SW London boys 11+ 2022 entry

[Sweetnhappy]

Hi, my DS is in year 5 and we're struggling with not being able to see schools in person. We're having a think about where to apply and at the moment KCL is a favourite geographically but we haven't seen it so don't have a feel for the vibe. We went to see Hampton and KGS before the first lockdown without DS and liked them both. The Emanuel tours booked so quickly when they were released a few weeks ago, I think they are releasing more slots soon. Just wondering if anyone can give us a feeling of the vibe of these schools. Does anyone know what is happening with the headteacher at Kings? They seem to have an acting head at the moment.

We visited Latymer again today for a Headmaster’s
tour and loved it. DS was very taken by the Head
and progressive teaching. I think we have made our mind up and sadly (because we also love Hampton but can only choose one), will be letting Hampton go by the end of the week.

@gettingcloser21 I loved their new pool and how they are helping younger children to learn to swim, and also his talk about their rowing triumph.

@Avidgardner we have practically the same dilemma.

KGS = reputation for its nurturing environment - proven by its approach to entrance process; mixed classes; good theatre/ drama provision and no rugby is big plus for DS. Travelling for us is easy from home ( = cash saving too). Academics really good. STEM important to DS and seems well equipped but, we didn’t get to visit. Don’t yet understand the practical impact of travelling to/ from sport at Ditton Fields.

Hampton = Academically really really good. Headmaster and comms we’ve received show the school to be inclusive/ community minded and caring. Football option means DS can avoid rugby. Like KGS has an amazing theatre. Writers room is a draw for DS. But further to travel/ more awkward via public transport if not using coach service and fewer language options? Not sure if team sports open to all abilities. Not sure if links with LEH mean best of both worlds?

@miffywonder if you have the opportunity, city london school for boys is is the most diverse (despite it being a boys school). That's based on all the school visits I been to.

@Parentingfor2 which schools are you deciding between ? Any decisions yet?

My son was fortunate to get offers at City, Habs, Highgate and UCS. He had his heart set on St. Paul's especially because of the cricket but he got reserve list. Habs is excellent for cricket but quite far and City is more accessible by public transport but not so great at cricket. We really can't decide. Any thoughts from parents most welcome and thank you in advance. Also the Times ranking for the schools are confusing. City ranks high for GCSE where as Habs is much higher for A levels.

[quote Gettingcloser21]@Parentingfor2 which schools are you deciding between ? Any decisions yet?[/quote]
We've declined two so far including KGS as imho Latymer has slightly stronger results, nicer school set-up (although the head of LU did worry/confuse us with his talk about the potential of doing alternatives to GCSEs). The students were quite quiet throughout, probably our fault for being in their classrooms. Noticed they were having an IT issue during the tour... which they weren't able to resolve over the course of the tour.

Still need to visit Emanuel next, which I know isn't as strong academically but seems to be improving fast and appears to have very good pastoral care. KCS is the most convenient and has great academics, but has relatively weaker pastoral care by being so academically focused (we also felt that one member of staff who is still there, came across slightly arrogant), unsure of the impact the new head will make. DS and ourselves also aren't so keen on rugby.

City has good academics and imho the most diverse culture, the head even mentioned that he wasn't looking to intake or churn out the same type of student and wanted a diverse range of successful individuals. The main issue is that the premises felt compact (maybe due to there being less natural light as the school visits were in the evenings) and the commute would be about 50 mins for DS (even our year 8 guides said their commutes were about an hour). We loved the science lab demos, you can tell they knew what young boys liked... (exploding hydrogen balloons, flaming bubbles, hyperloopesque coils.)

Exactly the same here!

Trying discern fit with DS current interests and opportunities he might like to explore. Made harder by both having quality drama and sports pace. KGS seems to offer wider range of languages. Both schools are academically very successful.

Weighing up whether mixing with LEH compensates enough for not having mixed classrooms.

KGS has a strong reputation for pastoral care, and their exam/ interview process showed this. However, Hampton’s comms have made us already feel part of their community.

KGS so much easier to get to (and therefore cheaper too). Also has natural social hub in Kingston. Not sure where teenage Hamptonians “hang out”?

KGS means travelling to Ditton Fields and unclear on practicalities of that.

Waiting to visit both!

Hi @thisonesfortheroad
I think I posted to you on another thread but I can help on the KGS/Ditton field logistics so though I would pop back on! The kids are bussed to Ditton Field for any after school sports training (there are things most days if you want it) and when they finish they can either make their own way home on public transport, get picked up by a parent or hop back on the bus back to school and make their usual journey home. The only time you would need to ferry down to Ditton field is if they are playing a home match on a Saturday morning (the buses for the Saturday away matches leave from the main school site, or you have the option of taking them directly to the opposition school if that is easier logistically for you. It's all very flexible). For home matches, the parents are then encouraged to stick around at Ditton, grab a coffee and watch the teams play. Hope that helps!

