PART 3: SW London Girl's Indies 11+ Results, Decisions & Panic Over?

[MumsRule20]

WELCOME TO PART 3!!

Previously…

PART 1 started by Oceane11plus in July 2020 for the SW London Girl’s 11+ 2021 cohort (pandemic year).
PART 2 continued the journey (exam pandemic panic).

Both Part 1 & 2 quickly reached the MN quota of 1000 posts!

Will PART 3 be our final episode? Keep supportively posting as we make our final decisions on offers, WL movement & starting Year 7 (hopefully post-pandemic)...

Its year 11.. found you a link!

www.putneyhigh.gdst.net/start-it-putney-and-st-pauls-team-up-for-entrepreneurship-course/

Nice to see this thread on its third page! Good luck with anyone waiting for state offers today.

Hello all, I just wanted to write and thank you for this thread. I have been reading this thread since early February . I have found it very useful and . I was able to find most answers to my questions just by reading along. It's been so stressful but these comments made me realise I wasn't alone. Good luck to everyone (myself included) who are waiting for the 5pm state school results. I hope you all get some good news. I hope that today's results will give you some clarity you need to decide on your offers. Good luck all 😃💕

Maybe I got the timing wrong. I thought results will be out by 5pm. I'm nervously waiting. 🤔

Check the eadmissions portal - ours are up. We got first choice (which throws a slight spanner in the works and we need to have a conversation tonight!)

Stella congratulations
So did we. Feels harder now

@MarshaBradyo and @stellagibbons congratulations!! Really pleased for you but some tough choices ahead.

Thanks Stir I feel slightly ill at turning either down which is a bit ridiculous!

Getting a great state place does make it harder. We turned down Tiffin for DD and have never regretted it. Well maybe we'd have had more holidays but PHS more than met our expectations.

But the choice is very personal and for some families the 'right' choice would be the other way round.

Sandy interesting to read, thanks. Yes please to anyone else who made that decision / making it now if you’d like to say how you feel about it.

I think I so wanted both for different reasons seeing the first was good and exciting and seeing hard to get state also good.

Over emoting on here probably!

Oh goodness, just logged into e-admissions (no email yet) and we got our first choice too!! I am totally confused. Feels a relief in ways as such a very long time coming - years in ways, but proper crunch time now and I don’t feel much clearer. @stellagibbons @MarshaBradyo what to do?

Thanks @stellagibbons. I think I just panicked. The email came just a few minutes after I typed my last message. We got Lady Margaret which is a brilliant school. We just need to make our choice now.

The thing I'd say about making the choice between schools is that these are very bright girls and they will do well academically whichever school they go to. You can't 'buy' better grades (despite what some posters claim on other threads). I'm fairly sure that DD would have got the same grades at Tiffin as she did at PHS.

What I think suited DD at PHS was the atmosphere and environment. She rowed and did a lot of music. I guess she'd have done music at Tiffin but the sporting opportunities seemed lacking IMO. I think I just knew Tiffin wouldn't have suited her temperamentally. I'll never 'know' it was the right decision (sliding doors moment) but 6 years on I don't regret it so maybe it was right.

I’ve been watching this thread(s) for the last few weeks and helping any SPGS parents with info via DM and emails. Our daughter had an offer from Henrietta Barnett and SPGS as well as her old school. I felt sad letting old school and HBS go, but she’s been extremely happy at SPGS. 5 girls at her old school were offered HBS. 2 moved to HBS and the other 3 (including my daughter) went to SPGS. Was before the new rules came in.

Hoping everyone with WL get those turned into offers.

Sandy I think that it’s the other stuff if the state is good too, grades at a good state will fine (same even).

Ds really enjoys art, drama, some sport and music. Some we’ve paid for outside state primary. But it’d be really nice to see him pick it up and be the norm to go on with. And encouraged a lot. I like the idea of lunch time clubs which would suit him.

