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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

SW London Girls' Private & Grammar - applying for year 7 in 2022

999 replies

SkaterGrrrrl · 27/05/2021 14:25

I watched with interest the information and support on this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/4177427-PART-3-SW-London-Girls-Indies-11-Results-Decisions-Panic-Over and wanted to start the same thread for South West London parents with daughters who will be applying for secondaries (independents and grammar) for places in year 7 in Sept 2022.

Where are you applying, how are the virtual open days going..... and to tutor or not to tutor?

OP posts:
refusetobeasheep · 02/02/2022 20:57

@Flyingbytheseatofmypullups and @Broccolimagic Claremont is a lovely school - I would love to spend 6 years there!!
We're in Petersham so DD can walk to Ham Common to get the school coach - it leaves at 7:30 and back at 16:50 for DD. I do worry about friends not living nearby as we hit the teenage years ....

Broccolimagic · 02/02/2022 21:36

@refusetobeasheep and @Flyingbytheseatofmypullups that’s interesting. Ham may be where my DD would get on too although it would also mean a v short drive beforehand to get there from our house. Slots well into other lifts I have to do but still a heck of a journey (she could get on nearer home but even longer journey then). People I know with children who do longish bus journeys seem to enjoy it but it probably makes doing clubs after (and before?) school tricky. I like the fact that there seem to be a lot of happy children at Claremont. Anyway - I will think about it harder when we know whether we have any other offers.

Broccolimagic · 02/02/2022 21:39

…I mean they seem to enjoy the bus journeys..use them to get homework done and socialise. Seems strange but I’ve heard a few people say that.

refusetobeasheep · 02/02/2022 21:46

@Broccolimagic I was just reading the new Claremont website and it says that they try to put activities / clubs on at lunch time so that those who get school coaches can attend. Worth digging into a bit more if its looking like a contender.

Broccolimagic · 02/02/2022 22:06

@refusetobeasheep ah thanks that’s useful to know.

travelturtle · 03/02/2022 08:51

Congrats to those with offers in already. All the schools we applied to either post or email their results so we get them on 11th. I naively assumed all schools were working on same dates! It’s going to make for a very stressful day next Friday 😬

HighRopes · 03/02/2022 11:51

For anyone waiting for GDST offers, you may find this thread interesting. I did. Looks like they may lose quite a few experienced teachers next Christmas, if they can’t come to an agreement on pensions that their staff find acceptable:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/4470113-GDST-Trustees?msgid=114776908#114776908

whatinname · 03/02/2022 12:35

[quote HighRopes]For anyone waiting for GDST offers, you may find this thread interesting. I did. Looks like they may lose quite a few experienced teachers next Christmas, if they can’t come to an agreement on pensions that their staff find acceptable:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/4470113-GDST-Trustees?msgid=114776908#114776908[/quote]
Interesting. Does this explains why HT of a GDST school coming in FHRP?

CatBook · 03/02/2022 13:16

For any of you intending to turn down Claremont, please do so as soon as possible. We got a waitlist letter from them, which was disappointing, as it was our first choice due to locality (we can walk there in under 5 mins). DS luckily has another offer (which looks better on paper academically) but it's miles away and I really didn't want to do the school run in that traffic for the next 5 years! Congrats to those of you with offers, it's a lovely school.

refusetobeasheep · 03/02/2022 13:33

@CatBook I think places will be released around w/c 14th feb as that's when we'll hear from the final schools we're waiting on ... hopefully your DD will then get a place!

refusetobeasheep · 03/02/2022 13:34

Sorry, DS !

CatBook · 03/02/2022 13:49

@refusetobeasheep Thank you - fingers crossed!

ishopthereforeiam · 03/02/2022 13:53

@CatBook good luck! Out of interest would you mind if I ask where your offer is? We’re looking for next year in the area and struggling to find alternative options! Thank you!

Broccolimagic · 03/02/2022 21:12

@CatBook we will certainly make a decision as soon as we can if we’re lucky enough to have choices. Fingers crossed you get a Claremont offer really soon.

1forward2back · 03/02/2022 22:04

@HighRopes I asked about this today at Sutton taster day. It’s a gdst. They didn’t think it would be an issue. She said they just had advertised three teaching roles and had 30 applicants without the pension as part of the role. We were told about 300 schools already don’t offer the pensions including places like Reeds, Wetherby and some of the big boarding schools and lots more thinking about it apparently. I read about it online so was worried before but I was quite reassured. There is a list of schools online who are already not offering the pension abs it is about 300. To be honest, my pension in a ‘profession’ is much less! Was anyone else there today?

jeanne16 · 04/02/2022 08:01

Only the very wealthy private schools will be able to stay in the TPS. Most of them are having to look at pulling out. This may damage all private schools, not just the GDST ones.

I think it may stop the previously seamless move of teachers between the State and Private sector which is very unfortunate.

doodleandsketch · 04/02/2022 16:01

Hi all, this is my first time posting and I have been reading through all your thoughts and messages about schools. My DD sat 11+ for Notre Dame in Cobham, Claremont and St George's. So far she has been offered a place at Notre Dame and Claremont. St George's results come out next week. We have lived overseas for 10 years, so are new to this. My daughter fell in love with Notre Dame when she visited it, but because it has been so difficult to travel we have only viewed the other two schools online. Can anyone give me pros and cons for any of these schools. DD is quite quiet, academic and very arty. She likes sports, especially gymnastics and football, but not super competitive. She is in a small co-ed primary school in Switzerland at the moment and we return to the UK in the summer. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks

Benny12 · 04/02/2022 17:17

Hi @doodleandsketch ... welcome to the group ... I know parents with children at all three Schools ..St Georges is most a academic of all three , on a beautiful site , co-ed , art is strong there , Notre dame (all girls) well rounded , good pastorally , art well regarded there too ...Claremont ...good pastorally , children happy there and lovely site too ...academically less than the other two but becoming more selective ...a lot will depend on where you re-locate too when here and the transport links ...if your DD loves notre dame and you have a offer then its sounds like it could be the place ... but st georges are posting thursday the 10th so see what brings ....

Benny12 · 04/02/2022 17:19

back to stalking our postman tomorrow ...Surbiton posted their offers tonight !!!

Original poster
SkaterGrrrrl · 04/02/2022 17:21

Welcome doodleandsketch Brew

OP posts:
Original poster
SkaterGrrrrl · 04/02/2022 17:21

Guys.

SW London Girls' Private & Grammar - applying for year 7 in 2022
OP posts:
deerison · 04/02/2022 18:25

Where is St George's?

PricePoint · 04/02/2022 18:26

@deerison un Weybridge

deerison · 04/02/2022 18:40

Ah thank you. I'm next years lot, researching schools currently!

doodleandsketch · 04/02/2022 18:48

@Benny12 thanks for the insight. We will be moving back to Weybridge, so not far from any of the schools. I'm swayed towards to Notre Dame, just because DD loved it. I'll wait to hear from St George's next week and go from there. Thanks again.