St Catherine's Twickenham vs Sutton High

[jtptreat]

Would appreciate any feedback on the above please as DD got offers from the 2 which are quite different, thank you

Where do you live as they are so far apart? If you are using the train are you going direct to Strawberry Hill? I don't have a dd at St C's but my dd did get a place. They have a very small sixth form if that is a consideration. Have you thought about the logistics pick ups from sports matches etc?

Would need to get to st Catherine’s school from twickenham station. Are there lots of girls doing this route? How long is the walk 15 min or so? Which school is better academically and for sports? Many thanks

It's not ideal to have to walk through the town, lots of dc get the bus or go to strawberry hill. A lot come from places like Barnes/East Sheen as well as locally. There is a girls school in Chertsey called Sir William Perkins that is of a similar level and takes a lot of dd who would have travelled from the west of twickenham. Plus of course Radnor House is moving from opposite St Cat's to Whitton and the current site is turning into Radnor prep. This means there will be a reduction in the number of dc walking from the main station or taking the bus from the staton to the school.

Personally I would try out both routes next week during half term at the time of day when you need to travel to get to school. Whilst the school children will be missing you can measure the liability of the trains and number of commuters.

I would have thought the journey counts for more than academics or sport, they are both good schools on a similar level. Have you got contingency plans for train strikes? The crossing of the river at Kingston or hampton court is busy by car.

DD is at SHS and loves it. I have private messaged you if you have question

DD is in Year 7 at St Cat's. She started there in Year 6 and loves it. She travels to Strawberry Hill but several girls take train to/from Twickenham and usually they find someone in the first couple of weeks and buddy up.

These two schools are as you say very different. DD is bright but she is mildly dyslexic and the entry system for 11+ didn't suit her. We chose the school because it is small and reminded me of the kind of school I went to but with a modern twist. It is much smaller than Sutton. Teachers know all the girls, and it is friendly and warm. There is a strong emphasis on homework and academics, but it is not so channelled toward this as other schools: the ethos is very much on the rounded individual and making girls confident and mentally well adjusted. They are exceptionally strong in swimming, and lots of focus on other sports (football, netball, and athletics especially). DD is a music scholar and what is really nice is that all the girls can get involved because less competition with numbers that in some of the larger schools. For us it's a well kept secret and we are very happy. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.

Sutton actually sounds very similar to that description of St Cats. Totally focused on the individual. Classes for Dd are around 20. I think your decision will be about journey and logistics really.

Hi, my daughter has been at Saint Catherine’s from prep and is now in sixth form. We have been delighted with the school, it is an extremely nurturing environment focused on the individual. My daughter is academic and got excellent GCSE results (mainly 9s) so they do stretch the girls to their full potential. It’s a charitable trust, and I genuinely believe they want the best for every girl