Grey Court or TKA

[goldpendant]

We are a few years off needing a secondary place but keen to hear any experiences of either Grey Court or the Kingston Academy please!

It'll be for DS (DD is a bit more relaxed and adaptable), who is creative, into maths and science but not hugely academic. Loves music and drama but not especially sporty.

We live near both but would move to secure a place at Grey Court which I think might have the smaller catchment?

Any advice much appreciated!

Grey Court catchment admission data said kids admitted from 3km away which we are within quite comfortably, but DH pointed out this could be through sibling rule and folks that have moved since their first admission etc.

Again, any intel on first admission distances would be hugely helpful!

TIA!

These distances were posted to one of the local threads on offer day but they're just Richmond borough, so TKA isn't on the list, just GC. The distances usually increase a lot by September because some people go private and free up places for the waiting lists. People sometimes put in freedom of information requests for the September distances and post them online so sometimes they make it into the local threads.

My DD is at Grey Court (y9) and loves it. She loves sport but also drama and was in panto in Y7 and "School of Rock" in Y8 (pre-covid). But even this Christmas, the school managed to put on a panto with two cast "bubbles" and then screened it online. I know less about music provision but they host a G-Fest annually (or every two years) at which pupils perform - in bands, solo singers etc. I like the fact that they set for most subjects from Y7 (Maths, English, Languages, Science) and others are mixed ability - it means they have loads of opportunities to make friends rather than being with the same 30 children in their form every lesson. Online provision has been good and the head-teacher has been amazing during this whole past year - calm, decisive and always demonstrating he has the children's best interests at heart. Happy to answer any questions by PM - as you can see, I'm a bit of a fan of the school!

Really helpful thanks both! I will PM you @Nowfeeltheneedtopost - I really like the look of GC over TKA (can't put my finger on why), but want to plan ahead and be closer than we are now if we need to be!

On catchment distance, GC has been getting progressively smaller as it got more popular. But it has shrunk further after Sept 2018 when Teddington school's ofsted went from outstanding to good (or might have been requires improvement). There are definitely now more students who live in Teddington and can walk/cycle to GC via Teddington Lock bridge

The Headteacher is amazing!
I teach locally and as a trainee shadowed his classes when he taught MFL and was a DH.
Also have done supply at Teddington - avoid -dire! Totally unsurprised that Teddinton kids walk across the Lock bridge to Grey Court - or even swim ! - to avoid Teddington!

@QuidditchQueen did you do supply at Teddington before they got a new head and new academy trust? Everyone's saying it's much better now and likely to get back to Good at next Ofsted. They were under-subscribed for a while but now over-subscribed again since the change.

Teddington would be out for us as we are the other side of the river!