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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Francis Holland Sloane Square

41 replies

GoldTulip · 13/02/2021 15:38

My DD is on waitlist at FHSS. Any feedback on girls on waitlist being offered a place in the past?

Feedback around the genre of parents whose girls join FHSS - are most of them from professional backgrounds or wealthy families?

OP posts:
mumster007 · 14/02/2021 13:43

Same situation here! We love FHSS and on their waitlist. Not sure how many are put on their waitlist this year as the consortium test was cancelled... Don't want to get our hopes up too much.

Original poster
GoldTulip · 14/02/2021 16:00

Mumster007 - Do you know of any parents whose children are currently studying at FHSS?

OP posts:
QAmum · 14/02/2021 16:04

We are in the same position and our DD is also on the waitlist for FHSS.
Do love the feel of the school.
Is the mix of the girls very multicultural?
Is it a very academic school?

mumster007 · 14/02/2021 22:28

We were lucky to have had the chance to visit the school last autumn. From my impressions then at the open day, I could definitely say that it had a multicultural feel. As the location is central London, it would be natural to have families from different countries. My worry would be if families might not stay that long in the school. Maybe moving on due to international jobs, being ex-pats etc. It is definitely academic. Very good results but don't seem pushy, very focused on future careers that might not be of the traditional variant. I know of families that sent their daughters there and had good feedback from them.

Original poster
GoldTulip · 15/02/2021 06:57

Thank you for the feedback. This is very helpful given we were not able to visit the school in person.

Do you know how waitlist has moved in the past?

OP posts:
mumster007 · 15/02/2021 08:36

Goldtulip, So hard not to have visited the schools! I came back more positive after the visit there than I expected. My DD was buzzing! So friendly and the lack of space didn't bother me at all. We have other offers but FHSS is out top choice. What about you? I have no idea if the waitlist has moved previous years.

Original poster
GoldTulip · 15/02/2021 09:27

Good to know mumster007. We have other offers too but our preference has been FHSS too.

No idea on how soon waitlist moved at FHSS, but have heard that the chances are quite good depending on where in the waitlist the child is.

I am also trying to see if I can talk to any parents of children who are currently studying there to get some feedback.

OP posts:
bashstreetkids · 15/02/2021 09:43

Hello, My daughter started at FHSS last year after the 11+ and we are very happy with our choice to send her there. We were very lucky that she got a number of offers and we made a positive choice to send her to FH after the exam/ interview process and open event. (I really feel for everyone deciding without the all the helpful opportunities to visit). For us, it felt like a school with a buzz about it, very innovative and interested in each girl.

Our daughter settled well and made friends. It is fairly international, but we really like that our daughter has friends from all over the world. My main initial worry was the location and whether the girls would be overly sophisticated and a bit entitled. I’m pleased to say that my daughter has a lovely, down to earth and kind group of friends.

I can’t comment on the WL but I assume it will move fast as many girls have multiple offers- keep the faith and fingers crossed!

Original poster
GoldTulip · 15/02/2021 10:22

Thanks bashstreetkids. Very helpful.

How is the genre of the community? We are working professionals. Are the girls in FHSS from a similar background or from a very high class in the society?

OP posts:
bashstreetkids · 15/02/2021 10:59

Hi GoldTulip,

We are working professionals (and don’t live in Chelsea!) and there are plenty of families like us. The downside of lockdown/ social distancing is that we haven’t been able to meet many other parents, so it’s a bit hard to give you much of a picture.

It was important to me was that my daughter’s values and attitudes didn’t become entitled or materialistic (a danger with all private schools, but FH is in a particularly affluent part of London). The school’s key values seem to be about kindness, not being afraid to fail and to be happy to be yourself and they really do seem to enforce these values in all they do.

We have been very impressed with the teaching staff (inspirational, enthusiastic and genuinely interested in the girls) and the pastoral support has been superb so far.

Original poster
GoldTulip · 15/02/2021 11:27

Thanks bashstreetkids. Appreciate your honest feedback.

OP posts:
Strawberryshort · 16/02/2021 09:57

In the same boat with a waitlist for FHSS. Does anyone have a sense from previous years of numbers? They said they had around 600 applicants this year. By how much do they over offer? Is it a fairly large waitlist or a pretty tight one?

