As the Tiffin results day looms, a second 2019 SW London grammars and indies thread

[FlumePlume]

A new thread to avoid the doomsday scenario of running out of posts as envelopes are opened on Friday, waiting lists move (or don’t) and e-mails are opened on 1 March.

@Geogra

May I ask why you declined TGS? Is it a distance issue? Feel free to PM me if you prefer (or decline to answer, if that is your preference ;)).

It does seem like there’s been quite a few TGS offers in this thread, yet nobody seems to be taking them up?

I think once you get invested in the indie exams/open days/glossy extras etc etc you end up going that way whern you swore you never word
(bitter experience but in my defence didn't enter TGS and also only got 4th choice state...)

I never applied to Tiffin because it’s not our area and I didn’t really know about it tbh, but it looks like it gets amazing results and it’s free! 90% ish A-A is very similar to PHS and WHS. Also, it looks like TGS gets much better results than the boys school which is around 75% A-A - I wonder why this is?

Dunno but the girls' school has historically always been stronger

@KaliforniaDreamz
I think you are right. Lots of biscuits and brochures and cool facilities at the independents.

I was never going to turn down TGS though because I couldn't really afford the independents. Really we did the independents as a back up if we weren't happy with the state option. Also I hoped for music scholarships but DD only got one that didn't make a massive impact on the fees.

It felt sad at the time to turn down my preferred independent but I now feel happy not to have chosen that path especially when quite a few girls from their prep school showed up at TGS!

grape i would take a great state option if offer on the table, for sure.

So, we have this dilemma now and until noon tomorrow to decide.

WHS vs TGS. 20 minutes on one bus vs 1 hour (walk then train then bus). Local friends vs very geographically spread. I think Tiffin comes with some pressures that may be more cushioned at WHS?
I haven't tried the biscuits at WHS but DD loved the chicken nuggets at Tiffin.

We are veering more towards WHS. Mainly because DD preferred it.

@sweetnhappy the main difference really is the money...

exaclty if it's not a prob re fees you ill get extras at an indie.
if money a prob go with TGS

journey time important.

i reckon there's a more jolly hockey sticks vibe at WHS
and a more serious get on with it independent study vibe at TGS

sorry gave up punctuation for Lent

There will be little difference in pressure between TGS and WHS. Truth is the pressure at an academically selective school tends to come from the girls themselves. These schools obviously attracts high performing, perfectionist girls. When everyone around you seems to be getting great marks, it does put pressure on you to keep up/outperform the others. It’s a definite negative in my mind

Canada, for us the journey to Tiffin is awkward (no direct public transport) and quite long (almost an hour). We also don’t have any local friends attending and at application stage it looked as though there would be a good sized group.

I love the school and think the grounds and facilities and extra curricular opportunities are fantastic.

I hope we all get the schools we are waiting for tomorrow!

I agree with Jimjam.

So far TGS seems to be going out of their way to make things as relaxed as possible for the girls. There is definitely not that much homework and they have a pastoral lesson where they talk about their feelings etc.

But it could be that for certain children the very nature of being at an academic school could be stressful. Or they could put too much pressure on themselves to excel. Or their families might.

Sweet - as others have said it probably comes down to fees versus free. We did try for TGS but dd has not been offered a place (yet!)The journey to TGS for my dd sounds similar to yours and I did feel uneasy putting her through such a commute every day. We have gone for our nearest indie which has a great reputation but I’m relieved in a way we didn’t have the dilemma. My dd was also certain she did not want to go to TGS after the exam experience (queuing and sitting in silence for ages). I agree the cookies at the indies are a big incentive for the children. Where were the chicken nuggets at Tiffin??!
Have you other children and are they in state or indie? I think that makes a difference for holidays and school day length. And even paying for one and not the other?
One girl showing us round an independent school said she had a sister at Tiffin who had far more homework than her and felt the teachers at Tiffin were stricter and less approachable than hers at the indie. Just one person’s opinion but made me think if it was the right school for my dd.
The other thing that worries me about TGS is whether the tutoring continues. I wouldn’t want to tutor my children through senior school.

I hope the waiting is not destroying the weekend.

I am waiting for the little one to give her verdict on G&L v TGS.
Either way, that will free up a place for someone somewhere.

