MPW London - anyone have recent experience?

[BelleRoche]

Hello Mums,
I am new to the forum, with a specific question - we are moving back to the UK from France and my daughter will start school in September '24 in year 11 so we need somewhere that can do a 1-year fast track GCSE course.

I am thinking of MPW in London, which seems good, but I have seen a few comments here and elsewhere about hard partying and drugs... I guess that's potentially the case in most schools - I just wondered if anyone has recent experience of MPW and how they deal with any drug issues and whether there are sufficient groups of kids who are not the hard partying/druggy kind or whether you feel that this is the prevelant culture and atmosphere of the school? Any advice would be really appreciated, thank you !

If you in France , how about the Lycee in South Kensington?
Other private sixth forms for GCSEs, Ashbourne college and Collingham. You need to do research on GCSEs plus boards with different topics etc.
Good luck!

HawaiiWake, thank you, we are specifically looking for a tutorial college that offers a one-year intensive GCSE programme. We have narrowed it down to MPW London and Cherwell College in Oxford, so I am only asking for advice on these two, particularly at the level of what the other pupils are like and what they get up to out of school. We are happy with the academic programme of both schools, and could move either to Oxford or London, so its just the social side of both schools I am thinking of - from a mum's perspective, wanting to avoid drug influence if possible...😊

Ashbourne college is in Kensington, London and has 1 year GCSE and less of a party vibe.
MPW is South Kensington, London. They are known and been there a while.
Not sure about Oxford place you mentioned.
Do check their results and leavers destinations for university. Could you go to have a look before the move? Worth spending the lunch time around to hear the kids as they go out for lunch or vaping.
Drugs are everywhere in UK, so peer groups and friendships are important. I suggest getting DC joining sport club or sport activities, seems training takes up time and less partying mode due to sport fixtures plus another way to make new friends.

I would take into account that any dc signing up to a 1 year course at MPW is either from overseas or has been asked to leave or has chosen to leave their uk school during the gcse years.
I would try and keep your dd in the French system in London if you can.

My friend considered moving her dc from a boarding school to MPW for 1 year when he was 15 but she couldn't see how she could keep the dc from going off the rails in central London without she chaperoning him to and from the college site each day.

Not overly generalising but every kid I knew in London at MPW when I was studying was a rich kid screw up - I didn't know a single one who didn't do drugs

Hmmm.. that's what I was worrying about. Thank you for these thoughts x

We are going to see the school in March, so we will be able to get a feel for it, but you never get the inside story during an interview... DD doesn't want to stay in the French system, she v much wants to do A levels. Thanks again for these opinions - any other thoughts/experiences about MPW London and Cherwell Tutorial v. welcome...

Great that you will be seeing them in March, could you check Ashbourne in Kensington so you have 2 London Tutorials colleges with 1 year GCSEs to compare?
Maybe another one in Oxford?
Seems your DC wants to do A levels, are there subject preferences? Worth checking their A levels results in those subjects. Unless, you planning on GCSEs 1 year and moving to A levels somewhere else?
Do they have friends in London or Oxford or purely from new school?
MPW does GCSEs revision courses, could DC sign up for 1 course subject to get a feel of the place in April?

The people I know who used MPW failed their A Levels in their grammar/private school and MPW was their last chance to get into a decent uni. Admittedly it did work for the few people who I’ve known that have used them.

It isn’t for everyone but I would consider doing the accelerated GCSEs with an online school/home school and then find a school that would be a good fit for your DD for Sixth form. You’ll have many more options and it’ll save your DD having to settle in somewhere twice.

