Wimbledon HS V Francis Holland SS

[ColaPip]

Hi all - we're very fortunate to be deciding about 11+ offers at the moment. We love both WHS and FHSS and think DD would be happy at either.

Distance-wise, there's very little in it and she could travel by tube or bus to both schools.

DD is not super-intelligent - she's strong in English/creative stuff and is weaker in Maths. Definitely not top academically. She's not musical or particularly sporty, but likes drama. In terms of character, she's thoughtful, mature and quietly confident.

She finds the headteachers at both schools really inspiring and is excited by both options.

Any thoughts? Thank you!

Well done to your DD. I don’t know WHS but my DD is at FhS and I would say it’s a pretty special school. It’s fun and jolly and relaxed yet gets really good results. The head is amazing and creates a forward looking and exciting environment. My DD wounds rather like yours and we have found that you can be who you want to be... Good luck with deciding

Hi. We have two kids at WHS. They love the school and so do we. Yes there are lots of very bright kids there and both our girls found it difficult at first because suddenly they went from being the brightest in their primaries to being average at WHS. But over time they have got use to that - and both love it in their different ways. The pastoral care is exceptional, it is small enough that everyone has an opportunity to be in the plays, loads of sporting opportunities for everyone and of course the head is inspirational - and that is important for our girls. We would highly recommend the school. Good luck with your decision!

Thank you so much for your replies. We are going to ponder a bit more, but may well have a few more questions in the coming days!

Hi. @footballnetball
What time do morning clubs start at WHS? Do they have to be at Nursery rd by a certain time for sport. Do they drop their school books at school first?. Is it just morning sports or all sorts of clubs in the am at a certain time? Thanks!

Hi Bagpipes. So I’ve quizzed the kids. Most sport is at lunchtime or after school. Swimming and rowing is before school - at school. Swimming is very early. A team netball and hockey training is before school - starts at around 7.30 and could be at school or Nursery Road. Basketball club is at school starting at 7.30. Football club is at nursery road starting at 7.30. Girls go directly to Nursery Road if their sport is there; not to school first. My girls generally avoid morning clubs but I believe there are choirs starting at 8ish. Good luck with your decision making.

The schools have different catchments. FH will be very central London. DDs of Chelsea bankers etc. Quite international. WHS will draw from quite a wide area of SW London. Yes, some affluent Wimbledon Village types, but plenty of more middle class kids from Surbiton and Merton.

Which group do you personally feel more comfortable with? (Either answer is fine!)

We liked WHS when DD applied a decade ago, partly because we thought Wimbledon would be a nice place for her to meet friends and hang out. Sloane Square, not so much.

Also look at TFLs journey planner. Wimbledon has excellent transport links. To our surprise, given we lived nowhere near, it was the closest school in terms of time of journey.