Dulwich, Westminster WUS, Trinity, Olave's, Eltham? Honest feedback pls

[elevenplusnightmare]

We live in SE London and didn’t have a chance to visit any of the schools apart from virtual open days so would be massively grateful for your honest opinons about Dulwich, Eltham, Trinity, Westminster and St Olave's (and Judd, though bit far) - joining in Y7 2021.

If you have any experience with any of these schools - pros and cons - please do share.

Thanks in advance! :)

We went with Trinity for our son and haven’t regretted it. The ethos is exceptional. My son is challenged in his learning in a engaging way. Whether your son is in to sport, art. DT, music or English etc there is something for all. The facilities are brilliant. They really know the boys. My son had offers at a grammar school and another independent schools and went with trinity as we felt it was the best him.

My son has friends at dulwich and they are very happy too. I suppose it thinking why you applied to the schools end what would be the best fit for your son and what he thinks is the best fit.

Goodluck

I have two at Eltham and also know parents that are very happy at all the others (except Westminster as I don’t know anyone there).

What are you looking for in a school?

You clearly have an academically able son to have offers at all of those - is academics the top priority for you?

Any scholarships in the mix that might offer enrichment?

What sort of character is your son?

Some of these are very different schools ie Westminster vs Eltham College. St Olaves (state) vs independents.

My pick would be Westminster Under School if you're looking for an all round fabulous educational experience and have the ££ but the travelling might be a pain depending on where in S London you are. Your ds might not have any local friends. Sports are just ok but music provision is great, inspirational teachers and speakers etc. Good for a child who might be perceived as quirky.

Eltham and Dulwich lovely schools but there's a much bigger academic spread, quite a lot of the kids don't reach the Grammar school pass rate for example. Lots of city banker type parents in my opinion. Alpha male type behaviour in some of the boys. More sporting opportunities than WUS.

St Olaves seems to have changed - great academics, clubs etc. Good for a self motivated, clever child and free of course but funding always an issue in state schools.

Don't know Trinity.

Depend on the 11+ performance. If the top few in St Olaves or WUS, my pick would be WUS. Otherwise, St Olaves or others.

Thank you for all the feedback.

The nearest schools are Dulwich, Eltham and Olave's. So far confirmed academic scholarships from Eltham and Trinity (still waiting on the letter from Dulwich).

Westminster would be a train (around 50 mins door-to-door). DS is highly inquisitive, enjoys both English and Maths and is the kind of child who always asks probing/challenging questions in class and elsewhere (his knowledge comes from his own reading). I don't know where he picks it up, but his general knowledge is very strong so he is that kid that will always put his hand up in class. DS is very engaged at school and independent with his homework etc. Handwriting not his strongest skill (!) but what he writes is highly creative. He is massively into science and humanities; loves cricket (and is quite good at it) and chess. He's got a wicket sense or humour and is sociable and very chatty. Although he enjoys games and sports, he's not the 'alpha' male sports jock.

A priority is for him to continue to enjoy school and being challenged (and Westminster's ethos of not sticking to the curriculum but going beyond is attractive). I would love for him to have a well-rounded education where Oxbridge might be a possibility although ultimately his happiness is our top priority.

Westminster all the way. If you can afford it. Fees are eye watering! But you don’t need me to say it’s exceptional. Have various adult friends who went, all so interesting. With dulwich as the second choice. However, dulwich wins on air quality (I imagine!) and also sports. Note the fact that he has scholarships means he’ll do just fine at Westminster. Indeed anywhere. Congrats.

Hi OP - congrats and what a nice position to be in.

IMO you do need a straight forward school journey - if Trinity not close by then you won't be able to get the school coach and the journey is not really doable - scholarship or no..

Dulwich - if they were offering you a scholarship they would have mentioned it in the email. The letter won't bring any revisions on that front? It's a great all round school with an inspirational head who believes in an education that's wider than the GCSE and A level syllabuses. That's pretty rare these days?

The same, tired stereotype of alpha males always comes from that poster. There are alpha males in every single one of these schools (and indeed in every single school nationwide!) - they're both big enough to attract all kinds of different boys who all find their own niche.

The Eltham head is v ambitious and exam results have improved massively with him in charge. He always tempts high performers with generous scholarships (50% is standard) and the new co-ed environment will be interesting to see. Did you want coed as all your other options seem all boy?

The comment about Dulwich and Eltham both taking kids who don't meet the grammar school 11+ level is also an odd one. Seriously don''t know a single kid who failed Bexley or Kent and then went on to get a place there?

Olaves seems to be chilling a bit after that awful old head who really was only focused on exam results and league tables - but clearly won't have the same small classes/level of funding that the others have?

