KCS sixth form

[Hairychins]

DD accepted to KCS sixth form - now worrying over whether to accept! She is worried that KCS will be hard socially - too posh and too much partying. She is non-sporty, Dodo-loving, politically aware, highly conscientious, very keen and academically ambitious, but also shy and a bit introverted, with a tendency to anxiety. Wants to do PPE or law at uni. Comes from a girls grammar school, not interested in boys at all, sees them as an inferior species . Would say that it took her a while to find her “group” but is fine socially where she is now. Any views?

Why did you apply in the first place?

Not asking to be awkward just to see if the answer gives any clues

To see if she could get in partly - she wanted the challenge and the exam practice. She was attracted by the high academic support, which seems would be much better than where she is, but having succeeded (she did very well) is now beset with doubts.

Hi I'll send you a private message OP

Oh and current school doesn’t offer philosophy - Kings does.

There is a very helpful poster called @sandybaley who may be able to help. Well done to your dd, she has well done to get an offer.

OP, have you received a letter or an email? We are still waiting for the answer from them

@Victoria1083 we got a letter on Saturday.

DS: Alpha, Sporty, Sociable, very bright - was a happy round peg in a happy round hole at KCS though he's 25 now.

DD: quiet, gentle, not sporty, bit nerdy, was a happy round peg at WHS.

Both Oxbridge.
IME KCS is tough although the posh and loaded rabbit holes are silly ones to dig in.

@RosesAndHellebores why would you classify KCS as tough? Don’t think WHS is an option for us now anyway

In our experience and remember ds left 7 years ago, I am aware of a significant minority of sensitive boys who were not very happy. It was a rumbustious, high performing environment and was entirely inappropriate for our diffident and sensitive daughter. DS's was a very early cohort with the mixed 6th form but I am aware of a couple of WHS irks who went at the same time and their mother (and they) feel they'd have been happier and wd have done slightly better had they stayed at WHS.

I don't know your dd and my knowledge of KCS is out of date. The KCS 6th form is now dual IB and A'Level and girls are firmly incorporated.

I'm not sure how well a girl (anyone) at KCS would fare if they felt half the cohort were beneath then and if that is expressed by your dd she needs to be tough enough to suffer the backlash.

There are big personalities at KCS and some v wealthy families who don't generally make a song and dance about it, but your dd will need to be comfortable with her own situation and confident in herself without giving the impression she is superior.

Talk to the head of 6th form. Their knowledge will be up to date and they will know the nature of the year group.

WHS girls not irks.

I think you'll find the other girls at KCS are probably quite similar to your DD. They'll be able to pick the most academic, not necessarily sporty, as they'll be so many girls trying to get into the sixth form after years at the top girls only schools.

Yes, there are some extremely wealthy families at Kings, but also plenty of normal families too. As a previous poster said, most of these families wear their wealth well and you wouldn't necessarily know it.

I know two families with boys at KCS.

Both normal families, by no means wealthy.

One of them I know for a fact remortgaged their house to be able to send kids to private schools.

I think, like everywhere else, you’ll find different levels of wealth.

My DD is at a private school and I have no idea what some parents do. They’re very vague as in ‘work in the city’, not showy at all.

I have a DS currently in 6th form - feel free to PM me. I have only good things to say!

DD is in the Sixth Form and DS1 was.

I certainly don't consider our family posh - we're fairly standard middle class professionals in SW London - as are most of the other families my DC mix with. Of course there are some very wealthy families in the school but it really isn't an issue unless you make it one. Like a previous poster said, people aren't ostentatious about their wealth.

I cannot fault the teaching, it is exceptional and the quality of provision has been outstanding through COVID. We're in the midst of a cluster of cases and both my DC are off. I often listen in on the lessons and would love to be in them.

Having seen DS1 through his university application I couldn't have asked for better support and I can see it already kicking in for DD's medical application. As an example she's co-editing a biology magazine and contributing to it.

To the OP, DD is really enjoying the company of boys after being at a single sex school. That was one of the key factors in moving. She's surprised at how smart they are. I think they are but they have been very well taught, better than she was at her previous school.