Putney High or Emanuel school for all-rounder DD ?

[11plusNewbie]

Hello all,
We are trying to decide between Emanuel and Putney High for an all-rounder/sporty DD.
We live walking distance to Emanuel and 30 minutes public transport to PHS.
Leaning towards Emanuel on the basis of location, recent massive improvements and nicer/greener grounds but wonder if we are crazy to turn down Putney which we also love for the buzz and HM !!
One of the concerns is that very few girls travel in that same direction, they all seem to travel east, south or stay local, so no local school friends on hand.
Please help !
Thanks

At DDs all girls school you can pretty much tell in Year 9 who the hardcore party set are going to be. They will probably end up at the same parties as the same set from all the SW London schools (state and private).
DD nearly went to Emanuel. I know quite a few extremely sensible sixth formers there!

@StopAtTheRedLight are we neighbours?? We have had the exact same experience with raaaah loud, entitled, and obnoxious E sixth formers.

However, I also know a Y7 child who is very lovely and his mum speaks highly of the school. So who knows!

This thread rumbles on from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Don’t get discouraged by some of the comments! Remember still lots on waiting lists...
They are both great schools academically and in sports. Based on this why wouldn’t you base your choice on location?? .. it makes sense and you won’t regret it. Good Luck!

I would go with the PH. Emanuel is the back up choice for most kids, and they end up there if they missed all other options. It has a stigma attached. I would also ask the school if they are still using streaming vs setting. It’s not very inspiring academically.

Emanuel hasn't been a back up choice for a few years now. It's been actively chosen first choice, especially since new head.

I think the big choice here is single sex v co-ed

OP: theorising here, but you seem to be very much in favour of Emanuel, but somehow thinking you 'ought' to choose PHS. Perhaps because 'girls do better in single sex' or because 10+ years ago Emanuel's reputation was totally different?

PHS is in the top 75 schools in terms of league tables. I don’t know where E sits in any lists since it is not top 100. So re academics, currently PHS is certainly the one to go to if that is your concern, OP.

At Emanuel the percentage of A*/9/8 at GCSE has more than doubled since 2016.
It is now very much an active choice for parents wanting coeducation in a beautiful setting.

Yet majority of kids from the surrounding area travel miles away to different schools across London. Many choose KGS, which is also a co Ed..

Already know people this year who have opted for E over PHS and NHEHS.

My daughter (some years ago) went to Lady Eleanor Holles rather than a local school. While it meant her friendship circle stretched from Putney (where we lived) to Barnes, Richmond and Hampton itself, it was the right decision.

The school nearest home isn't always the best but what's most relevant for you is whether your daughter wants to be in a girls-only environment at PHS or a co-ed like Emmanuel (which was one of my daughter's options at the time, too) She chose LEH.

After GCSEs DD moved to Latymer Upper (mixed 6th form at the time) for her A Levels and said that the teaching at LEH was superior to those at Latymer.

Just to say we chose Emanuel over other selective co-Ed’s one being KGS. I’m sure others all great schools too. We couldn’t be happier with our choice. It’s what feels right and a matter of co-ed vs single sex school.

In SW London we are spoilt for choice (more for girls) We are off to Putney to in Sept as for us it’s the middle ground between WHS and SCHS. (All excellent schools)

The big question as others have said is co-ed v single sex. We had Alleyns and Emanuel offers but single sex won. If we had wanted co-Ed Emanuel would have won due to locality.

These are all excellent schools. Once you’ve made a decision you won’t look back!

@stircrazyschoolmum PHS has such a vibe, I understand you'd go for it if wanting single sex

@SWest123 how long have you been at E ? and do you have DS or DD if ok to ask ? can you clarify the streaming vs setting question point above raised

@Utility presumably they will travelling from quite afar ? I agree with your earlier comment about the thread !!!

@Jumpalicious @AnotherNewt the concern is finding the right school DD is not bothered by the co/single sex discussion. the ought comes from that DD prefers PHS but hasn't seen it physically, just has spent hours on their website ! Also DD (and I) are probably a little too familiar with E as she been many many times for camps and swimming so feels there is a lot less to discover and doesn't exciting. think she is a bit adventurous, so a new school in a new area appeals !