What about DLD College? It is a more formal school. They also have a 1 year GCSE Prep course https://www.dldcollege.co.uk/academic/college-courses/gcse/one-year-gcse-programme/

I suspect MPW might be a bit different at GCSE and A Level. I know several people who went at A level and their reasons were different but broadly around A levels not going as well as expected - some resits, some needing a do-over from their current situation. A friend whose DD went there needing a do-over said it was a godsend for dc on a “non-linear” path.
(I completely get that, having had one non-linear child myself, so no judgment implied). People I know in this situation tended to do very well from MPW. They have well-regarded bootcamp-style revision courses over Easter for A levels which again really seem to work if you commit to them. For A levels they seem to have found a great gap in the market; it’s expensive (and I think the clientele reflect that) but it does seem to work for those who engage with it.

Re GCSEs, I’m less sure what the market is, because it’s less clear who is choosing it and why. So I’m really not sure what the cohort is and in your case this is what I’d be asking. I know one person who went there (recent) who completely was a rich kid drug problem screw up. I think the fees are about double that of a London independent school. Again, I think that probably dictates who the clientele are.

I would keep her in the French system in london for 1 year to make friends and then find a 6th form that will take her for A levels with her French qualifications, try for example 6th forms of girls day schools in central london (2nd tier etc).
Going from the strict structured system of French education to a crammer full of dc who are there for a wide range of reasons (generally not academic) could be a terrible shock for her.

Friends with DCs in Lycee South Kensington will be doing GCSEs and therefore will be doing A levels. I think there is a British exams pathway but you need to check.

So helpful and huge thanks to you all. I have looked at both Ashbourne and DLD websites thanks to HawaiiWake and Marushaa's suggestions. The problem with those two, and with other options, is that the three sciences are obligatory at GCSE at these schools.

My dd will have already done her exams in the 3 sciences in France (the Brevet National). She is very much more literary and language-orientated and struggles a lot with science, and I don't see any point in her having to do the sciences at GCSE when she will already have a french qualification.

So we are relatively limited in where we can go, as many schools say that sciences GCSEs are mandatory. As far as I can make out, it's only Maths and English Language that are the two truly mandatory GCSE subjects for universities, particularly if you are applying for arts subjects (my dd wants to do either modern languages or history). As far as I can see, MPW and Cherwell are the only two that offer this flexibility, for her to choose her GCSE subjects according to her strengths, without needing science.
Thank you HerculesMulligan for your thoughts. DD is also somewhat 'non linear' so it sounds good!!
I will post some thoughts about MPW after our visit in March...

I am afraid sciences are an obligatory GCSE in the UK in most schools. You can take a double science instead of triple science which reduces the time you need to study these subjects. I would just go and speak to the school. They are very experienced and dealt with a lot of foreign students. I am sure they can advise.

What are the views on MPW??

Did you decide? I’m also looking into MPW…

Any decision ? I’m still looking into it

Hello Fuschia,
Yes! We did decide to go for MPW London, and my daughter started there 3 weeks ago. She's really happy with it so far. She is doing the one-year GCSE programme. she likes her other classmates in her year. Classes are very small (I think maximum 6). A wide range of abilities - quite a few pupils are there because they failed GCSEs and so their work ethic is not strong. But my daughter (who works hard) is just getting on and doing her thing and she really likes all her teachers. It's pretty relaxed in comparison to her last school, much more like a sixth form college vibe. If you have any specific questions, let me know.

Thank you so much for letting me know my daughter is from a traditional English school but left for a year as we went abroad so she didn’t do year 11 and now also wants to do her A levels. I think as long as the teaching is good it’s fine too!

Hi, is your daughter doing A level in MPW? We are considering it. If so, please let me know how it is?

We are also considering MPW for 6th form in Sept. I’d be really grateful BelleRoche for an update - is your daughter still as happy with it as she was when she started last September?

Also interested in knowing more about MPW but the Birmingham site?

@BelleRoche

How is your DD getting on now? She must have finished GSCEs and started A-levels? Hope she got on well with the GCSEs!

We are considering a private college in the area and would love to know your latest thoughts on MPW and any other colleges in the area? Would you recommend it still?

Thank you

Hi, we are considering MPW for year 12. I am curious of the drug usage mentioned in comments, did your daughter confirm this kind of problem.
Thank you