Can anyone tell about Whitgift school

[hihi17]

DS got the 13+ Whitgift offer. Could anyone be so kind to tell me a little bit about this school? Thanks

Congraulations to your DS, @hihi17 . My DS entered Whitgift at 13+, and we are very, very happy with the school.

They have 2 forms of boys (around 45) joining in Year 9 which stops the new joiners feeling quite so much the odd man out - important as there are around 250 boys in Year 9. The school has quite a broad range of academic ability, but the top sets are very strong indeed and talented boys are catered for well. There is a good range of academic subjects, and once they are in 6th form, having the option to choose IB or A levels gives good flexibility. The Learning Support department is very on the ball with regard to help with study skills and exam access arrangements.

Sport is a big deal, and there are lots of teams in each year group so plenty of opportunities to play even if not A team material. Be prepared for weekend sport to trump other commitments, with limited ability to opt out due to pre-existing commitments. However, according to DS there are plenty of boys who aren't sporty but who get along fine and there doesn't seem to be a social stigma attached to being non-sporty.

They offer a great range of extracurricular activities in addition to sport. Music is good (though not as strong as Trinity), and drama is excellent (and school productions often involve girls from other Croydon schools). CCF and DofE are popular. There is a long list of afterschool and lunchtime clubs, and lots of academic enrichment activities like visiting speakers.

It is a large school and communication from senior leadership can feel quite corporate. However, I like the headmaster and the vision he has for the school. We've had excellent communication from subject teachers and form tutors, and the communication and support leading up to public exams was very well-organised.

I think it is a school that suits energetic boys and robust personalities. From DS's descriptions, the teaching staff seem fairly tolerant of lively classrooms, but still have high expectations of work ethic and achievement.

Oh, and I'm very happy to answer questions by PM.

Thanks so much

My boy is energetic and sporty. But I hope he can focus on academics. Sometimes I wish him a nerd.😂

Some ppl told me that the headmaster fuscous on sports which leads to academic has declined for years.

@TwoRedShoes , yes, there are quieter boys and and I think they all find their tribe. My impression is that Y6/7 is a a gentler environment, but as DS joined in Y9 we don't have personal experience of the lower school.

@hihi17 , were the people that told you this current or recent parents? I don't recognise that description of the school at all. Sport is a big feature of school life, but other extracurricular activities (especially drama) are equally valued by the school and celebrated personally by the headmaster in communications to parents and pupils. It is a genuinely all-rounder school.

I see absolutely no evidence that academics are declining. GCSE preparation is thorough and the results are strong. Entry to the sixth from is not automatic from Year 11 - pupils have to achieve a minimum aggregate score in GCSEs that is equivalent to As in at least 8 subjects. Whitgift is the top boys' school in the UK for IB results. Oxbridge offers are regularly in double figures, including this year, and the school has dedicated programmes to support Oxbridge applications in specific subject areas.

Thanks for the kind words 😊

We also received offer from T. Seems T and W are quite similar, but W has better campus.

Whitgift School Sport favours the 10yearold intake , those turning up later find teams already established and very difficult to break into, the A team boys dominate the sport's teams and when they have important games push out boys who turn up for training to make room for them, Whitgift sport doesn't address metal health for the boys, results are paramount.

I wanted to respond to the sports issue and whether 10+ boys are favoured. I can only speak anecdotally.

My son joined at 11+ and the A team in his sport was 10+ intake and sports scholars. The B team was almost all 10+ intake. DS went into the C or D team. The following year he made it to the A team and has won several national titles. He also very happily captains a D team of another sport. He enjoys playing that sport with less pressure. He's equally happy in both the A and D team. There would be more D team matches if more schools fielded a D team. That's not Whitgift's fault. I've chatted with the head teacher whilst watching both A and D team matches. He's very nice.

There are so many sports from fencing to water polo that if a boy wants to play sport he can, but I dont think the school overly focuses on sport- it just happens that they attract some very able boys and competent coaches. But if your son is not sporty, there's so much more to choose from too. And in a big school, there are a lot of tribes, one of which will suit each child.

Many thanks for your kind words. Sometimes, I will compare Whitgift with Dulwich and Abington. Most of the friends ask me to choose the later. It is quite tricky to decide. Thanks

Whomever said they are tolerant of lively classrooms is somewhat out of date. It's a good school, but they love a detention almost as much as they love sport.

That was my comment, @SerpentineChair , and no, it's not out of date; I am a current parent at the school.

DS is a talkative energetic character, and his behaviour in class lands him in hot water far less often at Whitgift than it did at his (co-ed) prep school. He's still the same person, so I can only assume that Whitgift finds him less of a PITA!

The school does seem fond of detention as a sanction, but there are several different levels of severity. The lowest-level detention is given out quite frequently, if DS's experience is anything to go by, but typically for relatively minor infringements like late homework. Where they seems to draw the line in terms of deciding to hand out more serious detentions is, quite rightly, if "lively" classroom behaviour tips over into disrupting learning.

@SerpentineChair 😂😂😂😂😂 hilarious! I agree - I have a Son there and it’s par for the course! Detention is the name of the game in that place.

Love the School but will be managing my son’s time there to ensure he gets the maximum out of it. Academics are spot on and we having to get extra help to ensure our boys stays on top.

Sorry what evidence do you not see that the schools academics are on the decline? Their stats are clearly displayed on a board on open day and they are far from great. The big one for me when we attended was the number of children getting into good universities vs other schools in the area like Trinity, Epsom, Caterham e.t.c

You seem to be conflating university destination with strong academics. What if the child doesnt want to go to university, or Oxbridge doesn't offer the best degree course for their subject?

My DD, obviously not at Whitgift, is said to be Oxbridge material, but after visiting both she decided against both in terms of environment and not offering the best course for her area of interest. By your reckoning that means her A Level results cant be considered strong even if all A*. Which is odd.

Hi my son will be attending Whitgift first form in the autumn.He enjoys sport but will never be A team /academy level and is a bright but quiet boy. Just looking for some reassurance that boys with this profile thrive in addition to the ultra sporty types? Getting concerned after reading all the mumsnet comments.

@Schoolchoice23 - Hi, My son is at the School (Second Form), he is sporty but mid range. He enjoys the sports at Whitgift and there is no pressure to be more than you are. The Sports are adaptable and they have a wide range of capability sets with everyone getting a good opportunity to take part at the appropriate level. His friends range from E all the way to A in terms of teams. Whitgift has turned out to be a great fit for my quirky son who has made friends with different boys who all have a wide range of personalities.