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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Schools like King Alfred’s, St Chris etc

32 replies

Anygoodidea · 11/10/2023 12:00

Hello I’m thinking about secondary for DS who is extremely bright but with mild dyslexia I don’t want to put him through London 11+ exams.

We loved KAS. The whole ethos and, facilities eg. but know it’s a tiny intake so I am looking at other options.

We’re not happy with the local schools and think we got it really wrong with his state primary so want the choice of finding the right fit to his personality and abilities offered in the independent sector. The school would need to be commutable schools from Finsbury Park.

St Chris is an option. Aldenham looks good on paper but not practical via public transport. Any other views?

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Foxesandsquirrels · 11/10/2023 12:52

Belmont Mill Hill is a popular choice in your situation. Northbridge House too.
Try for the St Mary Magdalene governors place too.

Anygoodidea · 11/10/2023 13:35

Thank you for ideas. :) Northbridge I felt didn’t have the same vibe around “whole child” which helps them achieve. I can’t put my finger on it but it felt “small”? V interested if anyone has any actual experiences that’s just an impression from an open day.

Mary Mags looks great but nervous that it’s just verbal reasoning and there’s no non verbal or maths testing at all. He’s easily greater depth with out any tutoring on maths/science stuff but I doubt even with tutoring he could get on top of word play patterns.

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Foxesandsquirrels · 11/10/2023 16:49

Which northbridge house did you go to? You might actually like UCS. It's quite liberal and whole child type of place.

Anygoodidea · 11/10/2023 22:31

Thank you. I went to Hampstead. Maybe Canonbury isn’t different?

I will look at Millhill and UCS. Just worry about how competitive exams might be as his English will never match his maths and I don’t want to make him miserable.

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MySaxIsOnFire · 11/10/2023 22:52

St Chris in LGC? New head very recently, so you'd need to check up-to-date reports. Last I heard was that it had turned into 'basically a normal school' and was no longer supportive of anything more than the mildest dyslexia; but that was under previous leadership (and from people who knew it back in the truly-odd days, so nostalgia-disappointment may have been a factor).

Anygoodidea · 11/10/2023 23:33

A normal school would work I think if that means a normal distribution of abilities? DS’s dyslexia is mild and he’s “meeting expectations” for reading and writing.

I don’t want him to go through hot housing to get him into a school and I don’t want it to feel competitive or pressurised once he is actually in. He needs somewhere kind and calm and he’ll thrive I’m sure.

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MySaxIsOnFire · 12/10/2023 01:30

Not about distribution of abilities (although I'm told that did narrow) but about losing its very particular ethos. I don't believe it went full hothouse at any point, but the focus on the formal academic side certainly increased. Once upon a time there is no way it could have been described as a 'normal', 'ordinary', 'typical' or some would say even 'recognisable' school. 'Weird' was probably the most common adjective. It has become 'normal' in the sense of being much more like other places.

It may well be fine for your purposes. My point is merely that it has changed a lot recently, and is now under new leadership again, so make sure you base your decision on what it is now and information from current parents - not people who knew it a few (or many) years ago.

Anygoodidea · 12/10/2023 05:33

MySaxIsOnFire · 12/10/2023 01:30

Not about distribution of abilities (although I'm told that did narrow) but about losing its very particular ethos. I don't believe it went full hothouse at any point, but the focus on the formal academic side certainly increased. Once upon a time there is no way it could have been described as a 'normal', 'ordinary', 'typical' or some would say even 'recognisable' school. 'Weird' was probably the most common adjective. It has become 'normal' in the sense of being much more like other places.

It may well be fine for your purposes. My point is merely that it has changed a lot recently, and is now under new leadership again, so make sure you base your decision on what it is now and information from current parents - not people who knew it a few (or many) years ago.

Thanks again can you say a bit more? I don’t know enough about St Chris’s history, and this is all a new world to us as we went to state schools.

Im hoping it’s not some weird spiritual stuff or children allowed to opt out of learning altogether? I know you say it’s not current but I’m curious as sometimes you discover odd hang overs which make sense because of the history.

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MySaxIsOnFire · 12/10/2023 09:39

Oddly, given its founders, very much the opposite of 'weird spiritual stuff'. It was set up by Theosophists, and for the first 70-ish years run by Quakers, because they objected to the heavy pushing of CofE Christianity in the schools of the time. So it was very firmly secular. No hymns, no prayers, nobody - pupil or teacher - allowed to preach or do anything that could be seen as pushing their religious view onto someone else, and no RE lessons (in my day we did a general World Studies class - which included learning about all sorts of religions but also wider aspects of culture). The only exception was the food (vegetarian, because of the Theosophists). And the general way it ran had a very strong Quaker influence - first names and no titles for all, lots of committees, decision by consensus, and involving everyone in making those decisions. Both junior and senior schools had a school council with elected representatives from each year and a set of elected counsellors from the top year, who made decisions on everything from lunch menus to discipline questions (general principles and individual cases).

The council is still going, last l heard, but I'm not sure of the details these days - whether it has retained as much power and autonomy as it used to have.

Minimal rules, but it wasn't a Summerhill style free for all. No meat, no religion, and general respect for others pretty much covered it (switching to a school that had 2 sides of A4 just for uniform rules was quite a shock!).

Early on there was the choice of opting out of lessons provided you didn't disrupt anyone else, but that is long gone. Up to age 7 used to be Montessori system, with a lot of self-directed learning carrying on up the school. Once a term (I think, may have been once a year) there was staff holiday, when the 6th form took over teaching and running the whole school.

