FH Regent’s, Queens College, Channing

[ClaireSage]

Hope everyone is doing well and slightly more at ease now that the 11+ results are in. Big decision ahead!

Unfortunately, DD did not get into her top 2 schools. But she has been accepted to FH Regent’s Park and Queen’s College which is great. She has been waitlisted for Channing.

She really wants Channing. Does anyone know how the waitlist process goes?
Hoping for thoughts and advice on the schools, as well.

Thank you and good luck!

[Ringbinger]

Glad to see this thread. I did a search on here for recent posts about Queens College after reading some incidental comments about it on another thread that didn’t chime with my understanding of the school. Was just one poster but saying things like families of QC girls want their “well-heeled fillies” to marry well. Which I regared as rather misogynistic tosh, and even more so after reading the posts here from happy parents.

[clevud]

My daughter joined QCL last year. We visited the school several times in the run up to the 11+ and before making the agonising final decision. Every time we were impressed by the girls and the infectious enthusiasm of the Principal and the staff. Due to Covid we were not able to enjoy the multiple occasions to meet up with other parents. I was a bit worried most of the girls would be from other "financial planets", instead there is quite a social spread and an increasing number of bursaries. There is a good mix of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds, which is what one wants for a London girl, I suppose.
The Principal is great and sets the tone of the overall school. The school is small but vibrant and fun, however it is also demanding and has high academic expectations. GCSE results are excellent and improve year on year. A Levels too, and the 11+ intake has become far more selective since the new Principal joined.
I was particularly interested in Languages , the department is strong with a good choice and many pupils are bilingual. I was surprised that my daughter who has never liked sciences because they were not taught well at our local Primary, she now loves them. Same with History and Maths.
Even during the Autumn term there was a good range of “distanced” afterschool clubs, and sports is done at Paddington Rec and on the school premises. The new Principal has also increased efforts to raise the sports profile of the school, by appointing as Director of Sports a member of the Rugby World Cup winning England team.
The school is nurturing, working on building resilience and preparing well-rounded pupils. For example, a week a year they run “Failure week”. Principal, staff and children alike share their “unsuccessful moments” to foster understanding that failing is part of life, you are allowed to fail , but you can still learn from this. I found it great! And a much needed lesson for teen girls.
If you are looking for some miniature university (and I’ve seen quite a few) for your 12 years old DD, then QCL is not for you. If you, instead, are looking for a medium-sized school with a good working ethos, academic aspirations and a sound curriculum, then QCL is your school.
Of course, we’d have liked a big green garden and a swimming pool. But one can’t have all in life!

[Findanotherpassword1]

SHe's going to Maida Vale. Insisted on it - despite not seeing any of the schools! But she does want co-ed and everyone we talked to who had kids there already love it. Fingers crossed.

[hellsbelles]

@Findanotherpassword1 it's good that she knows what she wants :-). Where did you go for in the end?

[suresure]

I’m not sure of the deadlines so hope this isn’t too late for you.....
We really like QCL and the head has been very impressive throughout the pandemic. All the staff I ever have to contact, from subject teachers to admin staff to the school nurse are charming.
I liked that, when they were in, the girls did off-site sport as well as making use of the space that they have on-site. Our only reservation was lack of outside space but we concluded that they all bus kids around and we’d have to move house to gain a school with real space. We like the smaller community feel which our daughter needed not to get lost.
We didn’t tour Channing, but I’ve heard some negatives from ex-staff there re poor leadership.
Personally I wasn’t keen on the FH head although my husband disagreed!
They are all decent schools though so good luck whatever you and your DD decide.

[TomorrowOnce]

QCL head is lovely!

[Findanotherpassword1]

THanks Hells Bells, It's my first choice too, but my daughter is ADAMANT that she wants to go co-ed - so we've very sadly had to turn it down. I do agree about the Head. Anyhow, very pleased your daughter is happy - it makes such a difference.
Gx

[adoptedlondoner]

Hi - anyone aware of any movement on the Channing WL yet or is it expected after initial offers deadline (today @ noon)?

[hellsbelles]

Really happy with Queen's. DD is year 7 and loving it.

We didn't try for FH as we didn't like the head or the atmosphere (though I know some of the girls in senior years who are very happy there so this entirely based on my personal opinion!!)

Apart from maths DD is very academic and my concern was that she might not be stretched enough - however it's been brilliant and she's loving it. She opted for it after the final taster session (I know it must be so hard for you all this year as you don't get to do that) ...she said she just felt so welcomed and really enjoyed the lessons.

The head is great (he was by far my favourite of all schools we viewed) and there is a real energy and excitement in the school. Coupled with the very personal feel.

I think it's a very unique and charming school and the girls really seem to thrive there.

So well done to your DD - great to have those choices and I'm sure whichever one she goes for - she will enjoy!

[Joy93]

Hi - Channing waitlist will move. Hold on - see if she gets in.

[Findanotherpassword1]

Are there any current parents of Queens College that can tell you anything Queens? Good and Bad. Have to make a decision shortly.
Thankyou.