Don't know anything about Westminster as never wanted to put ds into the London commute at 11. Clearly a great school with an amazing history.

No easy decision - but remember that it's down to what suits him best. The ethos and the commute. He will end up with similar grades at any of these schools IMO.

just for clarity ds ended up at Dulwich (still there) despite being offered Eltham scholarship.

would make the same decision again in a heartbeat.

OP, my DC1 is now y12 of St Olave’s, feel free to Dm me if you have any questions. He came from a SE London state primary where he’d had a fair bit of low level bullying for being a geek - and since day 1 at St Olave’s, he has absolutely loved it (even under the old mad Head, he was fixated on results, but that did not mean all the staff were).

As others have said, these are quite varied: St Olave’s is a state funded school so cannot compete with the others in terms of class sizes, extra curricular activities, etc. But - it is free!

I have NCT friends with boys at Dulwich and Trinity, and they have both been extremely happy with their sons’ experiences.

The commute would sway me. Particularly with the level of ex c sport etc. If I had to choose it would be trinity.

DS is highly inquisitive, enjoys both English and Maths and is the kind of child who always asks probing/challenging questions in class and elsewhere (his knowledge comes from his own reading). I don't know where he picks it up, but his general knowledge is very strong so he is that kid that will always put his hand up in class. DS is very engaged at school and independent with his homework etc. Handwriting not his strongest skill (!) but what he writes is highly creative. He is massively into science and humanities; loves cricket (and is quite good at it) and chess. He's got a wicket sense or humour and is sociable and very chatty. Although he enjoys games and sports, he's not the 'alpha' male sports jock

You've just described my nephew to a T. He's at Westminster!

All amazing schools so maybe look at commutes? A very long commute might sway it. Westminster is meant to be amazing, very competitive and academic but nurturing and with amazing music (a friend’s son goes there and loves it)

Thank you so much for all your kind and constructive feedback. :)

@elevenplusnightmare Did you manage to make a decision in the end? A good friend of DS has been offered a place at WUS but is almost certainly turning it down for Eltham, potentially grammars on Monday too, but really struggling with his choice. They have a few offers and really want to make a decision ASAP so they can free up the places.

Interesting! We have turned down WUS...such a shame but location not ideal...deciding on others.

Not that this is especially helpful but Judd might be a very long shot and worth discounting? There are only a small number of out of area places which are very very highly competed for and go to boys with superlative Kent Test scores. With Skinners out thanks to changes in catchment, most of the East Sussex parents who live in easy trainable distance and who’s boys have taken the 11+ will be after them. Then there is the journey if you’re South London - presumably in to Victoria then out again and then a walk when he got to Tonbridge? I’ve 2 friends with sons at Judd who rate it but I know other parents who found the environment ‘robotic’ and plumped for other grammars.

And on a completely facile note, if two ex boyfriends are anything to go by then Dulwich and Westminster turn out decent, kind and intelligent men!

Yes I think her prep school think it’s crazy as WUS is seen as the most prestigious, and why would you turn it down!!! but it was down to a longer commute and a “feel” in the end. Hopefully that will mean some movement on the WL for some boys. Good luck with your choice!

Yes, WUS is an amazing school; another year and we might have thought different about the travelling but going by train anywhere into London is just not something we can contemplate right now. Heard good things about Judd, interesting comment re the 'robotic' feel. All of these are quite intangible so especially hard in a year of virtual open mornings.

@elevenplusnightmare, to be fair to Judd the two parents I know with boys there think it’s great.

for those with WUS waitlist, we've also turned down a place. Definitely a good school but with those fees, a place at a good grammar seems better value

Trinity/Eltham - on par academically. I would compare level of scholarship and actual commute (as in actual connections). Eltham mixed - although I doubt 50:50 yet.
Westminster - basically boys of St Olave’s standard but with amazing teaching.
St Olaves- free. Lots of very clever boys. Less well funded than an independent but do very well with the resources they have. Olaves is mixed in the Sixth Form (lots of Newstead girls).
I know several kids at all these schools incl WUS (commuting), all happy. You cannot really go wrong.

We have just accepted St Olaves today. Was on the waiting list of CLS but they said they can't offer him a place now but we could continue to wait which I can't see any point at all.

Spoken to a few people who knows about the school. It is a good school. If you have lots of money, then private school facility is definitely better. But grammar schools are free!

St Olave's has a wealthy foundation backing it and also receives some money from the Dulwich Estate, so it's able to offer a bit more in terms of facilities and extra-curricular than many state schools (obviously does not extend to e.g. smaller class sizes).

@itinerant42, class sizes in Year 9 at St Olaves reduce to 25 as they create an extra form.