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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

United Learning/SHS

15 replies

kindlekeeper · 03/02/2021 14:42

Did any other United Learning schools send a letter to parents last week praising the school, staff and head?

We received one in our weekly bulletin at Surbiton High and it was an odd communication. I did wonder if it was in response to complaints they may have received.

SHS online school hasn't been a patch on the experience my son is having at his school. The academics are good, but nothing fun and very limited pastoral, if at all.

OP posts:

Corblimbea · 03/02/2021 18:05

Are you getting any fee reduction there? It is likely to be a ‘please pay fees’ our prep had similar!

Original poster

kindlekeeper · 03/02/2021 19:57

No, no reduction. Other local non group schools are reducing fees by up to 20%, St George’s for example. My son’s school isn’t reducing fees either but has really embraced online school and the boys wellbeing is paramount and I’m happy to pay them.

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Corblimbea · 03/02/2021 20:35

I’m intrigued as SUrbiton is very popular over on the thread for 11+. Would you recommend it? What are your sons school doing differently to Surbiton? Our prep has been amazing. No discount though.

TeenTitan007 · 03/02/2021 20:37

Which school does your son go to? Just curious to know which schools are doing a good job online?

SabrinaThwaite · 03/02/2021 21:18

Nope. But we’re not a fee paying school.

However, school communication is pretty good and the head is pro-active. On-line learning had a slow start in the first lockdown but has significantly improved this year with many live lessons.

Have you been asked for student and parent feedback?

tumnus · 03/02/2021 21:50

My DD attends a fee paying school in the United Learning group. In answer to your query we did not receive a letter praising the school etc last week. Sounds like a SHS specific thing?

Original poster

kindlekeeper · 04/02/2021 07:22

I wouldn’t recommend it and would love to move my daughter but it’s the wrong time. Academically it’s good. There’s no encouragement or interest in the girls. Sport, drama etc is strong because girls do it outside school and they benefit from that. Lots of Instagram/Twitter about mental health but apart from a survey nothing in reality.

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Singingrain1223 · 04/02/2021 08:31

@kindlekeeper , I'm a SHS parent with a dd further up the school. All the schools in the area benefit in sport and drama from outside activity. My ds is at a leading boys school and the excellence in sport and music is due to outside activity.
SHS offers rowing which is very well run and creates a sense of community across the year group and extends friendship groups.
The letter was a general letter of support from the governing body for the SLT. Both the 11plus entrance exam and the remote GCSE and a level mocks have been well run due to the school's embedded IT and the communication to the parents and girls constant, they really do care about the pupils. The sixth form is incredibly well run with a strong pastoral theme.
I agree that further down the school your dd can seem like a cog in a wheel esp if they don't shine at 1 activity but the teaching is strong and as they move up the school the sense of belonging increases. I don't think this is different to any other large school in the area.

TEMK · 04/02/2021 12:52

I am a SHS parent with DD in Yr 7 and think the provision and care have been excellent. All of the Mumsnet posts re the handling of 11plus entrance exams during COVID have also been excellent and singled SHS out for praise. My reading of the United Learning letter was that the school had handled everything well and so were deserving of praise. Perhaps your feelings about the school have led you down the path of thinking the letter was in response to negativity?

Original poster

kindlekeeper · 04/02/2021 18:28

I have an older daughter who left SHS and did her A levels elsewhere and was amazed by the opportunities and engagement at the new school and didn't regret leaving for a second. The school lost a third of the year with the current lower sixth, its usually a dozen or so, and were ringing round asking pupils to stay on.

I am surprised with the previous supportive comments. The parents I know aren't impressed generally as little contact except for lessons, no checking on their wellbeing, purely academics. I know of several who are very concerned and have conveyed this to the school. My friend with a daughter in year 8 is furious as there has been no Parents evening since the girls started back in September 2019 and none scheduled for months. However our year have had a digital one which was very successful. I never hear form my daughter's tutor. The human element appears to be lost.

I did initially love the school, and academically its good in the main, but am increasingly disillusioned with it.

OP posts:

TEMK · 04/02/2021 21:14

Our daughter at SHS has weekly pastoral care sessions with her tutor and we as parents are given the email addresses for the class tutor and all subject teachers. Whenever I have felt the need to get in touch they have been extremely helpful and supportive. I also have children at other schools and SHS meets or surpasses their provision. I would be really interested to hear what more SHS could be doing....and I am sure they would be open to sensible suggestions too.
@kindlekeeper - sorry that you are unhappy with the school. Maybe you should reach out to the form teacher or head of year and discuss your concerns.
I have parent friends who have daughters in most years at SHS and they all agree it is a wonderful school. I have found that at secondary school level there is an expectation of independence and it is natural for parents not to be as involved.

Original poster

kindlekeeper · 04/02/2021 22:32

Weekly care is a pretty low standard. We all have email addresses for teacher at all times in Mis. Yes we can ask for feedback but it should be forthcoming not just when problems arise.

We have ‘reached out’ but sadly it’s all sound bites.

Blinkers will come off as your girls get older!

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SabrinaThwaite · 05/02/2021 08:03

We had recent student and parent questionnaires, and then a live presentation from the head on the outcomes and how / when they were going to implement improvements (they used an inset day a couple of days later to roll out to staff).

TEMK · 05/02/2021 15:09

@kindlekeeper

Weekly care is a pretty low standard. We all have email addresses for teacher at all times in Mis. Yes we can ask for feedback but it should be forthcoming not just when problems arise.

We have ‘reached out’ but sadly it’s all sound bites.

Blinkers will come off as your girls get older!

No blinkers on here. We are each allowed our own views and expectations. Just because you are not happy and have expectations that cannot be met please do not insinuate that others are naive or should be unhappy also.

InnoculatedCity · 05/02/2021 15:33

DD in SHS sixth form. Been at the school all the way through. All happy here. Most of the girls not carrying on either wanted co-Ed, non-fee paying or didn’t get the grades to continue.

There is no pleasing some people. Sounds like the school will be well rid of @kindlekeeper

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