@CrazyDaisy7668 we are in the same boat as a few others considering KGS. My biggest worry at the moment tbh is the commute on public transport as DS is at the moment quite sheltered/immature so the school bus option of Hampton is apealling at least for the next few years. Are the families at KGS quite spread out geographically? We are considering a house move so wondering if there is an area/public transport route that the bulk of the kids use enabling "travel buddies"?

Another question mark I have is on sport, DS is not a fan of Rugby or Football, never played hockey but happy to give it a go - he mainly loves cricket and cross country running, but not sure how popular cricket is at KGS?

Good luck to all with offer holders visits, hope its helpful in your decision making and a huge thank you to the current parents for sharing your experiences, its so hugely appreciated :)

@avidgardener I totally understand - they seem so little to be navigating public transport but they get the hang of it very quickly! KGS uses a parent portal so you can see on the map where all the other parents live (you can filter by class or yeargroup). Once you get a link to that in early summer, parents can start messaging to see what routes the kids would be taking in and you can arrange dry runs with other families near you in the holidays. There are hoards of them coming in on various bus/train and walking routes. Re sport - yes Hockey is a big thing and they are all encouraged to play it in the first term, just to give it a go. In fact, all the sport in general, they really want the kids involved. Just at any level that suits them. A super sports averse DC might need to be aware! My football loving eldest joined KGS having never played hockey before and has now pretty much ditched football in favour of hockey - he loves it. Cricket has just been moved into their Performance Sports (along with Hockey and Rowing), which is a sign they are looking to take it up a level. A winter net program runs from October half term through to April and then Cricket becomes the principal sport for summer (athletics and tennis for those that don't want to do it). Hoping that is helpful. Feel free to DM if you have any other specific qns. Well done to your DS on all his offers. You have a shortlist of super schools in the mixer :)

We have to decide between Hampton and Trinity for DS and as we haven't been able to visit both the schools, we are going by the online reviews/comments. DS is super sporty, friendly and good at academics but not very self driven. Is Hampton good at supporting kids across different academics level ? Also is cricket stronger at Hampton than Trinity ? Would also like to know which area should we stay if we choose either. We are looking at mid priced/mid sized houses to stay near to the school to avoid long commute.

@sprite22 , as a Hampton parent who lives locally is there any way you can visit in the next week or so? The school is in quite a suburban area about a 20 min walk from the train station and near the most basic of shops.

Re Hampton school, well done to your ds on getting the place but academically he will be similar to everyone else who gained a place, there isn't much variation in ability (the super bright scholarship boys being the stand outs) and you have to be motivated to keep up with the class so I wouldn't worry about that. The pace of teaching in all the top schools is fast.

Yes there is lots of cricket at Hampton and an option to train in winter nets at the weekend.

If you don't want to pay for the school bus then you need to live on a transport for London bus route that stops near the school - like Twickenham. If you want to use the school bus look at houses on the Isleworth, Brentford and Sunbury school bus routes.

Sorry I don't know anything about Trinity apart from it's in a totally different part of Greater London.

Best of luck with a tricky decision. Out of interest are there other schools your ds applied for but didn't get offers from?

@hockeygrass Thank you so much for sharing your views..DS applied for Brighton, MTS, Trinity, Whitgift, Hampton and KGS. All in different areas as we are relocating and do not have any particular preference for location. These were shortlisted on the basis of reviews and couple of references from existing friends. He received offers from all and now we are trying to narrow down. The pace of teaching isn't an issue on it's own but balancing sports practices/fixtures may be difficult. Does the school provide any support in such situations ( may be extra classes ?)

@sprite22 , the balance isn't an issue as all the clubs and sports practice is over lunchtime and the matches are on Saturdays when there are no lessons. The school day ends at 4pm and most of the dc use the school buses, my ds is home by 4.45pm and he then has time for a piano lesson and club football outside school during the week. Most sporty dc also play for a local football/rugby/cricket club and have a club training session during the week and a match on Sunday. If you want a really sporty set up with more training then you should accept the Whitgift or MTS place for the cricket. I think KGS has more sports practice than Hampton too.

The Hampton 11plus offers morning is today so I'm sure parents can give you more feedback but is there really no way that no one in your family can't visit the U.K. for 24 hours and see the schools?

@hockeygrass Is the area 'Molesey' worth a look ? Rightmove is showing many houses in that area.

@ Molesey is good but it's not on a train line hence the lower house prices. To get a train to London you need to go to Hampton court and pay for expensive parking.

Aaaand we got Westminster, woo how!

DS got in Westminster too. So proud!

We've got Westminster, too :)

@CrazyDaisy7668 and @hockeygrass thanks for sharing posts in the group about your two schools. Super helpful as we think our choice has boiled down to between these two very different schools.

@Parentingfor2 and others - how did you find the Emanuel open day? We are very keen and likely to accept I think.

We’ve accepted the offer place to Epsom College and so happy.
Was hard to turn down Reeds and St. George’s though as all super schools.

@travelturtle going to visit Emanuel on Monday

@7plus11plus, congrats, that's amazing for your ds, you must be once the moon after the CLSB option. Is this the end of the road decision wise for both your dc now? What a great note to end on!