SW London boys, 11+ grammars and independents

[Jumpalicious]

Hello, I know there’s an excellent thread for the girls. Not sure if there’s one for the boys? Anyone want to come on board? I know we can’t divulge details of round two grammars since there will be late sitters, but was thinking more of a support thread. Any takers?

Wanted to be in a good position to make a prompt decision once all the letters are in, and have started to look at fees and extras. I knew Reed’s was more expensive than the others we applied to ( I know lunch is included. )

Does anyone have a view on the benefits of Reed’s vs an RGS or Hamptons? It was a while ago but I remember the grounds and faculties were pretty special.

Kind of assumes we will have options to choose from

@thisonesfortheroad thank you for the feedback. We were always happy to go for Challoner but did hear a few concerning things about lockdown which was why we entered the independent school process. Were your colleagues considering private do you know? Was the other school you mentioned Wimbledon College?
@ElonanotAlone Have you chosen a school? My son really likes Epsom but I think it’s largely because we managed an external visit plus he really enjoyed his interview with the Geography teacher so he has a better feel than St. John’s which was all done online. I’m more concerned about the longer days and Saturdays than he is!

St. John’s seem to be trying harder than Reeds to give a bit of a virtual feel to offer holders. We’ve already been sent details to attend a Q&A session on Thursday and DS has been united to select activities he’d like to take part in on 27th Feb which I like the sound of.
We have to wait to see if he gets an offer from Epsom.....

Thank you all for the comments, it’s really helpful throwing the ideas into the pot (confused)

DS prefers Reeds to Hampton because it's smaller. Coming from a school prep school in a year of 20, the idea of having 100+ in a year is quite scary, whereas Reeds has smaller classes. But whether that remains a plus as you grow up is debatable.

The downside of Reeds for us is no football, whereas at Hampton it's one of the main sports. But I genuinely think we could flip either way - and may be getting asked of ourselves in thinking we'll get a choice!

I'm surprised there's no mention of an offer holder event for Reeds though - unless I missed it? Seems odd when other schools are doing something, even if it's virtual.

@Growupsofast , if you get the Hampton offer straight out and not WL (not that is makes any difference ability wise once the ds start) from your gut feel you will probably be able to make a decision re Reeds v Hampton.
RGS v Hampton is a bit harder esp as fees structure is the same. Often the decision comes down to sport esp Rugby, my ds has never played rugby and by opting for Hampton will never have to. I would have thought the music is stronger at Hampton and RGS than Reeds but I don't know. To be honest it's so strong at Hampton you have to be gifted to get a look in. Finally everyone says it, journey is really important and obviously no train option for Hampton unless you want the long walk from the station. (I'm guessing you out of the TFL bus routes).
It does make the ds more dependent on you for any school collection, ie after a school trip
and all the Saturday sport.
Hampton has been the making of my ds giving him academic challenges in the classroom all the time. The level of the teaching is eye opening and I can see how they achieve such amazing GCSE's and alevel results. They push through the curriculum at a staggering rate, my ds can easily keep up and would be been bored at a school with a more normal pace.

@BookShark I contacted Reeds to see if they were planning anything and they said they were going to put a video together which should be released next week. I agree that I would have expected that to have been prepared prior to offer stage as they require an acceptance deposit no later than 1st March. Also, not a biggie but Epsom sent us a personalised Christmas card, St. John’s sent one from the head but Reeds didn’t send anything. Some may say it’s a waste of funds but I thought it was a nice touch and DS loved receiving the personalised one. Reeds were also the only ones not to send a ‘well done’ email thanking DS for adapting so well to a challenging year. I really like how the Head at Reeds comes across though as he seems very genuine and approachable whereas Epsom head is invisible to parents by all accounts.

Re head of Epsom, I have a friend who has had 2 x ds go through the school, both recently left, and she has never spoken to the headmaster.

