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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:
swgeek · 14/02/2022 05:59

@Westlondonmom22 no school buses for those to my knowledge as they are very easily reached by public transport. LU is a less than 5min walk from Ravenscourt Park tube station. I imagine there is some driving to school in the first year but that will subside and children make their own way.

HighRopes · 14/02/2022 07:49

On school buses, my experience is that they are attractive in terms of safety but there’s not much else going for them. They’re limiting in other ways, especially as they get older. I did worry about dd1 on the tube by herself, but she’s not had a single creepy / bad experience. She has to deal with occasional delays and re-routing, but after a couple of times she was fine at dealing with them without panicking and needing my help. So this time round, I’ve excluded any schools that can’t be accessed by public transport in at least two ways from where we live. I certainly won’t be driving dd to school or back, I’ve got a job and it’s not doable.

alidasi · 14/02/2022 07:52

I see your dilemma has kept you up. I have similar situation which we are working out. Where do u live and what's the commute journey?

alidasi · 14/02/2022 08:06

Anyone here going to GHS?

GU24Mum · 14/02/2022 08:49

@alidasi I've just replied on your other thread about GHS and distance.

alidasi · 14/02/2022 08:58

Oh thank you GU24MUM. Am not very savvy. I don't know how to use this MN very well. Your dd goes to GHS?

GU24Mum · 14/02/2022 08:59

Don't worry - I'll tag you on the other one so you can click into it

puzzledmom · 14/02/2022 10:49

DD is trying to decide between G&L, CLSG and LU. Any advice or thoughts would be much appreciated

Mum201014 · 14/02/2022 11:32

I’ve heard of appeal against state school exam result. Wondering if anyone heard of such attempt to private school?

Glaciferous · 14/02/2022 12:04

You can't appeal against a private school's admission decision! They can do whatever they like, within reason. And why would you want to force them to take a child they don't want, anyway?

Mum201014 · 14/02/2022 12:51

Indeed, not trying to get in, only stupidly want to prove their feedback was not what actually happened. Very childish idea

Talk4000 · 14/02/2022 14:50

[quote Flyingbytheseatofmypullups]@Talk4000 can I ask how your daughter finds the use of ipads in lessons at SHS? I do have some concerns around teacher-pupil engagement, and the lack of text books to annotate (I was a prolific highlighter and fan of post-it notes at school!)[/quote]
The ipads are used to hold all text books and it means they only carry around an ipad plus their exercise books to write in.

Instead of printing out worksheets or carrying around heavy books it's all on the ipad. Lessons are still taught in the normal way - I don't think there's been any reduction in teacher-pupil engagement on account of that as far as I can tell.

DD sometimes gets annoyed with tapping away on the screen though she's used to it now. But there have been frustrations at times. I'd say having an apple pencil is very helpful as it allows them to be more precise when writing on the ipad. Once we got one of those in Year 8 she's never mentioned anything since. We didn't want to get one too early as they are expensive and we thought it might get lost!

I understand the desire for a text book. I'm not sure these days you'll find many schools with text books though, that's the problem. They all have some kind of tech device to hold the text books. They give them paper copies of some of the subjects so DD has all the science ones but they are still sitting brand new, pristine and untouched on her bookshelf...

DD doesn't really do notes or highlighters (a bit unusual I know). She has friends though that go mad with highlighters during revision times though so they seem to manage somehow.

refusetobeasheep · 14/02/2022 16:22

Still not got the actual post from KGS ... although have booked the offers day as got that email. Has anyone got their postal offer from KGS? I'm thinking give it to after post arrives tomorrow before phoning ...

Flyingbytheseatofmypullups · 14/02/2022 16:26

Thanks @Talk4000, that’s really useful.

swmu · 14/02/2022 16:36

Hi, does anyone know what time the secondary school days start and finish in general? We’re trying to work out the logistics as we have one child in primary school and one will start secondary school this September. Thanks

refusetobeasheep · 14/02/2022 16:52

@swmu it's usually registration at 8:30, home time 3:50 ish

Glaciferous · 14/02/2022 16:53

@Mum201014

Indeed, not trying to get in, only stupidly want to prove their feedback was not what actually happened. Very childish idea
I am sure it must be annoying but all you can do is move on and get on with whatever the next step is. Good luck with everything. I am sure your daughter will do fine wherever she goes.

DD's school has real actual paper textbooks. She leaves them all at school to use in lessons and takes photos of pages for homework etc.

swmu · 14/02/2022 22:43

[quote refusetobeasheep]@swmu it's usually registration at 8:30, home time 3:50 ish [/quote]
Many thanks

SW17cleocat · 15/02/2022 11:12

Mum201014
Indeed, not trying to get in, only stupidly want to prove their feedback was not what actually happened. Very childish idea

I have had the same feeling as my DD has got offers from WHS, JAGS and academic scholarship from SCHS, yet a flat-out from a less selective school. Coincidentally her tutor says he’s seen a lot of anomalies in this school’s offers this year. Best to let it go. Could be anything - a bad exam day, bad interview, school messed up their spreadsheet, anything! They’ll never tell you.

Emo76 · 15/02/2022 12:00

FHSS sent an email out to waiting list yesterday saying whilst they understand people are keen to know if there's any movement it's too early to say, and won't be clear until near 7th March, and reminding us that with 600 applicants for 80 places it's a long waiting list.

We let them know on Friday how keen our daughter is, and have reiterated that - and just have to wait now as we know.

The sheer numbers though of applicants vs places has reminded me though that we do need to explore any other options we can find for a school for Y7!

Hope everyone else is going well.

dinosaurinmybelly · 15/02/2022 13:03

Please try not to be discouraged about the numbers. Of those 600 applicants, many will have applied to 3 or more schools and will have made a decision and let their places go already.

I do agree that you need to be proactive at this point, expressing interest and ensuring you have options should the WL place not work out.

PricePoint · 16/02/2022 17:28

Made our choice and declined 3 of the schools we had offers from. Not sure this helps anyone but hopefully you get some comfort from knowing some people dont wait until the last moment :)

SpringCalling · 16/02/2022 20:46

@SW17cleocat I suspect some of the less selective schools may be expecting daughters like yours to get in elsewhere (they probably asked where else was applying, and put that with a high score ...)...

squirrelofsw19 · 16/02/2022 21:07

Well done @PricePoint. What did you go for in the end? I think we’ve made our choice too (pending the offer letter from KGS which still hasn’t arrived) but just wondering how best to decline offers in a way that doesn’t completely screw up DD2’s options for two years’ time. Do any of the second-timers know the etiquette here?
We genuinely would have been delighted with any of the 5 schools DD1 applied to but are likely to select the one she liked the most (which also happens to be one with a healthy scholarship offer which is in turn going to be a godsend given a forthcoming change in income). DD2 has similar abilities to DD1 so hopefully can earn her own place at same school as DD1 but will declined schools be complete no-gos for second time round? It won’t change what we decide for DD1 but helpful to know ramifications of current decision. Thanks and good luck everyone with decisions and waits ahead. We will release our offers well ahead of the deadline to try and make things easier for others.

PricePoint · 16/02/2022 21:12

@squirrelofsw19 it was a polite email declining and wishing them and all the girls a happy and successful future. No more details - although all 3 are keen to know where DD is now heading as they all offered her a scholarship - which in itself was a shock for us.

Main thing, i think, is to be polite and respectful as you would perhaps when declining a job offer.... basically to never burn your bridges as you never know what the future holds.