For us, TGS will take around 45 mins door-to-door by public transport and 30 mins via taxi (much cheaper than G&L fees) while G&L takes around 40 mins door-to-door (no taxi service for that, I am afraid!)

I am attaching data for WHS, PHS and the King's College Maths School.

With my little one in mind (who is unlikely to do English, History etc), I would place King's College Maths School above the rest for someone who adores Maths and is fine to drop Chem (the Further Maths A* proportion is 'low', but the number of students taking it is higher than any other school). Then, it's (1) SPGS, (2) LU and TGS around the same, (3) G&L, (4) WHS and PHS around the same. With an emphasis on humanities, you may see things differently. You may well question the statistical significance of the differences -- I shall leave the formal hypothesis testing to someone with more free time (better time management?) than me.

I did look at GCSE data, where SPGS, G&L and TGS look very strong. LU somewhat below (I blame the male of the species for this) and WHS/PHS looking good, but below G&L and TGS.

Anyway, interesting to look at while I watch over child number two and her NVR. God, this never ends...

Canada - I wouldn’t worry to much about the A-level stats just yet. They can always move for 6th form if there are specific reasons. Also, importsntly, schools change a lot over a five year period. For instance, six or seven years ago there was perception that St Paul’s Boys was a cut above Kings. This is no longer the case. Have a look at the “Best Schools” website and compare GCSE results for 2018. If I remember, quite a few local girls schools are now doing marginally better than Westminster, St Paul’s Boys and KCS. The girls schools dominate in the top 10 and there is literally less than a percent between many of the schools in this bracket.

Sorry I don’t know how to link to the site, but this is the first few schools and LEH, PHS, WHS are there if you scroll down a little. LU’s GCSE have fallen slightly since my DC joined, now they get similar to PHS and WHS which was not the case 5 years ago. LU have withdrawn from league tables.

For my daughter, her academic has never been my main focus, she is very motivated to do well in any subject, we usually have to slow her down. She’d like to be stretched further in academic however our focus as parents have always been offering her challenges in other areas(music, arts, sports etc.), hopefully for her to have more rounded school life. We live only 3 miles from Tiffin however the walk to the bus stop is a good 15 mins, there is only 1 bus then another long walk from bus stop to the school. The school we are going to is only 10 mins on the tube or 20 mins on the choice of 4 buses and all the bus stops are only 2mins from home or to school. Either tube or bus will take her maximum 25 mins each journey. I am sure all the schools are amazing though, I am sure there will be bumps in the ride for any school for any child, we will have to keep fingers crossed, work with them and the school and hope for the best. If parents aim for Oxbridge destination then grammars might be better choice to be honest as it still falls into “state” category and will be better favored in comparison to Indies kids.

Will the registrars call and make offers before 9am tomorrow, to try and help families avoid losing deposits for another school?

@Geogra - I would guess one minute after their deadline expires. That is only when they will truly know how many empty seats they have.

We liked the cute PHS biscuits too but did have to remind ourselves when choosing between offers that the special biscuit is part of their marketing and effectively cost us £100! Same with the coffee for parents on open days. Whereas TGS is publicly funded and has to test anyone who applies for free, hence the limited opps for show-rounds and rigid crowd control on exam days...Best of luck to everyone with offers and choices. I have been lurking partly to try and reassure any TGS ditherers (as I was one) but also because altho 11+ is thankfully long behind me (dd is our youngest) I remember the angst of it all vividly!

Thanks, really interesting perspectives. I guess it boils down to money and journey time/complications.

I know by not paying fees I could pay for other enrichment activities but I worry that with a long journey there would not be the time or energy to do any.

littlemisslucky the chicken nuggets and potato wedges were at the annual July open day. We went twice (when DD was in year 4 and then year 5).

Jimjam68 really interesting to read your post, do you think if Tiffin comes up you'd take it for DD?

We didn’t apply for TGS as are outside the inner catchment but it sounds super tempting in terms of very strong academically and freeeeeee! I love the post about - taking a taxi there everyday - as still a load cheaper than an indie

No Sweetnhappy, our decision is made. WHS it is. For all the reasons you list, better journey, more local friends, smaller school. I think you will get an equivalent education at both. I know people with DDs at Tiffin and they are very happy, and say their DDs don’t mind the journey. If we do get a Tiffin offer I will feel quite conflicted. The money we would save and it feels like such an achievement to get into Tiffin for some reason. But our mind is made up.