[TomorrowOnce]

@Phineyj Some schools still manage to have some D&T in there curriculum

@ClaireSage Almost crunch time. Going through the thread - hope the decision will be there soon. Channing is the highest in the league so your DD amongst the 3. Good luck.

[Phineyj]

The D+T thing is interesting. I work at one of the schools mentioned, and I'd say it's a space thing. These central London locations can't devote space to something that inflexible, which is a shame. I used to work at a suburban girls' grammar and we built on a special building with a D+T suite, laser cutter, computer room, textile room...no chance of that with West End land prices!

[ClaireSage]

@NLondondiva
Thank you for looking at the addresses🙏🏻
I guess it makes sense if girls are coming from West of the Heath, more would be from Golders Green or Hampstead.
Shame that the girls haven’t been able to use the space, especially for those in their first year. Maybe it would have been worse in central London because everything is closed. Hopefully Sept will be much better for them. Thank you again!

[NLondondiva]

Hmmm I’ve just looked at the addresses for girls in DD’s year and there are quite a few from Hampstead/Golders Green areas. I suppose that for girls living further East Channing is the most obvious option due to location. And as I think someone else has pointed out, many girls walk to school and those have come up from the junior school are likely to live closer.
It’s such a hard decision. My DD was also drawn to the lovely outside spaces at Channing although sadly they’ve not been able to hang out in them much since covid!

[ClaireSage]

@NLondondiva

Thank you! Good point about friendships. So Channing has many girls coming from Finchley, Highbury, Highgate and just generally more east of the Heath?
DD is really drawn to the space at Channing. She likes FH but it seems a little cramped and she doesn’t like the uniform which is minor.
She did like Queen’s College too. We want nurturing and somewhere that will challenge her academically. It’s really hard!

[NLondondiva]

Hi, my DD is in Yr 7 at Channing. She’s very happy there but we also really liked FHRP. For me, the main thing in Channing’s favour was the location. So I think it really depends where you live. We live on the edge of zone2/3 so we don’t have to travel "into town". It’s a 15 car journey/30 min bus ride. Our DD isn’t keen on the tube so I think the journey to FH, while not taking much longer, would have been harder for her. Also, lots of Channing girls live not far from us which has helped with friendships a lot.
This is a very broad generalisation but I would suggest that if you live north or east of Camden/Tufnell park/Hampstead Heath then Channing is a good choice. Whereas if you are Hampstead village/Belsize Pk/Maida Vale then go for FH. That way your DD is more likely to have local friends both to see outside of school and to travel with.

[ClaireSage]

@adoptedlonder

I agree. All the schools are a similar distance. She’ll most likely take the bus. Seems to be around a 25 minute journey.

[adoptedlondoner]

@ClaireSage

As far as I am aware they are all great schools and your DD should be happy, succeed and prosper at any of them.

Which one is the easiest / shortest journey for your DD? For me, and I know not everyone thinks the same, journey / distance is a very key factor. The shorter, the better!

[ClaireSage]

@MusicalMommy
Thank you. You definitely made a good point about how many girls are starting at the same time at FH.
I did read that FHRP is on the up, which is great. And there’s Regent’s Park.
And then there’s the low key & quirkiness of Queen’s College.

DD won’t be able to walk to any of them.

Such a big decision! How does a person know you picked the right secondary school? This is the time when she’ll really develop lifelong friendships, grow academically, find her passion and so on.

[MusicalMommy]

Hmm, other than campus and facilities. One major difference is that FHRP will be 3 forms of girls who are all new and starting together at the same time. Channing is 4 forms I think of which half will have been together all through primary. That is quite a big difference in terms of the transition and settling in as there will be very established friendships and even family bonds developed over many years at Channing. As people travel less for junior school that will also mean that the 50% from the junior school will be fairly local. When I did the tour a few years back a number of girls mentioned they can walk to school. So a wider catchment at FHRP. GCSE results over the last few years are largely similar if evened out. I think FHRP does special French classes for mother tongue speakers. Being next to Regent’s Park is a bonus but having less facilities maybe less so. Don’t think either school is a bad option.

[ClaireSage]

Thank you! @QGMum and @adoptedlondoner
And I agree about telling schools about your child’s place.

Are there any major differences between Channing and FH Regents Park besides the campus? I’m becoming more nervous now.

Travel will be the around the same time for both schools.

Thank you on advance🙏🏻

[adoptedlondoner]

Hi @ClaireSage

I understand from Channing that they will review the situation early this coming week (hopefully tomorrow) and release additional offers should there be room to do so.

Also, to promote as much movement as possible on waiting lists, I would encourage everyone to turn down offers/places that they will not take up. If, for example, you have 2 or more offers and are waiting for a WL place, releasing all but one of the ones you have is in your own interest as it encourages overall movement in the system.

[QGMum]

In my experience, in previous years, waitlist didn’t move until a couple of days before the acceptance deadline. So, sadly, not the week after half term but the following week once the state school offers are out.

[ClaireSage]

Bumping this up...

Do waitlists begin to move during this coming week, after half-term?

Thanks