LEH Year 7 entry - would it suit a bright but kind and caring girl ?

[Parentinfo]

Dear All,
Need advice from current/former parents at LEH senior school if it would be an ideal and nurturing environment for a bright but kind and caring girl for Year 7 entry ?
Insights on pastoral care would be appreciated.
It would be helpful to know if girls are encouraged and get opportunities for extra curricular activities (especially music, dance, art, drama) across all abilities and not necessarily for the top performing ones only
Thank you !

What are your other school options & are you waiting for grammar on 2nd March?

I’ve found LEH to be fine so far for my dd (she’s in the first year). They seem to be both nurturing and very aware of mental health. The year is just over 100 girls so there are more opportunities to be in teams than a larger school. As with any school there are a mix of characters but everyone seems kind. There are a range of clubs where everyone is welcome. Netball teams in first year are A-G (although the top teams get more matches) and the three lacrosse teams are named by colour (although the girls are fully aware of which is A,B C!) with lots of subs so everyone gets a turn. Of course this may change further up the school. Re drama there are house plays and a lower school play where the younger ones have the opportunity to audition. It’s a lovely school and my dd has settled very well. The head seems very involved running clubs, teaching geography and having lunch with the girls to see how they are getting on. Good luck with your decision

I think a lot depends on the cohort which you can't predict!

My friend's DD moved there for Year 7 and was so unhappy she left at the end of the year to go to another independent school for Year 8 where she has thrived.

Another friend's DD was so badly bullied there she left also .

In both cases I think it was just unfortunate that their cohorts were so dysfunctional. Obviously the majority stayed on and were fine.

'Nurturing' is not a word that is often associated with LEH, but the Head is great and the school seems to suit very high academic achievers. What does your DD think OP after visiting? Gut feeling is a pretty good indicator of whether she'll be happy there.

Good luck with your decision.

Thank you Schmedz for your inputs. Sorry to hear that it did not work out for your DD. Glad she has settled in well in her next school. Was your and her friend’s experience at LEH very recent ?
Just to see how long it has been since to allow any possibility of positive changes

Sorry I misread. Realised it was your friend’s DD. However knowing the approx year would help. Thanks

Thank you Chocolatedrops2 for your feedback. It’s good to know your DD has settled in well. How is the commute back home supported by school post after school clubs ? We would like DD to avoid making long public transport trips frequently in evening after clubs in case we are unable to pick up. Thus thinking of relocating to closer to the school (as we are currently in Surrey) -any recommendations ? Would Hampton itself be a good area to relocate ? Thanks

OP - friend's DD left 3 years ago now. The other girl was there even longer ago.

@Fortyskies1223 - have offers from SHS and PHS. Waitlist at GHS and WHS
Any suggestions which would suit more ?
Going by previous years, do the waitlist convert to offers and worth waiting ?

@Schmedz - thank you. Have you had any feedback / similar unpleasant cases in last 2 years or so ?
Had heard that the new Head has been able to steer things in good direction ?

@Parentinfo I've not heard of any other issues over recent years, partly because none of my friends or families of kids I teach go to LEH. As I said, it is often a result of a tricky cohort or other unpredictable factors rather than anything the school can/cannot do.

Head at LEH definitely made improvements to its reputation of having poor pastoral care. That said, PHS and SHS do have a slightly better longstanding reputation in that area. But what is true for most won't always be true for every individual and this is almost always due to factors beyond the school's control.

Not sure about GHS or WHS but there may be some waitlist places open up after grammar offers come in. That said, they do tend to overoffer so it is probably best to choose from one of your DD's current offers - she has done so well to get three and two waitlist offers! She is bound to do well at the school she feels most positive about - don't underestimate the impact of travel time, especially if she's keen to take advantage of a range of co-curricular activities. Sport, music and drama will be taking place outside of regular school hours!

OP, I would focus on the 3 offers & probably go with LEH or PHS. My dd is at SHS & it's large & sports focused. The public transport options home from LEH are minimal for late journeys but they run a late coach service to limited locations. You will need to drive your dd to sports matches at school on Saturdays or extra drama etc so a house move may be beneficial - you could look at the Esher area which has much faster trains to London than Hampton - and many LEH school bus stops in the area.

PHS always gets very good reviews on MN too. Your dd did well to get such a good selection of offers/WL.

Hi Parentinfo
Did your DD end up going to LEH? If so, what was your experience?

@SchoolMama Yes, she joined LEH and has settled in well. She has been enjoying her time here and is very happy 😊