LEH/KGS/Surbiton/Marymount - how welcoming?

[SchoolMama]

DD applying for yr9 entry to above schools. She is bright and will do well academically but not hugely sporty or musical. Also, more introverted (but not awkward) so prefers small groups of close friends over large groups of acquaintances. Given that she would be joining in an odd year, do you have can you advise on which school would be most welcoming? I think she will do well academically wherever she goes so my priority is for her to make kind friends, be happy, have a smooth transition and gain a fast sense of belonging in her new environment. BTW we are a British family moving back from the States after 10 years hence the odd entry point.

As LEH and SHS (Surbiton) rely on a dd leaving to have space in year 9 I would wait until you have the offers to make the decision although saying that there is more movement in all these schools than you would imagine.
KGS has a small entry point at year 9 so she would be part of a new cohort.
Marymount is in a different category to the other schools you have listed as it's an international school with higher fees/boarding etc. If you are considering this category you should also look at ACS Cobham.
In terms of being welcoming, of course they are all good schools but large, this means you get a range of personalities so your dc can find her friendship group. As KGS is mixed it's a smaller pool of girls to choose friends from but also the opportunity to have mixed friendship groups.

Thank you Singing - she has offers from some of these and still going through the process with others. I’m really just trying to figure out which school has the happiest/kindest girls, if that doesn’t sound too contrived... One of my concerns is that DD will be going through a big transition coming from the US and I worry that if the pressure is too high or the atmosphere too cliquey, this will affect her ability to make friends and settle. She will thrive academically but I’m wondering if we should prioritize pastoral care given our circumstances.

Marymount is a more transitional school so it would probably be easier but the other 3 are very good too. It's a difficult position to be in.

@SchoolMama I believe Marymount ticks all the boxes. We moved here from US 4 years ago and DD has been in a British school since then but we are highly considering Marymount for her for next year ( year 7) . We had friends with daughters there and they all spoke very highly about the learning styles/ approach and the loving family atmosphere. It is an IB school which we favour but you need to look into what you prefer with regards to the system; IB or British system..

I have a DD at KGS in year 8 - so I guess that's the year you're talking about? As far as I can tell it's really welcoming, the girls are largely nice (and the boys - my DD definitely hangs out with both) and not cliquey. If that's the year she'll be joining (and this must hold true for all schools) you will find they have had so much time learning from home that actually most of them don't have very solid friendship groups at all. This is obviously a concern for all parents at the mo, but might make joining a new school easier?

I don't have a DD at those schools but know girls who go there and have a DD in a similar school in Y9 where quite a few girls have joined in Y8 and Y9. There is quite a lot of friendship shuffling anyway so I think new girls are always welcome! Would also agree that lockdown has really affected friendships so it may be easier to join that in 'normal' times.
Surbiton and LEH both have a big bus network and so girls can come from a huge area. KGS possibly slightly more local as most will come by public transport.
Actually that may be a factor to consider- if you choose LEH but don't live nearby you may be relying on the school bus network for years to come. It is also a long way from cafes, shops etc that teenagers like to be near to as they get older. Great school though and sort of linked to Hampton for a bit of exposure to boys!

Thank you all so much for the great feedback. All these schools seems great on paper/online and our job is made harder by living abroad and not being able to visit in person. Any thoughts on the atmosphere and culture of the schools would be much appreciated if anyone is able to provide. I’ve heard rumors of bullying and too much pressure in some schools but sometimes those things can be perpetuated by people who don’t really know the schools, so I would value insider perspectives - good bad and ugly, I’d love to hear it all!

Hello, Could you please let me know if you chose Marymount? We are considering the school for our Grade 6 daughter and would love to know how other families are getting on.

Hi can you share the school you had landed for your girls, Marymount or LEh? I’m relocating from Singapore to London next year and I’m going through the same shortlist for my 2 daughters going into y8 and y10 on 2024

@Audreyhhw @SchoolMama where did u end up then? How was it