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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 2023

994 replies

EmotiveBubblez · 28/09/2022 07:18

i myself have been looking for this thread and have been unsuccessful. Saw a couple people mention it over the past day or so on the 2022 one.

so here we go, albeit a bit late.

has everyone visited all the schools on their lists?

how many schools are everyone applying to?

what schools are you applying to?

how is the preparation going?

i know some exams have taken place, how did they go?

wishing all the whirls good luck with preparation and exams, hope we all find the right schools for our daughters.

OP posts:
PreplexJ · 06/12/2022 20:36

@LondonMum20222 just my guesstimate based on what I observed on the day (and account for number of sessions). I think it is about 500-600 this year, and I will be very surprised if they have more than 800 applicant.

FriendlyMom · 06/12/2022 21:34

11plusdoneanddusted · 06/12/2022 20:16

I invigilate 11plus etc sometimes- would definitely be noticed. I know a few invigilators at LU- they would have clocked it I promise! Isn't LU just comprehension and a story? Would be quite hard to copy? Multiple choice would be easier but you wouldn't know whether the person you were copying from would be worth copying from, unlike at your own school!

Isn't LU English exactly multiple choice?

11plusdoneanddusted · 06/12/2022 21:40

Of course- the comprehension is- I'm being thick! ( in fact I have horror flashbacks to DS doing the sample LU paper- was the hardest comprehension I'd come across!)
However- points about invigilators noticing it still stands! ( let alone copying someone's work that you don't know is correct!).

FriendlyMom · 06/12/2022 22:09

Agree. It could also be an issue of numbers - if there are too many pupils to invigilate at the same time - not sure how many sit the LU exam, but it is rumoured to be one of the most popular.

QuiteAJourney · 07/12/2022 07:07

All co-eds seems are increasingly popular - with some, like KGS and IPS, rumoured to have had a massive increase in applications (I have heard around 1200 for KGS and 900 for IPS) so it will be interesting if LU is aligned with that trend.

So tricky to know whether it is that co-ed have become relatively more popular, that there are more people applying or that people apply to more places.. I personally think that the latter is a big factor, so it will be quite interesting to see how schools approach offering (in a world were they are likely to get more rejections than in the past).

ViolettasAria · 07/12/2022 08:44

LondonMum20222 · 06/12/2022 15:32

That's really reassuring to hear -thank-you! Is your DD happy at SPGS? I hope both you and your DS are managing okay second time around. All such a stressful process.

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My daughter seems to be very happy and she loves the school and would never move. She has made some great friendships and there are a lot of likeminded girls so she is very happy in that respect. However, I have had ups and downs with my feelings about the school. The transition in year 7 is hard and in my opinion the school is very good at making bright girls feel that they are quite rubbish across the board. Things do settle down and the girls find their feet (and build up their confidence back up) but its not as smooth a start as I was expecting. Thrown in the deep end with an odd approach to pastoral care.

Geville · 07/12/2022 09:50

There’s a book by the former headmistress of SPGS. Was it Clarissa Farr? She left in 2019. Could be worth reading.

LondonMum20222 · 07/12/2022 10:15

ViolettasAria · 07/12/2022 08:44

My daughter seems to be very happy and she loves the school and would never move. She has made some great friendships and there are a lot of likeminded girls so she is very happy in that respect. However, I have had ups and downs with my feelings about the school. The transition in year 7 is hard and in my opinion the school is very good at making bright girls feel that they are quite rubbish across the board. Things do settle down and the girls find their feet (and build up their confidence back up) but its not as smooth a start as I was expecting. Thrown in the deep end with an odd approach to pastoral care.

Show quote history

Thanks so much for sharing this. It's really helpful, and echoes other things I've read on here, that it can be quite a sink-or-swim culture (which will obviously suit some girls more than others). They're still pretty young at 11, but I've heard that they're expected to be pretty independent at SPGS from the get-go. But great that your DD has found her feet. Most people I know with girls further up the school do seem very happy on the whole.

