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)...

Thank you for all the really helpful responses - and good luck to those still deliberating! Think we have decided but DD insisting on sleeping on it.... x

Congratulations to all the DC with their latest great offers!!! Such a good job to get into those super selective grammar schools.

We made our decision today and together with DD we confirmed LU!! We are super excited. And we let go of all the other offers.

If there are any other DC going to LU please feel free to pm directly.

And good luck to all the other on the WL. Things will start moving soon!

@Itisa what a wonderfully tricky situation to be in! My DD got Tiffin and WHS but was waitlisted for PHS so we didn't have your dilemma. That said, she always preferred WHS to PHS so we were totally happy. She just always preferred the vibe, we were also fortunate to be able to visit the schools that year and attend the offer holders events. I think it was the STEM/STEAM emphasis. She also really enjoyed the group assessment.

And also thank you @sandybayley and @Stircrazyschoolmum for your insights into Putney

I think the Good Schools Guide has competition from Mumsnet!

@Itisa

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

We were deciding between PHS and Emanuel and had decided on Emanuel as DD refused point blank to go to PHS and I wasn’t keen but we live in Putney so had applied! We then got a WL place at WHS which we all much preferred but it was all gut feel so not much use I’m afraid. It felt much more fun and lively at the open days I went to- I went 3 at PHS over 2 years and each time they had the same choir singing the same song. I was also unlucky with the girls that showed us around PHS. ( and I knew a few girls who had been bullied at the junior school so that probably slightly coloured my view). But we know lots of girls at Putney and all very happy. I’m sure if DD had gone there she would have been happy as well! She was probably going through an anti purple phase! I am also glad that she gets to travel a bit to school- otherwise her life would be very centred in one place! For those who’ve chosen PHS I’m not saying it’s not great- just saying why we made the choice! Can’t think of any major downsides to WHS - there will always be a few moans about things but generally very happy. So much if it comes down to who’s in your daughter’s year and that’s the one thing you can’t predict!

Thinking about when DD sat the exams- lots of girls got offers from either WHS or PHS but not both because of the very different exams, so what to choose was made easier. IESB has muddied the waters a bit, hence so many choosing between the 2!

@Enoughisenough2021 - that's a good point. We knew plenty of girls who were offered WHS or PHS but not both in previous years. So any parents applying in future years would be well advised to sit both and not assume they will have the luxury of two offers!

@Itisa Good luck on choosing! I have friends with DDs in both schools and the general reason to choosing one or the other has been sports. The sportier girls have picked PHS... Although when I looked around WHS a very sporty girl showed me around. She was a rower and it seems that WHS are increasing their rowing focus. Both schools supply Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club with ball girls for the tournament. But I personally only know girls from PHS that made the final cut. Not sure if they have been more successful or not in that area. PHS do Lacrosse which is popular.

Just remembered another difference. PHS has their own boathouse in Putney. WHS rows out of Hampton - which is quite a trek. So if you think your DD might like to row do think about that car journey!

"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?"

We had a slight preference for WHS (mostly irrational and based on gut feeling): my other half was completely won over by the open day (that was before Covid time... seems a looong time ago now), I missed it. I attended an open day in PHS and had more mixed feelings: in part. I did not like the road with heavy traffic /pollution hotspot in Putney.

Also DD plays Hockey, and not Lacrosse.
We liked, above all, the (apparent) atmosphere from WHS (confirmed for us until now!): Girls seem so supportive of each other, not clicky at all, not showy, not pushy /alpha type, so relaxed about their appearances (very often in tracksuits), with a healthy work ethic. But these are all personal impressions, maybe other parents felt the other way round from visiting PHS & WHS. Anyway, that's why we decided on WHS.

Having had our first round of parents-teachers evening and based on what my DD tells me, I find teachers all hugely available, supportive, and working hard to make their subject stimulating.

At the end of the day, having this choice is a great position to be in, and I'm sure she'll flourish in any of the 2 schools. Congratulations to her! :-)

I have been lurking here for the last couple of month. Brilliant tread! Lovely to read how supportive all the mums are. Congratulations to all DD who got offers up to now and good luck to the ones that are in the WL. We have accepted LEH and released the other offers.

I have 2 at WHS, also happy to answer questions. If it helps they have handled remote learning very well. Comms to parents are very good. Lots going on in normal times. They have a very progressive attitude to education, only 9 GCSEs rather than 10, willing to be very flexible on GCSE choices. Very supportive of creative subjects alongside STEM. They have really put a lot of effort and resources into sport in the last few years and have great ambitions for rowing (before the pandemic hit anyway).

@Itisa if you look at the last page of last years threads there were some great insights into WHS from a lovely mum called colapip.

Because both schools are GDST they will have a similar feel in many ways. I seem to remember last year it boiled down to sports and languages taught in y7 if all other things were equal. Try the coin test that someone else suggested and see what your heart says. Ultimately let DD decide if you can’t call it.. she will be more committed on rainy days and dark mornings if she felt ultimately she got her first choice!

