SW London Private and Grammar - applying for Year 7 in 2023 (Part VI)

[QuiteAJourney]

Following from our previous thread (link below)

www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4731973-sw-london-private-and-grammar-applying-for-year-7-in-2023-part-v?page=40&reply=123775541

Looking forward to continuing the journey together!

@woohooho @winetime123 Many thanks. We indeed like that both have a quite down to earth feeling.
Interested in the comment re: inclusivity of sports. DD is not very sporty but does like participating. Also, I understand that neither offers girls football as a sport (though it is an extra-curricular club), which is DD's current preference.

DD isn't sporty at all although did play in lower netball teams in y7 and 8. I think there are some football teams at WHS now- I just looked at a letter about sport and it was definitely mentioned. It's definitely getting more popular at all schools.

With all these schools it's really useful to look at their 'news' pages on the website. You can then see all their pictures, tweets, Instagram etc- quite informative!

@woohooho many thanks 🙏
I have DM'ed you.

I am having a bit of difficulty trying to work out how football at KGS works - not many fixtures at all (I have a DS). I read somewhere that it’s for children not regularly competing at hockey - is that the case? My DS is not talented at sport but loves joining in. Is KGS suitable for a keen but very-much-not-A-team cricketer?

Football is definitely the poor relation at KGS. Hockey is definitely prioritised and it's hard to play much football until the third year.

However my son managed to play more regularly from third year onwards. They don't do as well as the hockey guys because the sporty kids tend to get creamed off for hockey - understandably as they have done very well in the past - getting to the National schools' finals etc. Some of the more football oriented guys just drop out of hockey by the third year, so they do get a team together.

I'm not sure about cricket. My son definitely played a few times for the cricket team and he wasn't very competitive having not played much cricket at all. One thing I would say is it's very inclusive, so if you want to play sport, they'll be a team you can play in even if it's the third team!

Yes first choice, but want to understand what the scholarship schools are offering, in the sense any enrichment program for scholars sorts before pressing the button..

@Trickleg Interested in the football question but for a DD. Hopefully we can find out - I have seen that it is a club (they also offer Funchal) but have not seen yet included in the timetabled sports provision.

@Basecampzero thank you SO MUCH. That is exactly the kind of info I am looking for. He just wants to play sport.

My son's just left KGS and had a fantastic time. He has lots of female friends as well as male friends and they're all lovely people. It seems to aim for building a confident but down to earth vibe, that's what all his friends are like anyway.

Academically all his friends did really well - As and A*s, and they certainly weren't nerdy types, but the teaching is very good and they're really supportive if you have an issue, e.g. a separate room for exams etc. I think the pastoral support is very good too and if there are any problems between pupils they are quick to sort it out. That's my experience anyway. I don't know anything about WHS though, that might be great too 🤷🏽‍♀️.

@Basecampzero , many thanks, really appreciated.

He'd definitely get a chance to play. I remember one boy who wasn't v sporty but somehow managed to score a goal and the entire team ran up to high five him!

@Basecampzero pretty much the vibe we are after! thanks again

@QuiteAJourney i will add it to my list for the KGS offer holders day. Absolutely loved the school but one of our options outstrips it massively for facilities and I’m trying not to get seduced by that (it would be a much longer journey pretty much to the next county). How often do you actually use a swimming pool anyway or a shooting range anyway?

Got the offer from King's after no offer from St Paul, which is really a great relief, as it is our first choice, and luckily it is not the other way round.

A bit surprised as DS is strong in math and weak in English, and always heard King's prefers strong english and St Paul prefers strong math.

Another lesson for future parents to consider, it is not as simple in the admission process as just adding the marks. Answering what someone asked earlier, in St Paul interview, we saw too many of my boy's type, Asian (East Asians or South Asians), strong in math and weak in english (my guess) and not particularly strong in sports. I think the school has a certain mix of cohort in mind which I understand. King's, in the interview date, I saw the mix as more balanced and plus may be they don't mind that much (the diversity among existing students is already more than in St Paul).

does anyone have a daughter at Surbiton High?

Thanks! Let's coordinate approaches for offer holders days - so many questions!

You're welcome Trickleg and Quiteajourney. I hope you find the right schools for your DC.

@Trickleg Thank you so much for the info regarding Emanuel, it is quite interesting as probably they are planning to improve the sport facilities for girls too (heard they were better for boys in the past).

Emanuel, lots of sports for girls and boys. Girls have fixtures in netball, hockey, cricket, swimming, water polo, cross country and rowing etc. They train all girls and some teams goes from A to E. Everyone have a chance and included in school fees are extra training sessions for anyone that wants to join. We just found from friends that some of the girls schools only have top girls in teams, with those training done outside schools and paying for extra netball or cricket camps. The best as someone said is check website also Emanuel Sport have Twitter showing the range and up to date info.

@SamPoodle123 I have debated asking where she sits in the cohort but having been through the process, I don't think they could really tell you. My daughter did the CEM test for her future school and it only lasts an hour! They do have a day at the school with interview and activities but still.
I also found out that her schools only sets for maths and this is done after half term. Maths is her strong point so I feel confident she won't be bottom for that and given the rest of the classes are all mixed ability, I'm hoping she will fit in ok.

@HawaiiWake Thanks a lot, very useful information especially regaining extra sport training at Emanuel. It is such a difficult decision and having comments from people with direct experience with the school is great.

Do you think being strong in sports helps in standing out?

Same question here. How do u compare PHS to SHS? DD feels interviewers at SHS very caring and short commute time.

Hello I’ve been lurking as will be going through this soon with year 5 DD. Just wanted to say hi and thank you as I have found this thread so useful. Especially the comments on journey, they have really helped me get perspective about where is sensible to apply to. Hope everyone’s child is happy with where they end up! Anyway, as you were

Putney has consistently been a very popular and well respected school. Surbiton is on its way up and had very good results last year. Both are very sporty. I would check the results & university destinations pre & post covid years. Also, putney has excellent connectivity via public transport. And Surbiton has the comfort of huge school buses. I visited both and personally, was more impressed with Putney.