FriendlyMom · 07/12/2022 10:18

ViolettasAria · 07/12/2022 08:44

My daughter seems to be very happy and she loves the school and would never move. She has made some great friendships and there are a lot of likeminded girls so she is very happy in that respect. However, I have had ups and downs with my feelings about the school. The transition in year 7 is hard and in my opinion the school is very good at making bright girls feel that they are quite rubbish across the board. Things do settle down and the girls find their feet (and build up their confidence back up) but its not as smooth a start as I was expecting. Thrown in the deep end with an odd approach to pastoral care.

Show quote history

@ViolettasAria thank you for sharing the "downs", so to say, with SPGS - the opinions about the school are usually very polarised, and it is refreshing to read your insight.

secondaryquandries · 07/12/2022 11:48

Have Ibstock said anything about a clock in the exam room at all? Thanks!

QuiteAJourney · 07/12/2022 12:07

@secondaryquandries the email does not say anything - just refers to pencil case with usual equipment and a bottle of water. I will probably send DD with an analogue watch to be on the safe side.

Daydreamscometrue · 07/12/2022 13:56

QuiteAJourney · 07/12/2022 07:07

All co-eds seems are increasingly popular - with some, like KGS and IPS, rumoured to have had a massive increase in applications (I have heard around 1200 for KGS and 900 for IPS) so it will be interesting if LU is aligned with that trend.

So tricky to know whether it is that co-ed have become relatively more popular, that there are more people applying or that people apply to more places.. I personally think that the latter is a big factor, so it will be quite interesting to see how schools approach offering (in a world were they are likely to get more rejections than in the past).

@QuiteAJourney I think it's a combination of people applying to more schools and the increasing popularity of coed. I know someone here mentioned possible figures for Ibstock but where did you hear about KGS?

QuiteAJourney · 07/12/2022 14:32

@Daydreamscometrue another mum at our indie mentioned it and seemed quite certain that over 1000 (which would make sense in terms of applicants per place when compared with other co-eds in the area).

Daydreamscometrue · 07/12/2022 15:09

@QuiteAJourney thanks

geleve · 07/12/2022 17:49

@QuiteAJourney There is definitely an aspect of people applying to multiple schools. We applied to 4 and boys who are top in the year have applied to double of that at least…re numbers for LU applications I would easily guess it to be navigating in the 1500 but this is my personal guess. Due to its location ans transport links you have parents from all parts of London applying. If the number is higher then 1500 I would not be surprised …

QuiteAJourney · 07/12/2022 17:56

@geleve I would not be surprised re: LU. Definitely more applying from my DD's school than on previous years.

I agree that applications per student seem to have gone up (and not only for students in upper sets, of the evidence from our indie is anything to go by).

It would be interesting to see how schools factor that in their offers - will they offer more than last year knowing that the average student might have more options and therefore they might get more rejections?

Daydreamscometrue · 07/12/2022 17:57

@geleve those numbers sound about right for LU. It remains a very popular option and the bursary program is one of the best.

bjmin · 07/12/2022 18:01

11plusdoneanddusted · 06/12/2022 20:16

I invigilate 11plus etc sometimes- would definitely be noticed. I know a few invigilators at LU- they would have clocked it I promise! Isn't LU just comprehension and a story? Would be quite hard to copy? Multiple choice would be easier but you wouldn't know whether the person you were copying from would be worth copying from, unlike at your own school!

I just asked her, part of the LU test had multiple choice answers.

Daydreamscometrue · 07/12/2022 20:28

Anyone sit LU today?

Workhar · 07/12/2022 21:00

Asking for a friend (we didn’t apply). Does St Paul’s invitation to 2nd stage officially say that they expect most kids to pass the 1st round? Thanks

quizaddict · 08/12/2022 00:23

Workhar · 07/12/2022 21:00

Asking for a friend (we didn’t apply). Does St Paul’s invitation to 2nd stage officially say that they expect most kids to pass the 1st round? Thanks

St Paul's Girls pre-first round blurb says that but no idea about St Paul's Boys School

QuiteAJourney · 08/12/2022 19:11

Good luck to those at Ibstock tomorrow! We are at 8 am (will be interesting in this weather!) - last exam!

Daydreamscometrue · 08/12/2022 19:34

Good luck all! We're at 9am.

secondaryquandries · 08/12/2022 20:02

Last exam for us too hooray! We're at 9am. I'll wear my Mumsnet hat so we can wave 😆. Good luck!

Dallasdays · 08/12/2022 20:16

Good luck everyone!