St. Catherine’s Twickenham

[After8itsgrownuptime]

Hi All, my DD ages 9 is currently year 5 at a local independent school. For various reasons we have grown unhappy with the school and DD has been offered a place at St.Catherine's for this September, starting in year 6. It would also mean no dreaded 11+ for her. She is bright but likes to coast along rather than really push herself. Will St.Catherinea push her to do her best without the ‘alpha’ feel of some other girls schools. For reference, we have also been told to look at Surbiton, swips and KGS.
Apologies for posting this in primary and secondary sections but I’m hoping to hear from parents from up and down the school. I am worried that I’m taking the easy option by going local. I know that surbiton and KGS have higher results for A levels, but they are also much bigger schools with all the issues that go with it.

I don't know the school personally, but have heard good things about it through other people. Also, if sending your dd there would mean she could avoid sitting the 11+ tests, then that's just another big bonus as far as I'm concerned!

Also know one girl about to start at Surbiton High (didn't pass LEH) who is very sporty and one boy who got offered KGS but also passed Hampton Boys so will probably go there instead.

@after8, the 6th form at St Catherine's is currently very small, the new head is trying to change this but don't take A level data into account. The basic issue is whether you do or don't want your dd to sit 11 plus. If she stays at her current school she will spend the Autumn term working on practice papers, January taking exams, Feb getting results and then March to July doing a bit of learning and a school play, residential etc. It can be a fun time after the pressure of the exams. If she moves in Sept she can be settled on her learning and making friends. St Cats prep will ensure the year 6 girls are bought up to the academic level of those taking entrance exams so they are prepared for year 7. As you say SHS is large and sporty and whilst academic some parents prefer the smallness of St Cats, KGS is urban and mixed with good sport based near Hampton Court. No doubt you have to give notice to your current prep by next week and it's a difficult without being able to visit the potential secondary options.
What would your dd like to do?

Hi OP - My Dd is there in Yr11. The new head has been amazing at getting on line learning up at running by day one. She accelerated plans when the virus got on the move so she’s shown really good leadership. DD went in near the bottom of the cohort but with the small classes, lovely girls and mainly excellent teachers she’s moved steadily up to top set. She’s staying for Sixth Form as she loves the teachers so much.

No school is perfect, and I’ve had cause to complain in the past, but overall if your girl is hardworking and able she will do very well. I think they are a bit like Emanuel was some years ago.

Thanks ladies, some really good things to consider. Basically, we would have left DD where she is, but because St Catherine’s have just announced the extra class it’s thrown us a real curve ball and made us think about things before we necessarily would have done. DD is up for trying the exam and then deciding once she has looked round (and if she is offered a place). I just want to make sure we don’t sell her short and pick St c just because it’s local and equally don’t want to over stretch her in a bigger school further away just to get one of the bigger names so to speak. Ideally, I just want a school that will push her to be her best and be happy - does St. C do this?
The feedback above has been really useful. Anyone got anything good or bad to say about the headmistress?
Also good point about the 6th form although I guess by the team DD gets there , it may be much bigger and more established

Can I ask which school your dd currently attends? Then maybe a comparison could be made between the two.

Hard to say without being totally outing, but fair enough. Currently at Newland house

Ooh! I know a member of staff who went to Newland House. Forgotton her name now 🤦🏻‍♀️

OP, firstly you must give notice to NH before 1st day of this Summer term if you are going to move in Sept and secondly are you sure that you don't want your dd to have the final year 6 events at NH? They will prepare her for SHS, SWPS and KGS if you think she would like the challenge and a larger school, SHS & SWPS both have rowing whilst St Cats doesn't. KGS has really good hockey. If you are less concerned about sport and more about her being able to easily get to school & being part of a community the go for St Cats. (This is a tricky situation, I do feel for you).

@Singingrain1223 Part of the problem is that NH has performed quite badly this year (more so for boys than girls to be fair) and I’m not sure if the new headmaster can make enough Positive changes quickly enough for DD’s. DD isn’t sporty which is another consideration for places like SHS

All the preps are having trouble with boys due to Hampton being so difficult to get into and there being so few other options around Twickenham. If your dd isn't sporty and would flourish in a caring environment then take the St Cats place & avoid 11 plus stress esp if you aren't confident about the NH preparation.

I have a daughter in the upper years of the school. Positives are - the size; the comparatively calm atmosphere compared to other schools; the inclusivity of music and sports if a pupils is that way inclined; the art; and the buildings themselves (ie modern, pleasant and airy).

The negatives are - a handful of teachers who are quite frankly shocking; some teaching is very good but a lot is very “meh”; no individual support for SEN; and a bit of a “one size fits all” approach to education.

Having said this, there is now a new teacher assigned to SEN who is much more informed and dynamic, but god, did they need it. Many girls have been badly let down along the way.

The head is a bit of a marmite character from what I can tell. She is definitely in a mission to get academic standards up, but not sure if they’ll get there with the current teaching standard and “one size fits all” approach,

Having said this, there are some very good teachers, but quite a few who have been there way too long and very stuck in their ways and quite possibly wouldn’t get a job elsewhere.

If your daughter had no SEN and can chug along reasonably well, then she will probably benefit from the smaller classes and atmosphere in the school. There is no reason why bright girls shouldn’t get too results there. But if she has any SEN or finds herself struggling in a subject for any reason, she will find that “small” does not necessarily mean “personal” because the teachers don’t seem to have the insight or ability to deal with anything that doesn’t fit into the box.

