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Original poster

HBS, Woodford or Chelmsford? Grammar school dilemma!

7 replies

HETZ8 · 24/09/2023 00:55

My DD has been invited to the 2nd stage of Henrietta Barnet School - was not expecting this and am really confused as to which school to choose for the CAF. Unfortunately we didn’t get a place to attend the open day and the school have said they can’t do a private tour for us so I feel a bit in the dark making this decision! We live in Redbridge- 15 miles away and if DD got in she would have a 1 hr coach journey to get to school. We have also sat tests at Woodford County and Chelmsford County. DD is keen on Chelmsford but I think it’s too far away - although appears to have great facilities! My DD is bright, sociable, sporty and v inquisitive- just want the best for her but having difficulty deciding what that is. Worried that the travel might be too much and as it’s a 5/7 yr commitment don’t want to get it wrong. Want her to have time for family, friends, homework and extra curricular too...anyone have experience of these schools? Is HBS highly pressured with pushy parents and lots of tutoring to keep up? Are there sports facilities rubbish? In your experience what are the most important factors in choosing one school over the others. Have you faced a similar dilemma, if so, how did you decide? We are not in a position to relocate and have 2 younger daughters too. Any advice and/ or experience of these schools would be much appreciated! Thank you

OP posts:
elderflowerandpomelo · 24/09/2023 01:03

Yikes. HBS, as w most grammars, gets amazing results because it attracts clever children w highly supportive/pushy parents, who tutor in addition to school. The kids I know who have been (and been to other schools) say it’s fine, but utterly rests on laurels.
go for a nearby school.

puffyisgood · 24/09/2023 11:47

all of the state schools get exactly the same funding per head and get broadly similar results when controlling for intake, so you'd imo be out of your kind subjecting your child to an hour each way's journey, unless your local options were absolutely dire in terms of attainment and behavioural issues etc.

tennissquare · 24/09/2023 13:39

@HETZ8 , have you spent time on the elevenplusexams.co.uk website forum in the Essex and north London sections?
Firstly well done to your dd for getting to 2nd stage, secondly do you fully understand the admissions criteria for you getting an offer as you are 3miles plus, she will need to do really well in the 2nd exam? Saying that a lot of pupils taking the second stage exam
wont put HBS first as they live nearer to other grammar schools like Tiffin or they are going private and using the exams
as mocks.

Silkiebunny · 24/09/2023 14:01

DD was similar girl and did Woodford for a year but did not like it so moved end y7 to a comp in a different area. Very academic there and roughly year ahead in teaching, some were using tutors, some not, DD wasn't and did well academically but if you did struggle in a subject there want much help. Nice pupils, very strongly Asian, around 90 percent with around 5 percent black, 5 percent white. DD is white and white and black girls stuck together and felt bit isolated, not in a nasty way other than the odd comment. Most of the girls were quiet, super obedient, not that sociable, very studious, gentle and when asked what wanted to do 27 of the 30 said doctors. 2 white girls had their own thing. Most commute from Redbridge area. It was also quite 1950s like with knitting clubs though science was strongly encouraged. Nice staff. DD struggled as she was very outgoing and sociable but would say she learnt twice as much in that year as the next when she moved but she did very well. She also missed boys. Don't know much about the other two, believe the Essex ones are more mixed in terms of ethnic background, HBS likely to be more pushy parent. It was 5 years ago so may have changed.

ThingsWillWorkOut · 24/09/2023 19:47

Dear OP, she doesn't have an offer yet. Why to think before you have offers and real choice in hand? 🤦🏼‍♀️

PreplexJ · 25/09/2023 06:54

ThingsWillWorkOut · 24/09/2023 19:47

Dear OP, she doesn't have an offer yet. Why to think before you have offers and real choice in hand? 🤦🏼‍♀️

I think OP's question is about putting which school as first preference in CAF form.

pentuppetula · 25/09/2023 13:17

Silkiebunny · 24/09/2023 14:01

DD was similar girl and did Woodford for a year but did not like it so moved end y7 to a comp in a different area. Very academic there and roughly year ahead in teaching, some were using tutors, some not, DD wasn't and did well academically but if you did struggle in a subject there want much help. Nice pupils, very strongly Asian, around 90 percent with around 5 percent black, 5 percent white. DD is white and white and black girls stuck together and felt bit isolated, not in a nasty way other than the odd comment. Most of the girls were quiet, super obedient, not that sociable, very studious, gentle and when asked what wanted to do 27 of the 30 said doctors. 2 white girls had their own thing. Most commute from Redbridge area. It was also quite 1950s like with knitting clubs though science was strongly encouraged. Nice staff. DD struggled as she was very outgoing and sociable but would say she learnt twice as much in that year as the next when she moved but she did very well. She also missed boys. Don't know much about the other two, believe the Essex ones are more mixed in terms of ethnic background, HBS likely to be more pushy parent. It was 5 years ago so may have changed.

The ethnic mix is still the same and puts people off (I have Asian friends who won't send their daughters there because they want more of a mix).

I think the journey from Redbridge to HBS sounds horrendous and I wouldn't want to put my DC through it.

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