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

[SkaterGrrrrl]

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?

We are debating Surbiton, SPGS and WHS. Each has advantages. Surbiton is perfect from the sport point of view, and I’ve talked to parents who say it’s a low pressure, lovely school. But she would be academically right at the top of their cohort (I think, best guess from people who know her and the school, plus she got a nice scholarship) and I’m worried about the potential lack of stretch and competition, especially in maths. Im told there are lots of opportunities to be involved in music (not necessarily at super high level), which is important to her.

WHS is by far the shortest commute, good academically and does hockey rather than lacrosse but not her favourite sport. Don’t know that much more about it, but music also seems strong though less clear on the opportunities for keen but not super high grade players.

SPGS is about the same commute (but with a change) as Surbiton, time-wise. Maybe a few minutes longer. She’d get the academic stretch there, but not the types of sport she most enjoys. I know there are lots of musical opportunities at all levels. Her older sister is there and loves it, but they are both a bit concerned about being in the same school again (though I think it would be much less of an issue at secondary than at a small primary).

@HighRopes , as a parent at Surbiton I would say from my dd's year there are not many dd who would have got into SPSG. When the Tiffin offers come out in a week or so many of the potential cohort for year 7 will ditch Surbiton (with a scholarship) for Tiffin.

The music does have lots of opportunities but it's because everyone is welcome and to be honest the standard is variable at best.

Finally if you choose surbiton you will probably look at moving to a more academic school for 6th form, many dd stay but lots esp those who have been there since reception leave for Kings, Tiffin Boys, KGS etc. (Surbiton has 4 Oxbridge offers this year).

Best of luck with it all!

@Cinnybuns I guess we all only need one and SCHS seems to have a strong record :-)

Springcalling KGS does seem like a no brainier to be honest. What your daughter doing prefers about Claremont may be out weighted against more local friends, closer to sports etc and 5 hours plus recovered a week from the commute.

Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts @sunshineclouds24 and @highropes.

For those going through this process next year, now that our last offer is in, it might be helpful to share that our 11-plus journey started ominously when DD didn’t get through stage one Tiffin. We thought we’d gone for completely the wrong set of schools but, after a week of panicked research (during which I discovered my half-sister also failed stage I Tiffin before getting into G&L - now studying medicine at Cambridge), we stuck to our plan A.

DD now has offers from Surbiton (academic/music scholarships and Principal’s Award), PHS (music sch), Emanuel (music sch), KGS (music sch) and WHS.

During the 11-plus journey, DD decided she preferred single sex so we are down to three. DD1 loves science, maths, music, most sports incl gymnastics, and drama. We think PHS is best fit for DD1 and hopefully DD2. It is also DDs’ favourite so we are aligned. However Surbiton has a fantastic buzz to it, and WHS is our nearest so feels insane to even think of turning it down (aside from the fact that it’s the only one that hasn’t offered DD a scholarship- important as about to drop hours to take up a voluntary international role).

Interested to know why people turn down PHS. Is it just a gut feel or any particular concerns? Any views on the differences between WHS and PHS? One thing that’s odd about most of the girls schools is how few girls take subjects such as Physics through to A-level. Where are the science-minded girls going for Sixth Form?
Anyway, I think you can tell we are now into the realms of overthinking and just looking for confirmation that we are making a good choice with PHS. Fundamentally just want DDs to have happy and fulfilled school days and reach their potential in whichever direction their talents lie.

Thanks again to everyone for their openness, honesty and encouragement on this thread. I am really going to miss the chat after 7th March. I hope every pot finds its lid and look forward to maybe meeting some of you in Year 7. Good luck all!

@1forward2back thank you. The last thing we want is for DD to feel stressed or disappointed so if it is SCHS, we’ll absolutely embrace it. That said, we spoke to DD’s headteacher over half term and apparently she is close to the top of two of the WLs, so I guess we just sit tight for now and hope for some movement soon!

Pretty sure this is worse for the parents than for the girls!

@Cinnybuns am sure you’ve seen last year’s thread but there was a lot of movement around the time the state school offers came out so sounds likely your DD will have more than one option very soon. Agree it will be lovely to commit wholeheartedly to one school once the whole thing unravels. We are blessed to have so many good options in SW London. Best of luck!

Hello, does anyone have any current experience of harrodian and ibstock - currently weighing up a choice between the two for my daughter. She is bright, creative and needs strong pastoral care. Thanks

@Stircrazyschoolmum would probably have good advice for @squirrelofsw19.

@squirrelofsw19 by all means DM me if you want to talk all things Putney.. lots of girls travel from Wimbledon (similarly lots of Putney girls go the opposite way.) Perhaps sometimes a school is ‘too local’ ?

I don’t have last years stats to mind but large quantities of girls go on to study medicine related university subjects which suggests sciences are prominent at Alevel. Plus the newly completed music/drama and science building should suit your DD down to the ground. Anyway, DM me if you want any further insights!