Also for very borderline cases when a grade would have been dependent on performance / luck on the day, it’s a chance for a student at the top of the A band to prove that they would have pulled it out the bag and got the A*, given the opportunity.

@catsandcoffees thanks for that info. My DD has no SEN and is reasonably bright but a bit lazy and is a coaster. I want a school that will make her work to her best but without over whelming her or denting her confidence in her weaker areas. Do you find the school supportive pastorally you the girls ? and do you think the head is going to encourage these bad teachers to move on?

My DD has SEN, and she struggled in primary with no support or acknowledgement despite Ed Phys. She's thrived at St Caths and is more than reaching her potential. Teachers respond to my emails quickly and professionally (and that includes the Head when I've asked questions). DD has a great relationship with her teachers and they've done everything possible for her, and has a lovely group of friends. They've hired a counsellor this year, but HOY will help if girls prefer to talk to someone they know (the case with one of DD's friends).

One of the reasons for the change of Head was that while the previous head was incredibly popular she was very close friends with the teachers. New Head is doing what a new head should, and reassessing. New hires have all been good, and the staff is being expanded. We hear rumours that the one teacher that really needs dealing with is leaving (in our experience).

They do set a lot of homework, from what we hear bottom sets aren't controlled terribly well, but DD started there and worked her way up so it can't be that bad. My DD does a sport at international level and the school has been very accommodating with time off, and emotional support. The Head expressed concerns this year due to GCSE work loads, and asked lots of questions so she could understand what DD was doing.

The online learning was up and running day 1. Even assemblies were videoed and on line. Girls need to log in and show attendance. The Head started putting everything in place once Covid started to move countries. They are continuing to get the girls to work, although no 'homework' is being set.

It suits us, as it gives DD structure to her days, she can chat to her friends, talk to her teachers etc etc. GCSE year is starting a Pre A level curriculum.

The school doesn't suit everyone, it has a wider range of ability than most private schools so there isn't the 'everyone must get a 7 as a minimum' atmosphere.

@Wheresthebeach sounds like you have had a very positive experience at the school. Are there any cons to the school particularly - things you wish you had known before you joined?
@catsandcoffees did your daughter join at year 7 or was she in the prep?

Also, I guess the really question is, if you had your time again would you still have sent your DD there or would you have gone elsewhere?

We would def do the same again, although I wasn’t so sure when we joined. I had concerns about all girls.

Cons are that its very Catholic, which we aren’t but we can’t really complain about the praying I guess. IT teacher is a lovely man but not very good I think. Sports teams small, but they have hired another PE teacher for next year to address this.

As I said up thread I hear the bottom sets aren’t well controlled. I think the school struggles to inspire those sets, while being very good and engaged with middle and top. I suspect Emmanuels Saturday’s detentions keep kids in line, and the nothing but 9’s is good enough ethos in other private schools also ensures everyone works hard. St Catherines doesn’t have either of those weapons in their arsenal to use and is keen on personal responsibility.

I’m so sorry about that post the other day about “borderline cases”. That should have been on a different thread

I definitely agree with Wheresthebeach about the new head needing to weed out certain teachers who quite frankly, have been there donkey’s years it seems, simply on the basis that they were friends with the old head. Some of them are no doubt lovely people, but just completely out of touch. I can think of one who is particularly shocking and wouldn’t last five minutes in any other school. I’m sure the head is doing her best to get certain teachers to move on and out, but obviously this can’t be done overnight.

My DD has lovely friends so I can’t say her experience has been bad. There are some very good teachers there now and I’m sure the head is on a mission to make the place more dynamic - I can see this. DD has friends who will do very well in the GCSEs, I’m sure.

Our experience hasn’t been great on the teaching side, but I think DD has been particularly unlucky. Not in all cases and I do want to emphasise there are some really lovely teachers, but we’ve experienced teachers who didn’t even seem to know who she was at parents evening, this kind of thing. You just can’t get anywhere with this and, as I say, it just wouldn’t happen in other schools.

But if your DD is average or above academically and as the teachers become more dynamic, there is no reason why she shouldn’t benefit from the smaller class sizes and do very well. Another plus is that it’s not as “socially edgy” as bigger schools and this is a very good thing.

Thanks ladies. How many are in a class?

There’s only about 15 in a form and three classes in a year.

So this is why it’s quite disconcerting when you arrive at parents evening and the form teacher stares at you blankly

Some of the homework used to be quite poorly thought out in years 7-8. For instance, I’ll never forget the ICT homework was “Make a poster about cyber safety” - every week for almost two terms. DD made about four posters and then stopped. I think one of them had to say something in the end.

As you move up the school, the homework does seem more targeted and relevant.

ICT is a weakness for sure.

DD is in Yr 11, forms are 17-20, class size depends on set. For example, triple science is only about 12 so they get a lot of attention, other sets are larger. Personally I think science and maths is a strength at the school (although there is one maths teacher we hear is leaving, which would be very good news).

Socially it's a mix, DD is definitely a proud geek and has found lots of friends. Interestingly the 'cool' girls seem quite inclusive during class and planning social events - something DD didn't experience in primary.

Communication is improving a great deal under the new Head.

OP, without giving too much away did you make a decision re your dd in September?

We haven’t decided yet as we haven’t had the official offer letter - although we have emails making the offer, but I need the paperwork before we jump ship. We have also missed the deadline for giving notice at our current school which is probably a blessing in disguise as this means we don’t have to make a rushed decision and perhaps can revisit the St catherines if it reopens before the end of term. I also made few enquiries to other schools and it seems that lots have places in year 5 for this September when traditionally I wouldn’t have expected any.