Hi all. Just dropping in to say i have 2 kids at Epsom and they couldn't be happier. One is very sporty and flourishes due to all sport available , the other is academic and loves the extracurricular activities like debating class and creative writing. They have such a wide range of activities open to them including all the main sports but also drama, shooting, climbing, cooking, swimming and even cheer leading (!) to name a handful - and all on site. They do prep at the end of the day and come back on the bus cheerful and happy with no homework for me to have to support... the Saturday school is sport only for the first two years .. the same as most other independents. Also I have found that the head is very much present and is interactive with parents - and during Covid - has kept in touch through weekly letters etc . All that to say it's a good school with many outstanding academic as well as sporting achievements

@Growupsofast we have applied to two out of your three - tbh the sports issue is one we didn't even look at because our DS isn't at all sporty, but we chose RGS and Hampton because we liked their urban, down to earth, grammar school type vibe when we looked round them. We didn't apply to Reeds because its vibe seemed far more 'glossy glamorous private school' (based on location, grounds, facilities etc) and we were both a bit uncomfortable with that. Very much our own personal reaction though and not a negative on the school at all. They are all amazing schools in their different ways.

I have no idea if DS will get any offers - the competition is just so intense this year - but I would definitely agree with @Singingrain1223 about ease of journey needing to be a key factor in the final decision - if we're lucky enough to have a choice, that is.

Good luck to everyone! Not long to wait now...

@Delta10 thanks for the info, I'll keep an eye out for that. I agree, Reeds have seemed quite clinical throughout this process, which seems a bit daft - DS has definitely changed his mind at several points based on who sent him cards etc.

@FlyingPandas it's interesting that you say that, as we are definitely not obvious private school candidates (live in a small 3 bed semi, definitely felt our Focus was out of place among the much posher cars at the Reeds open day etc.). But we didn't get that feeling as we looked round - everyone was very friendly and we could see DS fitting in with no problems. But despite that, it is a concern - he's already conscious that his house is smaller than those of his prep friends, and I don't want to exacerbate that by picking the wrong school.

The daft thing is that we could move, but see no need to as we'd rather spend/save our money differently - but it's a very obvious difference for some kids. I just hope it becomes less of an issue as they get older - but it's an argument in favour of the (relatively) cheaper schools.

@BookShark it's not at all that we didn't think Reeds was friendly - we had the same reaction as you, everyone was really lovely when we looked round - but it just felt glossy and leafy in a way that the other two didn't. That could very well have just been our own reaction though. I think more than anything we just prefer a town/urban vibe for a school to a more leafy one, probably because we're all more in our comfort zone in the urban scenario - it's what we (DH, myself and kids) are used to.

I genuinely think you will get a mix of all sorts of families at all the different indies - some families will be immensely wealthy, many others far less so - and you just have to go with what you feel is best fit at the end of the day.

Hi all, have been reading this post with interested and would be grateful for thoughts.

We are in the very fortunate position of having offers from both Reeds and St John’s, which we and DS are thrilled with! Both are great schools and choosing between them is proving to be problematic, as 1) we are considering not just DS but also DD who is two years younger and 2) we are also considering a house move in a couple of years (e.g. to Esher area).

I can’t see a clear difference in terms of academics or facilities so the choice is being heavily influenced by travel logistics and sibling approach. A big plus of St John’s for us is the sibling policy, where the head was clear on an open day that siblings were very welcome – this would take away 11+ stress for DD in a couple of years (avoid the need to apply to say, SHS, if DS went to Reeds) and having both DC at the same school must give a stronger sense of community? The negative for St John’s is location, as the train is not an option for the places we would like to live, leaving DS and DD to get medium length bus trip of c30-40mins.

So I’d be grateful to hear from any existing St John’s parents to understand how many DC use the bus to get to school, how they find it … and indeed from any parents whose DC get a school bus and how it impacts on their general school life.

Also would be interested in views about the merits of having DC at the same secondary school and whether it is a big positive or more neutral point.

Been lurking, and will be needing to decide on schools soon. We are lucky enough to have a couple of offers but are waiting for RGS, Hampton and KCS. Like a number of people on here I guess.

We have different favourites across the family - are you all in the same position or are you settled on a preferred option?