@SpringCalling and @sugar001 and others thinking about declining school v nearby in favour of a school with a long commute - we were considering doing the same 2 years ago (DD now in Y8; have just gone through the 11+ process again for DS). DD loved the school which was on the school bus, 50 min away, and was absolutely prepared to do it, however in the end us parents decided for her to go for the closer school (short tube ride). Yes, there were a few tears at the time but DD very quickly moved on and absolutely agrees now it was the right thing to do.

I talked to quite a few parents at the time AND a DC who had done the schoolbus for 7 years. The DC loved the school but was emphatic about wishing to have been at a school closer to home - particularly said that it was v tiring and a waste of time during GCSE and A levels. And there is the issue of friends further afield.

As a parent, I can't tell you how pleased we are having stayed local. When DD has to be at hockey practice at 7.30am, it's great to be able to leave the house at 7.10 rather than 6.30 (and that's her going on the tube, not us driving)!

I am sure there are cases where the further away school will be the right choice, just know very clearly why you are choosing it (@sugar001 single sex v coed may well be one), and be aware of the implications for the next 7 years.

Absolutely agree @LegoAndLentils - my niece chose a school that was two tubes away and she moved after a year as it was taking so long and honestly, she was shattered. Anything over about 40 minutes is too far imho.

We are choosing Putney over LEH and Surbiton. My daughter loves Science and we have been impressed with the school. The admissions team are lovely and everything has been handled so well. My daughter bounced out of the Athena day assessment and said she didn’t want the day to end. I guess we will know more on Tuesday! Good luck!

Thanks @LegoAndLentils for your advice.

@scl1 we are also choosing between Harrodian and Ibstock!

@sunshinesanddunes. That’s lovely to hear.. my daughter is the same after 8 months in the school.. she practically lives there!!

Thanks @Stircrazyschoolmum that’s really good to hear. @sunshinesanddunes our DD was the same after the Athena Assessment - she loved the drama teacher and would have been happy to start at Putney there and then. Agree their Admissions Team have been fab throughout - it was good to chat with some of them at the music auditions- they commute from a long way to work at Putney and seemed absolutely passionate about their work environment. DH and DD are going to the offerholders’ fair on Tues so hoping they still love it after that!

My DD received a few nice schools' offers. We immediately rejected two on the day we received them and are about to do so on the third one tomorrow. Our big struggle is to choose one from CLSG and G&L (which are so different in style but both with very nice academic performance) if assuming there won't be other grammars to come to the consideration set on 1st March. My DD is strongly academic, talented in some subjects. In personality, I found she can alter herself with the environment. For example, she will prefer to regress to fit in a group much more than to stand out as a sharp commenter. Sometimes I wish she could be more ambitious, wolfish, and resilient to maintain flexibility to change in future, for example transferring from one school to another in 6th form. In view of so, we lean more towards one choice over another.

No guarantee that no regret will be there in ANY CHOICE. We found this choice too hard but we'd like to find a choice that suits DD better. I believe every parent does so.

@popcorn925 and @scl1 there are a couple of recent threads about Ibstock I’m following too - might be helpful to look it you haven’t seen. Not sure how to link them here but if you search “Ibstock” and order by newest they should come up. We are choosing between Emanuel and Ibstock

@popcorn925 … what are your considerations? It would be awkward if we turn out to already know one another … my head said Ibstock all the way through but my daughter instantly felt at home at harrodian and I’m now wondering whether the academic difference between them really matters vs where she feels she’ll be happy

@sunshineclouds24 Thanks! That’s super helpful on Surbiton.

If there’s anyone on here who could give me a similar take on Wimbledon High (the stretch, especially in maths, plus the range of sport and the musical opportunities at less than amazing level), I’d be really grateful.

@Mumalsoasfriend we are struggling with the same choice and similar challenges with Dd. Can you share which way you're leaning and why? Thanks!

Mumalsoasfriend, we had to choose between CLSG and G&L. I couldn’t decide as you say they are both fantastic schools, but my daughter could. She chose G&L because she said ‘the girls are less in your face’. I left it at that. Someone else commented that the type of girls you get at G&L is quietly and understatedly confident, so maybe that’s what my daughter meant.
Even so, at the beginning of this process when we were selecting for 11+, we did ask her schools teachers for their advice, and if you haven’t done so I would definitely do that; they will have a good idea of best fit. Another thought is your daughter’s existing cohort from her present school and how well she fits in there. Birds of a feather flock together…

@travelturtle I think we are choosing between Ibstock and Emanuel too, although Radnor is tempting too as seems so friendly. I’m hoping things will become clearer when we go to the offer holders’ events (all on the same day!). Ibstock is nearest and friends with children there are absolutely delighted with it, but the assessment process and the info they’ve sent out hasn’t seemed as welcoming as our experience of the other two. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts.