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!

From the schools I’ve seen I would say KGS is less traditional than the likes of Ibstock, KCS, Whitgift….

My DS is mid-way through year 7 at KGS and the culture (at least so far!) seems quite relaxed. Staff are approachable (to both parents and kids), and there is a strong ethos of kindness and tolerance. They definitely hand out misconducts, but they seem fairly infrequent. It seems more carrot than stick ….

@GirlInterrupt that is absolute gold, thankyou, especially about the cricket. My DS plays rugby and cricket right now (at clubs, not school) but I think will be very glad to leave rugby behind. Thanks again

That makes me sound like I forced him to play rugby! I didn’t, he just fell out of love with being walloped about three weeks ago

@WombatChocolate at LEH DDs year group in GCSE year told not to fret about being kicked out before sixth form . so it doesn’t happen everywhere . Head said all the girls were capable of doing well ( presumably because very selective !) but if a girl didn’t do well in GCSEs then there would be a good reason for it, so there was no internal bar to pass on into the sixth form . Head said it was primarily to “stop the chat” that those who didn’t score high enough would not be able to stay on and reduce the pressure on the girls . Contrast with DS selective school where some boys got warnings that their sixth form places might be at risk. In any case Most schools ( state or indie ) have a minimum bar to go into sixth form so it’s not unusual for culling to happen . I believe Tiffin Boys removes a chunk of the lowest ranked GCSE boys to make way for the 6th form girls ( who typically have very high prediction grades ) do culling isn’t a preserve of the indies .

A lot of girls move from girls to coed for sixth form such as Westminster and KCS. They are typically some of the higher achievers which they would need to be to get in to the likes of Westminster . This is why sixth girls at some of the top girls schools tend to be a bit smaller .

there us certainly a lot to digest when you choose a school - and sometimes when it gets tight the silliest things make an impression . A close friends DD threw out a scholarship from a lovely school on the grounds that the toilets had been blocked on interview day !

@GirlInterrupt thank you, that's really useful. Can I ask if the students are mostly local or from a wide area? Also, are any of the modern foreign language departments particularly recommended?

There is definitely a local contingent, but others from anywhere with a bus/train route into Kingston.!

For modern languages they learn 2 in first year - they can put a preference in for one. Fairly standard options French, German, Italian and Spanish. Mandarin is offered as an extra club and I THINK is an option higher up the school (but maybe check that if it’s important to you as I may be mis-remembering!). I’m not aware of any being more highly recommended than others but it’s not really my strength tbh 🤷‍♀️.

Wondering if anyone has experience with waitlists moving at fhss or Nh&ehs? Does it happen next week or after March 1?

I have released DD’s NHEHS offer but the admissions team was not in office and will be back only on 20th Feb. I think a lot of people are still waiting for grammar school results to release offers. So maybe the real movement will happen in early March.

Thanks! Where did you decide to send your dd?

I suspect movement will start after the holder events next week and even more so after March 1st. However, I do not know if the schools wait until after March 1st to start contacting WL applicants. I assume they wait for a certain amount of nos before they start contact WL.

@Ukmum2012 I would agree that the first week of March there will be significant movement. Also perhaps a bit more up until the start of school after Easter, as the first terms fees need paying for September and people playing silly buggers with multiple deposits will slip out then. So don't panic yet. Call the schools and tell them you are ready to pay the deposit and are super keen.

Epsom College have announced Anthony Seldon as head from 1st March until end of 2024 school year according to the Telegraph.

That is great news for EC - will give them stability and a very experienced big name.

Not from the financial perspective. If a child is struggling in a certain subject (grammar or selective inde) they may need some tutor help which is fine. And I'm hoping in a selective inde this would be identified early and the child supported accordingly.
But I've heard that in Tiffin there is a pressure on the girls to perform or they may be asked to leave. That is not "healthy" academic pressure I felt. I'm hoping those are rumours, or that's how it was in the past - and things have changed now. I have heard from current Tiffin moms who have only positive things to say.
So guess I shouldn't worry about it. And all this overthinking without even an offer in hand haha :P

I thought Anthony Seldon has retired and was doing some fairly lucrative speaking and book writing . Absolutely an experienced pair of hands but I’m curious why they didn’t go through the full recruitment process ( I’m a school governor - the full process of head recruitment can take some time ) . Whilst the governors will want to steady the ship it seems almost indecently hasty .

Sorry that was in reply to @redrobin75

@NYE2023 , I also work in Governance, I guess they need someone to steady the ship and the full recruitment process can start this September if not before. There are so many head changes in SW London at the moment and the fact that St John's have taken someone who use to work there and LEH have taken a head currently not in post shows there isn't a readily available pool of candidates to turn to at such a difficult time.

@NYE2023 you will not get a decent experienced head, or even current Deputy, for September 2023 at this point in the recruitment cycle. As you suggest, serving heads generally need a years notice. I had a feeling this is what they would be doing; actually suspected the recently retired head may have returned. I feel this is the most dignified. Not a permanent successor, that would be very quick and unseemly, but a big name to keep things going.

Which other schools are changing heads? LU. KCS head changed last year. Is Tiffin boys head leaving too?

Putney High and LU in Sept 23.

FHSS head is also leaving.

SHHS Head is leaving to go to NLCS.

SCHS head also leaving
Quite a lot of movement indeed

LEH also having a new head in September - who is coming from St John's Leatherhead, so they have a new one too! I think this temporary appointment is an excellent move by Epsom considering the circumstances. Much better than bringing back an old head as that would be a real step backwards.