Saip · 21/02/2021 22:20

We are both full time working parents and we live in Chelsea ;-). Many girls have got an international background, but most of them have got at least one British parent and many of them grew up in London. Therefore, it is fairly international (as many SW schools in London are), but with excellent pastoral care and British traditions. Our daughter is very academic, is thriving and loves the kindness at FHS. She made a lot of friends from different backgrounds and is happy at FHS. We keep our fingers crossed that waitlists are moving fast (can’t comment on that).

Leverano1 · 22/02/2021 10:41

Hi
Wondering if anyone has info on queens gate and Francis Holland SS please? Trying to decide between the two for year 7 entry this September...
Thank you 🙏 in advance

Globaliser · 22/02/2021 11:00

The headmistress of FHSS is extremely impressive. The school is being transformed with the new buildings. It looks a lovely school.

Leverano1 · 22/02/2021 13:45

Thank you for your positive thoughts and advice on FHSS - very helpful 🙏🙏

MMmomDD · 22/02/2021 13:59

In my experience over the years - the wait list of FH, as well as that of QG will move.
Many girls who have also got offers to the top three Hammersmith schools would also have got offers to FH and would be /are releasing them this week.
So - hang on.

As to the difference between these two schools - I think they are rather comparable. Both have large cohort coming from junior school. Both have a mix of more and less academic girls. Both will have a sliver of Uber rich.
FH is possibly slightly more academic.

Leverano1 · 22/02/2021 18:45

Many thanks for your thoughts re QG and FHSS- yes I agree they are pretty similar schools (which makes it hard to choose!) and thank you I will indeed hang on then for waitlists to move this week ...
🙏🙏

Midlifephoenix · 22/02/2021 19:55

My daughter will be starting sixth form there this autumn which involves a 70 mile move for us. I know this is older than your co hort but as two thirds of the girls remain for sixth form it's an indication of what kind of girls my own daughter, who is quiet and academically ambitious (though art is her 'thing') will meet. I grew up in America so the English school system is baffling - my kids have been at the same mixed independent school since very young so the whole application process last year was so stressful! We started looking early thank goodness so visited a few schools in year 10. We picked FF over her other offers as she wanted all girls and a smaller environment.
We will be living in the Wimbledon area (how i would love to live in Chelsea - my favourite place in the world) and the girl who showed us around last year lived in Chiswick, so girls do commute in. I'm a widow but we were a professional couple (lawyer and graphic designer).

tiggermummy70 · 22/02/2021 21:48

Our daughter is also at FHSS Yr 7.

We came from a state primary - dd was only one from her school to go there.
She seems to have settled well and has got a nice group of friends.
Nothing to over the top, it can be expensive if they go out after school, but that's just because of the area the school is in.

Dd travels from the South but she was used to it before with primary.

I really liked the head's attitude that exams were important but not everything. So more grounded than I expected and not too stressing on the work - L like that they encourage the girls to do self reflection and even this early in their schooling - they look to see where they need to improve, rather than a tutor telling them. Which I think it gives them more ownership of their progression.
we didn't want a hot house.
one of the other school's we visited just gave us the impression that test results/exam results was all that mattered.

Keep my fingers crossed for all of you Wait listed

Leverano1 · 25/02/2021 16:36

Midlifephoenix - I am so sorry to hear that your partner has passed away. My deepest condolences. I do hope that your daughter is ok and I wish her good luck with her start at FHSS this autumn. All the best with your move to Wimbledon and thank you very much for your thoughts 🙏

Leverano1 · 25/02/2021 16:41

Tiggermummy70 - I am very glad to hear that your daughter is happy and settled at FHSS. A hard year to have started secondary school...thank you for your thoughts, very useful and good to know that it is not a hot house and not too much stressing on just work. Also that they encourage self reflection. My daughter is more creative than academic and needs to be ‘encouraged’ to do maths etc..🙏🙏

Adv2021 · 02/03/2021 12:04

Hello mums, we have just accepted our place today at the delightful FHSS as the deadline is upon us - so I am sure spaces will be available soon.

Good luck and fingers crossed for you all! Smile

We were very taken by the school and the headmistress and we are moving to London from Surrey.

We are keen to meet parents and children who will be in Year 7 in September 2021 as we will not know anybody!

WnyF · 02/03/2021 14:30

Same here! All fingers and toes crossed for us all. I wonder how many get picked from the waiting list.

mumster007 · 02/03/2021 18:22

I received an email today from FHSS that they now have filled all the places for year 7. It didn't mention if they did offer to the waitlist or not. We were unlucky and never received a call with an offer. A bit disappointed but also quite expected.