So we applied to 4 schools and have heard back from 2. No offence to anone, but Halliford was a backup option and we'll reject that offer once DS has a confirmed place elsewhere (i.e. confirmation of deposit payment and officially given a place).

Which leaves us with Reeds, and Hampton and KGS to come next week. DS is convinced he wants to go to Reeds, but I suspect he'll reconsider that when/if he gets a place elsewhere. I wish they all just offered on the same day - we're all talking about how great Reeds would be in case that's where he ends up, but will probably change our tone if he gets other offers.

The only good thing is that DH and I are aligned, and I think DS is malleable (in the nicest possible way). So I'm hoping that deciding won't be too tricky - once we know whether we have a decision to make!

@StarSky149 my kids get a schoolbus that leaves at 7.15 and gets home at 6.45 after prep. They met lots of new boys and girls on the same bus and there's a good atmosphere - lots of fun. The first couple of weeks is a shock to e system - particularly getting up early in time for the bus but honestly that passes by half term. By the end of the term I was offering to pick my kids up on a Friday night as a treat, but they said they wanted to be on the bus with their mates 😳.

A couple of you have posted about Reeds being glamorous and wealthy. Total nonsense. It’s not at all. At least 50% of the intake are often from state schools and it’s not showy money (that I understand Epsom and CLF can be). Just because it has a green and leafy site rather than an urban setting.

@catwoman1980

I love how passionate you are about Reeds. Your child must love it there for you to defend it and I’m so glad you have. I think anyone having a lovely experience at their school will pass comment on anyone judging from the outside. Unfortunately that’s all most can do given the inability to visit in person. I know at least 4 children from state who started Reeds this year, all lovely boys, all throughly enjoying it.

My DS picked Epsom as his school. We’re not ‘showy money’ and none of the parents I’ve met have been either.

It easy to assume from the outside what a school is like. This forum is wonderful-especially this year- for connecting those wanting to know more about a school and those whose children attend them.

My son joined Epsom without knowing anyone and now has a wee band of boys- all similar in their character- who he hangs out with.

I would say the only downside is that the children all live a fair distance from each other but that is likely to be the case wherever you go.

My son also gets the 7:20am bus and is back by 6:45pm. First week was a shock but after that he sailed in and out.

It’s tricky as the school you pick for your son is half chosen for you by this blasted test system. That said they do always end up somewhere they love as they’ve got invested and caring parents who’ve got their back. Lucky lucky sausages I say.

Best of luck to you all this week. It will all be good in the end (something I struggled to believe this time last year, but now know to be true)

@BookShark that’s a really interesting point you make about your DS being ‘malleable’ with regard to school choices. Are people generally planning to let their DC have the final say (assuming any of us are eventually in the happy position of being able to have a choice!) as to which school they go to? Or will you tell them they need to go to the one you really want? In an ideal world, the two would be one and the same, but life isn’t always like that is it?!

I don’t think DC will have final choice and I don’t think he has a very strong preference yet. This may change as he starts to learn where his friends are going though.

I think if DS wanted to pick one of his "safer" options over a more academic school, I'd be more forceful about telling him why that would be the wrong choice for him. But I do want him to feel he's had an input, so I see it as something we'll discuss together rather than us deciding without involving him.

Fortunately for us, DS has a top three, and we would be happy with any of them, so I think in the end we will all come to an agreement anyway. Although interestingly, where his friends are going doesn't seem to be a factor - one of the questions he asked in the interviews was about how people make new friends, so I think he's accepted that he'll be with new people regardless.

@Didsomeonesay I don’t have a child at Reed’s.

Has anyone heard from Epsom yet?

We just got email from Epsom. DS on waiting list for 2023 13+ entry. Anyone have any idea how much movement there is on the list? It says they won't start moving itv until 15th March.

Congratulations! I’m sure there will be lots of movement on the waiting list this year. Is your surname early in alphabet?

Does anyone know what day St George's offers are expected ?

@Iffiyas no very late in alphabet!! Does that really make a difference? Letter said waiting list opens in order of suitability for the school.