(Speaking of holidays - check how term dates work. Because of large numbers of international pupils they used to have very long xmas/Easter/summer breaks, but only 1 day for half terms and never took May bank holiday.)

It was very much about growing the 'whole child' - before that was really a concept in the wider world. And self sufficiency in all senses - from the independent study to growing much of its own food. And fresh air - the Edwardian belief in verandahs and kicking children outdoors at every opportunity informed a lot of the architecture well into the second half of the 20th century.

A quite high proportion of places (think it was about 20%) were reserved for children the state system at the time couldn't or didn't want to cope with for assorted reasons (bear in mind that I'm old enough for 'special schools' to have been the default for children with physical disabilities as well as SEN). Music, drama, art etc were valued as much as English and maths, asking questions and finding your own path were encouraged, so it was the sort of school that produced jazz musicans and film makers rather than members of the Cabinet.

AA Gill went there, and spent much of the rest of his life mentioning in columns how much he hated it. My class turned out an astrophysicist, a Cirque du Soleil trapeze artist, a human rights lawyer, an accountant, a couple of editors, an artist, a musician in a group you've probably heard of if you're into folk music and another you won't have done unless you frequent a particular cafe where he has a regular slot, a drugs mule, and a school science technician (plus a few I've lost track of). Most of us ended up somewhere we wouldn’t have expected (one of the editors is dyslexic, the trapeze artist hated sports lessons, the accountant failed maths), and a lot took circuitous and unconventional routes to their destination. But most of us are happy - although often with a lingering bafflement at the way the wider world works.

How much of that still applies now? The council structure, I think; vegetarian lunches last I heard - but not meals for boarders; a good amount of outside space; and plenty of international links and exchange opportunities. Not sure how much else.

Anygoodidea · 12/10/2023 13:21

Super helpful and yes. That’s the one.

And thanks for your sharing personal experience- I think there’s a greater academic focus but still lots of similarities.

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Foxesandsquirrels · 12/10/2023 13:29

I think you'll find St Chris is very similar to Northbridge now. It's not really like KAS at all.

Anygoodidea · 12/10/2023 13:59

Foxesandsquirrels · 12/10/2023 13:29

I think you'll find St Chris is very similar to Northbridge now. It's not really like KAS at all.

Thanks @Foxesandsquirrels is there a distinction between Hampstead and Canonbury NBH?

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Foxesandsquirrels · 12/10/2023 14:21

Not really. But if you thought Hampstead was small you'll be shocked at how small canonbury is! They have less GCSE options for that reason.

Foxesandsquirrels · 13/10/2023 12:28

Not sure if you've seen this thread but there's some good responses from a KAS parent.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/primary/4667672-the-king-alfreds-school?reply=129881847

Anygoodidea · 13/10/2023 20:15

Thanks @Foxesandsquirrels food for thought. There really are no easy answers with any of this.

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cheapskatemum · 13/10/2023 20:53

If he's good at maths have you considered QE Boys in High Barnet? Might be out of date, but their entrance exam certainly used to suit mathematically-minded boys.

Anygoodidea · 13/10/2023 21:10

Thanks @cheapskatemum I hadn’t even thought of QE Boys as my assumption would have been it was very high pressured and required heavy tutoring? Do you have sons there? V interested in your experience esp. if I’ve got that wrong.

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cheapskatemum · 13/10/2023 22:44

No, my sons are older and I didn't want them to go to an all boys school as it was all boys at home (4 sons). Some of their friends went there and it tended to be the ones that were good at maths that got in.

Foxesandsquirrels · 13/10/2023 22:55

QE boys is extremely difficult to get into. You don't just need to be good at maths...he'd be surrounded by extremely bright boys. Its also fairly mono cultural.
Op have you looked into the Dame Alice Owen exam? They have places for Islington kids. Also, latymer?

sittinginacafe · 13/10/2023 23:06

what are your state options? Highgate wood has a good reputation now and Acland Burghley is all about the whole child.

XelaM · 14/10/2023 00:17

Mount House is lovely and has a bus service from various stations around North London

Anygoodidea · 14/10/2023 00:22

Foxesandsquirrels · 13/10/2023 22:55

QE boys is extremely difficult to get into. You don't just need to be good at maths...he'd be surrounded by extremely bright boys. Its also fairly mono cultural.
Op have you looked into the Dame Alice Owen exam? They have places for Islington kids. Also, latymer?

Thanks again @Foxesandsquirrels I actually thought about Latymer earlier. I’d ruled out the grammars but I can remember a friend from years ago saying it was a supportive and nurturing school once you were in and the intake is more diverse (a very good thing). Anyone have experience or view?

I’m not assuming he’d cope with the exams, but good to know if it might be a good fit otherwise so I can explore.

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Foxesandsquirrels · 14/10/2023 00:29

@Anygoodidea yup, latymer is really not pressured once you're in. It's a lovely school and much more relaxed than many of the comps that are now basically prisons.

Anygoodidea · 14/10/2023 00:30

sittinginacafe · 13/10/2023 23:06

what are your state options? Highgate wood has a good reputation now and Acland Burghley is all about the whole child.

Unfortunately neither. It’s not that I’ve ruled out state at all, it’s rather I think we’ll end up getting what we are given and I want to have a chance of going somewhere I feel he’ll be happy (for its own sake and because I think that’s the best chance of him achieving academically).

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