We got the Sutton grammar as well but Tiffin was the first choice . Makes our task easier and will probably stick to the Indy option

For all of you needing schoolblazer uniforms: please be aware that school blazer with hpave everything listed- and as stated not all listed items will be worn or even required by your school. Our schoollazer lists included bathing suits, towels and caps, overcoat, lab coats etc etc - not one was actually required to be worn. So clarify with your school as to what is essential, what is season specific (no point buying anything for winter now) and so on. Plus ask if your school does second hand sales.
The label option is a must however- you will end up with loads extra though (but they sew labels in each sock which is essential)!

Congrats on the offers @MumsRule20 @MarshaBradyo @Dizzyafter11plusfirsttime @Trialsat11.

I think we're heading towards choosing the Indie option - I've felt all along that it's the best fit for DD but, as others have said, I don't think she'll do that differently academically there. I do think she'll get greater encouragement to develop interests, will get more of a chance to do sport at more than a basic PE level and benefit from the smaller size and wider range of subjects. But, it's not an easy choice to turn down (music is very good at our first choice state and she has a music schol there).

Well done on all the state offers!

Sorry to bother again but is anyone able to weigh-in on Wimbledon High School? Just any insights really...

Thanks so much - 1.5 days to go so would love to make the decision and be done with it!!!

[deciding between Wimbledon High and Putney High!]

@Itisa, I have a DD in WHS and delighted. Happy to respond to any question you might have (if I know the answer, or otherwise ask my daughter) :)

I also have DD at WHS- all good!

Congrats to all you with your different options.
Good luck with all your choice.

If anyone has chosen FHSS feel free to DM me if you would
like some help with school uniform.

I belive they do have second hand sales - but unfortunaly due to Lockdown we missed out on all the intro days and sales.

There is some stuff that you can manage without or leave to spring term.

Just looking at this tonight as I know national offers day makes the choice harder for lots of people.

It seems so obvious to say it, but if you've got a great state place, and especially a great state place close to your home and the fees will be a stretch, it's not worth really stretching for.

If you can afford the fees easily, I think the choice becomes harder, especially if you've got one of the top super selective state grammars in the bag. At one of those, your DC really will be learning alongside other really top top notch students, but at even the best indies there will be a slightly wider ability range....it's just a numbers who apply per place thing. But the fees can pay for a smoother more luxurious experience and you know if that really matters to you or not.

And as everyone says, distance counts for a lot. If you have a choice to avoid a long journey for 7 years, you will be glad countless times over.

For those with 2 great choices....many congratulations. Whatever you choose it will always be nice to know your DD got both and there was a choice. People love to say they turned down Tiffin or HB or SPGS.

Force yourselves to choose this week, as not everyone is so fortunate and your choice might have multiple knock on impacts that give more girls choices and the longer time passes, the more those choices can come too late and far down the road for them to be real.

Congratulations to everyone who got their first choices, those on waiting lists should find that things start moving soon. We turned down Tiffin for WHS and have no regrets. Tiffin would have taken an hour to get to vs 20 minutes by bus to WHS (8 minutes by car) and in these pandemic times I'm really glad to have picked the nearer school but am sure my DD would have done great at either. DD is in year 8, also happy to be pm'd. Some lovely ladies did the same for me when I was in your situation two years ago.

Thank you @Enoughisenough2021 @Sweetnhappy and @Bidibidiba for your insights on Wimbledon High. It is really so helpful, and hopefully I'll be able to repay the favour next year to those looking at these threads!

I guess my main question is, what were the key things that made Wimbledon stand out for your DD? And if were you deciding between Putney and Wimbledon, why did you opt for Wimbledon?

Not trying to be controversial here but is there anything you don't like about the school? All schools have their downsides obviously, so just trying to see the whole picture!

I've forensically been through all the commuting timetables line by line! And as there's so little in it, no more than 5-10 minutes, the commute isn't a deciding factor for us.

Thanks so much to everyone else for commenting. It really is so kind, and I'm hoping that by tomorrow morning another waitlist will turn into an offer