@Frappuccinos it is no longer a back up. However I think they are still streaming from year 8 or 9 ?
So many things have changed in the last few years that it may also change. I agree with you that setting in a few subjects is better than streaming in all (my understanding !)

Thank you all for your helpful comment, and taking the time !!!

I know families in both schools and they are both happy. Although the family at PH “regret” their daughter not having a coet education. It is of course a personal choice but they feel that the daughter is missing out on making friends of the opposite sex and seeing it as a normal thing in life. Personally I think it is important.

I think if you have older brothers and boys in and out the house (in usual times) exposure to boys becomes irrelevant.

A number of studies were published which favour ‘diamond’ education. (Co-Ed during primary and for a levels, single sex for GCSEs and the ‘puberty’ years.)

Personally I think it boils down to individual choice. My son favours co-Ed and it suits him. My daughter favours single sex.

I’m trying to remember what was said at the offers event but I ‘think’ it’s only maths that’s setted and that’s from year 8. (On occasion from y7 if cohort requires it. English, sciences and Mfl setted in y10/11. I think that’s fairly standard? (No mention of streaming in their curriculum policy but I’m guessing for timetabling purposes some kids will end up together in other lessons?)

Agree, choice is co Ed versus single sex.

It's a personal preference. I went to a co Ed school and wanted the same for our DD. I'm still good friends with the boy friends I had at school. They were some of my closest childhood friendships.

DS also wanted to go co ed after a co ed primary. She has school friends across both genders. It's great and normal. Friends of hers at all girls schools are always nagging her to set them up with boys, she wonders what the big deal is! She plays the same sport as the boys at school, which I think should be the case.

How does your DD feel about it?

PHS is in a different league to Emanuel. You are not really comparing like with like. Unless travel makes PHS unrealistic, PHS wins every time.

If Emanuel was the 'backup choice' a few years ago, and therefore less selective, then surely their 2019 results are even more impressive (2020 should be ignored as some schools gave more inflated grades than others).

Thanks all !
@Globaliser this is just the narrowed down outcome of a rollercoaster of an 11+

@blowonitthen we applied to Emanuel for another DC 5 years ago, and it wasn't a backup choice even then. from the cohorts, I know people who have turned Alleyn's down for it. But they still have a bit of a stigma for certain category of people, generally those who have DC in sixth form or above.

I'm sure Emanuel is a very good school, I just don't think it is on a par with Putney High. If you look at the leavers' destinations for the three girls' prep schools below, it puts it in perspective.

www.falknerhouse.co.uk/brechin-place/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Year-6-Destinations-2020.pdf

www.kensingtonprep.gdst.net/about/senior-school-places/

www.butehouse.co.uk/moving-on/senior-school-destination-trends.html

A very interesting post.
1/7 from Falkner House heading to Emanuel, 1/10 going to PHS.
0/5 from Kensington Prep going to Emanuel (spelt incorrectly!), 3/20 to PHS.
A few going from Bute House to PHS each year, none to Emanuel.
What is the message from the leavers' destinations of these all- girls' schools? Not sure I understand.

KenPrep is part of the GDST so it would make sense that more girls would head to PH and WH
As for Bute and Flakner surely this is just because of location? Am assuming most girls at these schools live closer to PH and WH than ES. I really would not read too much in this!

I think the message is that girls from those schools apply to G&L and SPGS and often take up offers from those schools, and they apply to WHS, PHS, Ibstock, NLCS, SHHS, FH(RP), LEH, JAGS, Henrietta Barnet and More House, ie a big geographic range, and sometimes take up those places. They also apply to Emanuel but appear not to take up the places. There is obviously a geographic bias to West London, but I was trying to show that girls from those very academic preps take up places at PHS more often than they do at Emanuel. I don't have a DD at PHS, so I don't have a bias towards it, but friends do, and I've visited the school, and I think it's excellent, which might assist anyone choosing between the two schools.