Eltham or Alleyns or Dulwich

[user1489589564]

Hi all

DS is aiming for all the three in sep 2020 start.

for us nearest is Eltham. Regardless of that, which one do you all think is the best we should go for?

Thanks

Yep @DSPMS we got a letter this morning...

Ours arrived now and lovely post card from the Head.
Anyone else have a Girl offered for Eltham and debating how they will feel with the boy to girl school ratio? The letter is re assuring as expecting 30-45 % - great to be part of the start but also the test run !!!

I have a girl offered a place. My personal feeling is that the girls will be looked after amazingly well as they are their marketing material for next year ;-) I have an older son at the school and it is a brilliant school. But - yes - the girls are guinea pigs! It's a risk but probably, on balance, a worthwhile one! Depends where else is in the mix for your daughter...

My boy has an offer and we also have concerns re the first year of co-ed and indeed the relatively small intake of new boys. Could be exciting to be part of that first year though!

Congratulations to your girl @EnidAlexandraRollins

Congratulations to your son @chalkyc2 lots of chat about how it would much harder for new boys so you should be very proud

Ah well don't to your girls too. I think we're going to accept eltham so see you in September maybe?!

*well done, obvs 😬

The three schools are not so very different. They largely have the same strengths, and they have many. And, dare I write it, they also share a few weaknesses. No worries, only a few. If you have the choice, I recommend you choose the school that best fits your family's commutes. The school run is a daily recurring pest. Best to perform a few 'dry runs', particularly in morning rush hour.

personally would be very weary of sending an 11 year old girl in to the first Y7? Even if they are 30-40% of the year (which I doubt) - the 4 years above them are 100% boys which would make for an odd dynamic.

My son is at EC. The news indicates that it will be 50pct.

how can it be 50% if there are 3 forms of boys in the junior school with guaranteed spots and more boys who have an 11+ offer if there will only be 5 forms in total?

personally I think it looks like a great school with a v inspired head, but i'd wait a few years for co ed to bed in before sending my dd personally?

As far as I understand - 5 forms of 22-24, 60 boys coming up from ECJS, 15 ish places for new 11+ boys, 35-40 girls. So around 30-35%. Probably very few if any places at 13+ now.

Also girls coming in at 7+ with 50/50 target.

I suppose it will suit some girls more than others and many schools have gone through this? Girls established in 6th form.

I have checked the news... junior school intake will be 50pct. Senior school will have a strong co-educational intake. Maybe 1 in 3 is considered strong ?

Re Senior School intake, we know some very high flying girls joining this year. Think v academic plus real extracurricular talent at county/national level. So they aren't just taking any girl. It will be the school to go to from Blackheath in the next few years. Best to get in early...

The pros of Eltham are over e.g. Alleyns that the former has the same results now, is closer for many in Bromley/Bickley/Chislehurst/Greenwich/Blackheath area, has its own dedicated bus service and the school will still try hard to please. It is also still an all rounder school - sports/music/art and drama plus academics is strong. The kids are pushed. It is a school on the up.

Of course there are some high flying girls going - suspect scholarships have been thrown around fairly liberally to make sure the coed targets are hit. Still wouldn't push my daughter down that route. Honestly the senior school will feel like an all boys school for some year yet.

I don't think education is just about results an logistics. People from Kent and SE London choose the Dulwich schools because they are... the Dulwich schools. Larger campuses, better facilities and a completely different ethos from the one Eltham is forging.

What is the ethos Eltham is forging? The campus is huge? Facilities are being improved. Drama, art and music is already amazing.

Yes, some people choose schools on reputation and prestige. Others on what they actually see on open day etc. The latter camp tends to be more comfortable in their own skin.

So people who choose Dulwich schools aren't comfortable in their own skin? Big statement!

Eltham is forging a whole new ethos under a very ambitious headmaster. It used to be a relaxed local boys school and is transforming into something quite different. That's not a negative thing, it's the truth. The public exam results are great.

The Dulwich ethos for me was summed up by Joe Spence when he said "your kids are bright and they'll get good exam results, so we'll leave that to one side and talk about how DC can expand your son's outlook".

The Eltham campus has been massively extended with the new sports ground, but the non sports campus is not as large as some.

Great news if facilities are being improved.

There's really no need to get defensive. Just because not everyone will choose Eltham over other schools, doesn't make it a bad choice.

ChnandlerBong- I am not being defensive. Was just speaking from my own experience - isn’t that obvious? As stated above, all these schools are brilliant. It is down to personal choice. I personally know some very high flying parents with high flying kids who have chosen Eltham and some more aspirational parents who have chosen Dulwich schools due to history/what they perceive to be networking potential (much further away from where we live so more hassle). The former category of parents have ample networking contacts themselves in their lives already. I personally think this networking potential that independent schools advocate is overrated - but perhaps I take it for granted due to my own history. That is my view which I am perfectly entitled to have. I also know some people who have chosen st olaves over top of the top independents and vice versa. Anyone who actually has these types of choices is fundamentally privileged in the first place. Eltham is a good school and will definitely make sure that any new year 7 girls are taken very well care of.

The Head at Eltham gave everyone with an offer of an 11+ place the opportunity to go and speak with him if they had any concerns or additional questions they wanted answered. I have just got back from my meeting this afternoon and he confirmed that 35 girls have accepted and paid the deposit for 11+ this year. Soon to be 36...

This "ambitious" headmaster thing is all very interesting. Mr Sanderson is highly intelligent but also very easy to talk to and approachable. The staff seem to like him as he is straight to the point and clear about his vision. He is a great leader. I don't understand some of the comments on this thread. There aren't enough co-ed places in the South East London area- even most of the grammars are single sex. There are 3 really good boys schools - Dulwich College/Trinity and Whitgift (sorry if I have missed any others - not that clued up). I think it makes total sense to go co-ed and offer all us parents more choice. Some people prefer single sex, others co-ed.

Some comments are puzzling to me. I have never heard about this 'networking potential'. Not on any open day. My son is in his sixth year at EC, Year 8. He 'networks' a lot, on his X-box, just like almost all boys of his age, at all schools. Furrhermore, I do not regard any of the three schools as famous. Outside of this country, only a few British secondary schools are commonly known by name, and they are the large boarding schools. As for famous alumni, there are two sides to that. For instance, the most famous alumnus of Dulwich College surely now is: Nigel Farage!

or Bob Monkhouse!!

agree -networking is an odd reason for anyone to select a school for an 11 year old?

Re Mr Sanderson - agree he is very personable and charming. Not sure the communication re the move to coed went down with some of the current parents who had already bought into single sex education for their sons. When we went to an open day he was very pro single sex ed so it was quite a u turn?