Guildford High vs St Caths

[LiloP]

Considering one of them for DD1 (10 soon) for Y7 entry. Very academic, into science, art, music, dance, bilingual, loves school. Not that confident and struggles socially occasionally (summer child and emotionally young)
any recent experiences on either of those schools? What do I need to consider for the assessment?
have not visited schools yet, will do in September.

She probably needs to sit for both and decide when you have the offer letters. Locally many dd will sit GHS, St Cat's Bramley and possibly Tormead and decide later on.

Do you prep for those @tennissquare?
we probably won’t try for Tormead, I don’t like that school for a number of reason.

They both have the entrance exam information on their websites.
If you are only considering private your dd should be looking at at least 3 schools, anything can go wrong on the day esp with the GHS CEM test. It depends where you live but you have lots of other options ranging from LEH to St John's Leatherhead.

As a pp has said, go and have a look and see which one suits your daughter and see what happens with the exams. One is a bit ahead in the league tables but not to the extent that they don't both have very similar ability children just with a bit of a slew at either end.

They're geographically close but quite different in some ways. One is a town day school and one isn't but has more space and a boarding school structure.

Depending on where you live you could look at Farnborough Hill - very good reputation for pastoral care

Depends on your location too - st cats has buses / boarding

Ghs no buses / no boarding option

Depends on how bright your child is whether they get into ghs. St cats easier to get in to and less demanding

Thanks. Not looking for boarding.
Farnborough might be too far.

DD is very bright, avid reader with a variety of interests (science, art, history, writing, music) but find it hard to judge (objectively) whether “bright enough” for GHS. And how much prep she would need for assessments (if any). One Tormead parent told me her DD didn’t do any prep to enter Y7.

Places for these two schools are very competitive, I'd also view others and probably sit exams for 3/4 schools. I'd prep for exams - a lot of people who are "not prepping" are prepping with tutors, atom and other resources behind the scenes. Along with practice interviews (your existing headteacher may do mock interviews to help). I have a friend who is happy with St. Cats - think it suits children with strong academics and confidence. We filtered on Co-ed - so can't comment on the other girls schools.

Thanks @May09Bump this is very helpful. Good to think of a few more options.
I have seen St Cats before (went to an event there) and the grounds and facilities look great. But have not had a proper tour yet.

Lots of parents say their children did no prep. It is rarely true.

All three have good (and bad) points and issues. I'm a couple of years out of date now, but over the years there has also been quite a lot of churn between the three when they don't suit a particular DD. Interested that you have discounted Tormead. Can we ask why? Is it the new head?

Neither of my DD's did extra prep, but then they were already at a local private prep, so just the day to day stuff they would normally do, nothing extra.

My feeling being, if they are good enough, they will get in, if not, then they get in somewhere else......

@KnittedCardi to offence to any TM parents here but I know a few TM girls (current and a couple who finished recently) and none seem particularly academic or bright to me. The ones that have left went to unimpressive universities. It’s just an impression from a few families/girls I know, for sure it doesn’t represent the whole school. Maybe I should reconsider.

we are really looking for an academic school not just one for wealthy people. (We are not wealthy per se)

Many girls who take GHS and St Cats also take Priorsfield ( and/or Tormead)
GHS is the hardest to get into.Whereabouts do you live?

@KnittedCardi , GHS is now a CEM test and interview held on set dates in November and January, it's a disadvantage to have not practised online tests before the November date. Gone are the days of everyone sitting Maths and English papers in January each year.

@Bin85 near Guildford

In terms of distance Priorsfield is doable. Have not looked at it before, will check it out. Thanks

I have been tutoring for these schools for many years happy to meet and discuss further?

Interesting. Without a doubt Tormead has a wider range of abilities than GHS, but actually that can be a plus in social terms. DD1 was GHS, DD2 Tormead, both academically excellent. Drop me a DM if you like.

I had a DD at St Cats prep who went onto GHS. We moved because of the ethos created by the Head at St Cats senior. It is horses for courses but we found it a little too old fashioned and wanted something more with the times. She knows her stuff and is experienced, but the seniors felt very behind GHS and Tormead when looking around.

GHS is brilliant for the right girl. It is academic and you need to be bright to keep up, but suits all personalities. A good balance of promoting girl power, lots of fun and instilling confidence. All girls find likeminded friends. The facilities and location are amazing. Pastoral care has got better and more mental health focused over the years since DD was year 7 (she is now sixth form).

You are a long way off this stage but our only downside is we personally have found the sixth form a little disappointing. Compared to my son's school (RGS) the GHS sixth form feels a bit flat and lacking spark. DD regrets not moving to a co-ed or more boarding type setting for a more rounded experience. I encouraged her to stay as she has such a lovely dynamic friendship group. By the final year, there seems to be a lot of focus on the 'star players' and it is a bit of an A Level/uni application factory by the end. DS had a lot more events and excitement around the sixth form experience. I imagine it is the kind of thing the new Head will improve though as she is more about the whole experience and individuals.

We discounted Tormead on academics too. The results are still good there but we didn't feel there was the same ambition for the girls. We also disliked the cramped site.

Yes please! Thanks @KnittedCardi

Thanks for sharing your experience @DancingLion makes me so excited to read this.

@LiloP your approach to this is somewhat cutting and a little bit rude about some schools and more importantly their pupils. Im not sure they asked for your opinion on them.

There are always ways to get advice and still be nice.

For example, if I was a Tormead parent, I'd be pretty astonished having read a couple of your comments. It's clearly a popular school doing very well at the moment and your mean comments about pupils ability to be 'academic and/or bright', as your sole measure of achievement, is very shortsighted and quite wrong.

For your DDs sake, I hope you get the St.Cats or GHS place that you so clearly, deeply desire.... but I do wonder what she actually wants....

@LiloP I'm sorry, I came onto this to get the low down on the schools local to me, having been thorough it all before, but still chatting to mates who are literally about to embark upon senior school journeys... and found, again, sorry to say, quite a Tiger Mum trail of destruction. GHS always had a reputation for attracting the cream of the top, tiger parent style families, which they've worked hard to shake in recent years - but, in one munsnet thread you've slam dunked it back into touch. St.Cats doesn't have the best reputation at the moment either, but again, I'm sure unfounded. People like you are what give these schools the name they perhaps don't deserve. Go be mean about girls you don't know somewhere else. After all a girls only education is about empowering every girl, not slagging them off.

What's the bilingual language, is it one that is likely to be a timetabled subject in y7? If so I'd ask the schools what they would do for bilinguals. E.g. LEH told me they don't do anything particular with the bilinguals of my DD's language apart from some extra stretch. Coming from a prep where she had lessons separate to her form group, for me that was a disappointing answer. The senior school where she is has a dedicated bilingual programme and they work closely with the parents about the appropriate paths to take and take into account education happening outside of the English school system.