Alleyns or Jags???

[Snoopy12345]

We prefer Jags, DD prefers Alleyns (only by a tiny bit!). Any inside info?
TIA

depends entirely on what you're after? go and look round both schools again?

(I posted something v similar 6 years ago if you want to search!)

We are having exactly the same discussion with our daughter today. We have offers from some other schools but she's adamant that she wants to go to one of the Dulwich schools and prefers Alleyn's. I think Alleyn's definitely did a better job of selling itself during the past four months than JAGS did. She's going from a small state school and we know families from years ahead of her that have had daughters go to either school. They all seem happy, so very difficult to decide.

Yes! Know what you mean! I went to a co Ed and I’m not sure if an academic all girls will be a bit cliquey?? Or would having boys in the classroom mean girls are less likely to do stem?? Or am I overthinking!

My wife and I both went to co-ed secondaries but not in UK and mine was a very small secondary by London standards. I think we are partly subconsciously influenced by the fact that where each of us comes from the most academic schools are generally single sex.

I feel like JAGS may be a "safer space" for my summer baby daughter than Alleyns. But then when I visit the schools Alleyns does feel like it treats the Year 7 and 8 as children - in comparison in particular with say Godolphin - and that seems like a good thing.

My goddaughter applied to JAGS but not Alleyns. I am waiting to hear whether my goddaughter has a place at JAGS. If she does I think that will swing it for my DD as they have known each other since they were babies but live quite far apart currently and would love to be at the same school together.

It’s a win-win - both schools are great.

What you can’t control and won’t know is the nature of the children in your DD’s year group or form. That dynamic makes a difference you the child’s experience.

In the junior school years at both schools, we were fortunate to have parents that were quite normal - not sharp elbowed, pushy, cliquey, showy, flaunty wealth etc.

Maybe we were lucky or maybe that is the nature of both schools - you just need a critical mass of relatively normal parents/children to set the tone.

I have a daughter at Alleyn’s and two at Wimbledon High School (all girls). But none at JAGS. My penny’s worth of advice is that the single sex v mixed is one of the key issues. And if your girl is sporty then I would look at what both schools have to offer as anecdotally Alleyn’s has more sport. Good luck - these are both great choices and you will not look back I am sure!!

They are both great schools to be honest, and as someone else said I think it really comes down to whether you want single sex or co-ed. We only have direct experience of JAGS as have 2 DDs there now, and can only send positive vibes. Both have absolutely thrived there and are growing socially, and academically into confident and independent young women. Pastoral care is great and has been a rea focus for the head who joined in 2020, and the sporting facilities also are brilliant for a London school with acres of space. The extra-curriculum offering is extensive and has something for all personalities. The school we have found to be diverse in nature and both DDs have found their own tribes and are incredibly happy. The academic side, it goes without saying is obviously super strong and will certainly stretch the girls, but is also very supportive when extra help is needed. Over 20% of the current Year 13 are sitting on Oxbridge offers, with others to US and other prestigious International universities also. So for a balanced and all round education for Girls, we are very happy with our choice of JAGS. But like I say both super schools, so it's a great choice that you have! Good luck!

My neighbours twins (a boy and girl) are in their third year at Alleyn’s and they couldn’t speak more highly of it. Their daughter babysits for us and she seems to be a really well rounded person.

My DD is at Jags and DS is at Alleyns. I think on a surface level Alleyns is more impressive, lots of new facilities compared to Jags slightly shabby buildings. However, over time I have come to appreciate the more wholesome feel of Jags, Alleyns by contrast feels corporate- the urge to open Alleyns abroad is testament to this. My DD absolutely loves Jags, whereas I am thinking of pulling my DS out for sixth form elsewhere. I hope this helps.

Not sure whether you are looking for this year and so choice made or future. They are more different than is sometimes said. And this year quite a gap on how hard they are to get into seems to have opened between A and JAGS (and DC). Not sure that is a good thing in the end for A, they risk becoming the school they say they aren't (I've had that feedback from some parents who have kids there now in Y7/8).

If you're still looking, worth looking at some others - if single sex CLSG or closer and smaller Sydenham, and coed St Dunstan's which is doing interesting things, though is also now harder to get into. Good luck!

"the school they say they aren't" - v cryptic?

Hello. I have a dc starting at Alleyns this September.
Apart from the corporate -looking chocolate bar for every child after the interview, I really have to say that Alleyns as a school came across as very warm and down to earth the whole way through the process. I didn’t know they were expanding abroad.
Do you mean that A was far harder to get into this year than Jags? This is what we have found.
What is it that your friends in years 7&8 had to say?
We avoided Jags ironically as two friends with dd’s there in different years spoke of unhappy girls, cliquishness , a very competitive vibe overall, phones in the classrooms and a lack of genuinely caring teachers or good follow through on pastoral care.
Genuinely concerned as we chose A hoping for the opposite.

why would you be concerned by an oblique reference on a random forum? surely you chose the school because you liked what you saw and the people you met?

We went with Jags in the end!! Am now worrying about the potential cliquishness. I was at a 50th party at the weekend and got talking to a psychiatrist who works for CAHMS and commented on the number of eating disorder/anxiety cases they see from Jags! Am now v worried about our decision.

My clique of friends from JAGS are still dining together 25 years later.

A clique is also friends for life.

Eating disorders/anxiety are unfortunately common at a lot of these highly academic schools. Children are under a lot of pressure these days.

Indeed we did choose the school for those reasons.
The oblique reference refers to the only school we ended up choosing for our young for her age dc on the only forum I’ve ever been part of. So not v random!
I am clearly finding the process hard. Sorry if it’s irritating!
I’ve really enjoyed reading your comments about Alleyns on various threads and wish there were more of them.

Lovely to hear!!! 💕💕💕

I’ve heard this about a few other top independent London schools too from a local health professional… anxiety and disordered eating issues are probably everywhere to an extent and more prevalent in girls’ schools.. I think it’s very common sadly.
I am sure both our dc will navigate their way through these two excellent schools.

You need to bear in mind that (a) eating disorders are more common in girls (b) there are approx double the number of girls in JAGS compared with Alleyn’s and so it is going to seem that there are more issues with girls from from JAGS.

An apparent higher number of y disorders could also reflect increased awareness and recognition of symptoms and, therefore, referral to services - I am not saying that this is the case.

Lastly, cliques will vary from year groups and forms. It would be difficult for the school to control this.