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Original poster

SW London girls independent/grammars thread 2020

999 replies

autumnnightsaredrawingin · 05/10/2019 22:56

Last year, there were two amazing threads which were super helpful about exactly this, so I wanted to start a thread for girls due to start September 2020. If anyone from last year wants to contribute please do!

We have narrowed our choices down to 5, sadly not in the right postcode for Tiffin, and decided not to do the Sutton grammars.

So, she will be doing PHS, WHS, LEH, SHS and Woldingham. Also registered for Emanuel but we may pull that one.

OP posts:
Original poster
Autumnnightsaredrawingin · 06/02/2020 15:14

The waiting is a nightmare! @almost231 LEH isn’t until 22nd Feb! Sad Head mistress confirmed they post letters on 21st... so still over two weeks to go. Putney says ‘mid Feb’ and I hope that means post Thursday 13th to arrive on 14th but who knows! Good luck to all. Come and update us on WHS etc results too!

OP posts:
chevronrosie · 06/02/2020 20:07

Am kind of over it all now. The whole process is so drawn out. Waiting on WHS this week then LEH at end of half term. DD seems not in the least bit concerned, so am taking her lead!

givemesomewineplease · 06/02/2020 20:20

I'm with you, I'm so over this now! Another week to wait for dd's first offers and then a week after that for LEH. Am excited to finally find out but also dreading bad news!

Good luck for WHS and Harrodian results in the next few days everyone!

ColaPip · 07/02/2020 12:07

Oh my goodness, I've heard from a friend that WHS results are out. I was expecting them tomorrow and I'm at work (I usually work from home on a Friday, damn). I'm reliving the torture of being away for the Surbiton results all over again!
Good luck to all waiting! Fingers crossed for good news.

almost231 · 07/02/2020 12:09

Yes they’ve arrived today. I wasn’t expecting it either . My DD got a place, and I’ m delighted and know she will be too. We’ll definitely be accepting. Wishing you all waiting best of luck too!

ColaPip · 07/02/2020 12:11

That's wonderful news almost. Congratulations!!

Springboard · 07/02/2020 12:55

An offer, with an academic scholarship! So pleased for DD!! Wonderful for her, but some difficult choices already and we are still waiting for 2 schools...
Good luck everyone waiting, hope the postman comes soon and brings good news.

Stircrazyschoolmum · 07/02/2020 13:31

Wow! Fantastic news almost and springboard. Keeping everything crossed for you cola... I’d be making excuses to go home early!

Springboard excuse my naivety, but an academic scholarship sounds awesome, what is making you consider turning it down? (I ask out of curiosity rather than judgement as it will be my DD in the hot seat next year and any form of scholarship feels like the holy grail from 12 months out!!)

Springboard · 07/02/2020 13:38

@stircrazyschoolmum She has a (different type of) scholarship offer from another school. So it's a decision between the two rather than turning down a scholarship. A very fortunate position to be in, I know.

PhilippaFawcett · 07/02/2020 13:39

No offer for us but she is 'top third' of the waiting list, whatever that means. Waiting until next Friday (and thereafter) for the others now.

chevronrosie · 07/02/2020 14:14

Wasn’t expecting to hear today - offer with scholarship for DD! Very proud of her, she’s doing so well.

Well done to everyone else with good news and good luck to those waiting x

@PhilippaFawcett top third waiting list sounds like a good result. If dd gets LEH we’ll be releasing her place - it’s still her first choice by some way

PhilippaFawcett · 07/02/2020 14:23

Thanks @chevronrosie. To be perfectly honest Wimbledon is quite low down our priority list, but now I am a bit worried about the ones we do really want (LEH). I think I have an anxious couple of weeks ahead...

ColaPip · 07/02/2020 14:26

@PhilippaFawcett - I agree top third sounds promising given all the movement likely over the next few weeks. Lots of luck for the others

Congratulations chevron and springboard Delighted for you and your DDs.

Small chance that DH will be able to make it home soon if a meeting finishes early. Otherwise, I'll be making an escape soon Smile

Springboard · 07/02/2020 14:34

@PhilippaFawcett I have heard that WHS's new format can be unpredictable, and some girls prefer the "normal" approach of English, maths etc. I know there still a long wait which doesn't help the nerves (it's so drawn out!) but I'm not sure WHS is a benchmark for the others.

Congrats to your DDs @chevronrosie and @ColaPip!

PhilippaFawcett · 07/02/2020 14:55

@Springboard and @ColaPip thank you for the virtual hugs and congratulations to your daughters!

ColaPip · 07/02/2020 14:59

We haven't received the WHS results yet... I hope you're not going to have to retract the congratulations, gulp.

77seven · 07/02/2020 15:48

Hi, just came on to say, if anyone doesn’t get their letter today for WHS or any other school, don’t have this hanging over you all weekend, Your prep / primary will almost certainly have have had an email (probably yesterday), so just call them and explain your post hasn’t come.

givemesomewineplease · 07/02/2020 16:10

Some fantastic news here! Well done to the brilliant girls who've got the offers and extremely well done for the scholarships. And top third waiting list sounds very promising. Hope you get good news tomorrow @ColaPip. Long wait until next Friday for us!

almost231 · 07/02/2020 16:16

@77 do you mean all the private secondary schools email the primary schools ( state included) to let them know if children receive offers? Do they let them know if they don’t get an offer too? I never knew this before

Springboard · 07/02/2020 16:19

Sorry @ColaPip, that will teach me to try to message while at work Blush I hope it is good news when you get home!

ColaPip · 07/02/2020 16:28

@Springboard - thank you! I'm really hoping you have incredible foresight Grin

Frostyskies1223 · 07/02/2020 16:52

@almost231 , some but not all schools advise the heads (who have written the references) in advance. It's a list saying who has been offered & who hasn't. I think WHS sent it earlier this week. A prep head would never let a parent know in advance, it's used more to prepare the head for an unexpected no,

77seven · 07/02/2020 16:58

almost - yes I’ve had 4 go through this (from a prep) and in nearly all cases, the head who wrote the reference received notification before we receive the letters. It’s common for them to be emailed as the letters are sent out (is they know the day before). I don’t see why it would be any different for state primary schools.

This happened years ago, I remember, I went to school pick up on the Thursday before half term, having been out all day, and various people were telling me the LU letters had come that morning! We’d been expecting them the following day. The head saw my face in the corridor and told me DS was in. Thank god, because it would have been a nervous drive home! Even when we got home the letter hadn’t arrived.

Once the results are out, they’re out, so ask your head or call the school in question and they can tell you in the absence of the post.

77seven · 07/02/2020 17:03

For SPGS the head told me they heard the evening before - this was last year. G&L they knew the day before too. I presume it’s the case for all schools. But heads don’t generally tell you beforehand and it’s not the fine thing to ask.

They will tell you if it’s 5pm on the day others have their letters, but your post hasn’t come though.

FlumePlume · 07/02/2020 18:34

I think WHS offered top third of the waiting list last year - they certainly went fairly deep into it. So don’t lose hope!

On primaries knowing, I had no sign ours did (though they clearly knew about Tiffin before I told them). But it may have been because they won’t write references, so there was no named contact for them that a school could use, just a general admin email.