Just wondering if anyone in here accepted a place at Sutton High?

It is always interesting to read this thread. We are deciding between
IPS, Emanuel and Sutton High, having said no to Queen's Gate and SCHS. We are leaning towards IPS. If anyone has any knowledge of lockdown learning provision there, I would love to know.

For those deciding between, G&L, WHS, PHS, and TGS, we faced this decision 2 years ago. We went with TGS. I looked pretty carefully at the exam data and leavers' destinations, analyzing grades and subjects and doing some statistical analysis.

For a child interested in maths and science, TGS clearly dominated. For most other subjects, TGS was stronger than WHS and PHS. The most common university destinations at TGS are Oxbridge, Imperial, UCL, KCL and Warwick.

In terms of pastoral care, TGS has been excellent. I am rather surprised at how well my daughter's form tutor knows her. Sports provision is strong. My daughter has played hockey and netball. She swims and rows outside school. Music provision is top notch.

Hello all - just popping on to say I'm more than happy to help with any WHS related questions

DD is in Y7 so the decision-making anguish is still fresh in my mind! We had various offers and spent ages weighing up the pros/cons. Ultimately though it came down to which option sparked most excitement in my DD. She was jumping up and down when she got her WHS offer. I guess what I'm trying to say is sometimes it really is down to which one "feels" most right.

On the WHS v PHS question, that's a tricky one. We were waitlisted for PHS, so didn't have that particular dilemma. WHS was our preferred option over PHS in any event - for practically the same reasons that others preferred PHS!! The buzz, creativity, atmosphere. I honestly wouldn't spend any time trying to distinguish them academically - there's nothing in it as far as I can tell!

This has actually turned into rather a long ramble - sorry!

I see quite a few where talking about Tiffin Girls. Does anyone have any first hand knowledge of Nonsuch. We liked it at open day 2 years ago but now trying to make decisions it’s hard. Thanks.

Re PHS / WHS... It won’t help your choice but the reality is that both schools are so so similar being both GDST. Both schools are on busy roads but both set back from the traffic, I actually have never heard noise from cars at either sites when inside the school building and PH have done a lot of work to plant trees to be a little protected from the traffic (am sure WH will do the same when building works are over) most of the classrooms are at the back of the school and don’t face Ph. Both have the same buzz creativity and atmosphere. Reality is that the year groups are relatively big (about 120 / 140 girls) so you can’t tell me everyone is supportive, not clikey and not flash. There will be lots of different characters and in the end a lot will depend on who DD becomes friends with. One plays lacrosse one Hockey. PH has more tennis and at WH you can swim. If you think rowing is for your DD (difficult to say at this age as the 6am starts end up putting some of the girls off!) then yes PHS has a boat house walking distance. One does 9 GCSE and other 10. Musically very similar. Have a look at languages choices which do differ if this is your thing? PHS does the main ones plus Italian Greek and Mandarin. WH does main ones plus Greek. At PH you have to do all 3 sciences at WH you pick two. PH building completes later this year and WH in 2022. Sites similar sizes. This won’t help hugely with your choice but I think most people will come on here to try and convince everyone their choice is the right one so will have few nice words about the other school they didn’t chose (not you Cola! I think your post is nicely balanced)

Agree completely with the above post except year group is nearer to 100 in both schools and that at WHS you can of course do 3 if you want but only have to do 2.

We’ve accepted our offer at JAGS and declined our other offers. Such a relief that we’ve made that decision!

Thanks to everyone who has been on these threads this year - it’s made what was a
fairly stressful process much easier to handle! Good luck to all your DDs (especially those on WLs).

Hi ,

Looking for some urgent advice on PHS(15-20min) v/s LEH (45 min ).
Please pour in your thoughts or what helped you decide in similar cases

Thanks to everyone has has contributed and eased the panic! Last minute as ever here! Wondered if anyone could help with decision making between Jags and Alleyns?? Thanks so much!!

@Trialsat11 - yikes, sounds like you're under pressure.

I'm conscious I keep talking about gut feeling, but I think it's genuinely helpful - which one are you/DD most enthusiastic about?

All things being equal, I'd go for the closest option. As others have said, travel time at either end of the day really does mount up. If you factor in clubs after school, weekend sports training etc, then a school in closer proximity to home may be a real bonus.

Another factor with both those schools is their immediate vicinity - the Putney v Hampton location. As your DD gets older, is the proximity to cafes etc in Putney likely to be a bonus - or possibly an unhelpful distraction?!

Good luck with your decision-making

We’re in exactly the same position and similarly last minute!! Know that we’re incredibly fortunate to have this conundrum but still need to make a decision 😬

Sorry I meant decision between JAGS and Alleyn’s x