last autumn and after seeing local comp we decided we'd better act quickly.
Have dd2 who's still in nursery.

Ah, that explains Old Palace and Royal Russell then. Croham Hurst is also close to the Lloyds Park tramstop (one or two stops before Royal Russell), but Croydon High is a bit too far out. It is still a fair old commute though and I can't imagine that many girls will be coming a similar distance, so I would think about more local schools otherwise you are going to spend a number of years getting her to and from parties on a Saturday night!

You haven't said how easily your dd may pass a junior entrance test - OP is likely to be the toughest of those three to get into. I don't really have a good idea between Croham Hurst and Royal Russell in terms of entrance, though in the academic rankings it is OP, Croydon High and then the other 2.

Gosh, Saturday night parties, haven't thought that far ahead. Wimbledon High is close and is in contention, but not too sure about it.
According to teacher she'd be alright for 11+, would get into Wimbledon High. Current school will prepare them for the test. It's more important that she doesn't struggle when she's actually joined, but it's not too boring either.

Wimbledon High certainly gets better results than Royal Russell and, I suspect, Royal Russell is more expensive coming in at just under £12k pa. Having nosied around the websites for some of the Croydon girls' schools (not something I normally do as I only have boys!) I am really shocked at how much cheaper they are than the boys' schools!!! Be glad you don't have a boy!

Is there a specific reason you aren't keen on Wimbledon High? If you focus on that, it may help you exclude (or include) other sorts of schools further away.

Do you have ds's at one of the boys independents Elanya?

As an Old Crohamian I would second all that Ladymuck has said about schools. Old Palace has an excellent reputation academically - definite hothouse, though. Croham Hurst is the other end completely, really - or at least it was when I was there. Small school, very friendly, but absolutely the least 'academic'. Its ethos when I left (15 years ago) was very much preparing nice girls to work as teachers or PAs - very few high-flyers. It may well have changed and it will interesting to see what the Whitgift Foundation does with it. Absolutely nothing wrong with the education I received, but despite being a bright child I was never 'pushed' academically in the 14 years I was there.

Not quite yet, Ladymuck, but that is the plan. The boys are currently at state school whilst I squirrel away my pennies!!! This decision has caused me a few sleepless nights (and the occasional panicked look around the local preps) but I have stuck to my guns so far - not long to go now!

Your ds wouldn't be at CH, would he? (obviously you don't have to say!) I did like the look of that one.

WH is very crammed site and academic seems to be all that matters. Want opportunities in a lot of areas, dd might decide her happiness lies in being a philosopher and not a lawyer. Also want a down to earth school, nothing pretentious.
Am aware of the difference in fees. Can't see any reason behind it.

Elenya, once you know the area then there aren't that many boys prep schools. We live outside most state school catchments so it was Purley Oaks, Byron or pay...

Fees-wise I wonder if it is linked to the fact that the boys school tend to have larger grounds? I also suspect that the levels of subsidy offered by GPDST schools means that other girls school have to keep their fees closer in line (though have never understood how GPDST schools in neighbouring boroughs have very different fee structures).

I've not been online for a few days - poor dh has been working in the evenings at home so has been hogging the computer!

Is it okay to resurrect this thread? CM, I agree that the fees structure is confusing - I suppose Royal Russell is good value if you are paying per acre! I do think decent grounds around the school are a plus point so if WH is cramped I can see the disincentive.

Ladymuck, I see what you mean. Where I live, suffice to say that if I had daughters I would re-discover the Catholicism of my childhood!

Does anyone know how many places there are in Year 7 at Croydon High Senior School? Also what are the class sizes there? Same questions for Bromley High Senior. Can anyone advise what are the main differences between the schools?

I think the class sizes are 20 in Year 7 but it seems to vary year to year.