Sutton High School GDST - Academic Performance

[TimeSpace]

Hi, does anyone know how academic Sutton High School for Girls is? It’s a lovely school with great facilities but I can’t seem to get a handle on how students perform at GCSE - in particular maths and science subjects. Really not sure if money will be best spent there or with a tutor at an alternative school. Does anyone have any insight? Thanks!

Is it more that there are plenty of academic schools within commuting distance? So if the school is “second division” it gets results along those lines? We chose a similar school and didn’t really see the results of others as being the defining reason for choosing a school. As long as there were enough bright dc, that was good enough. Ethos, availability of what dd needed to thrive and “fit” mattered most. Not the exam results of other dc.

@TimeSpace I think that they do have some high-level results in their website. See https://www.suttonhigh.gdst.net/about-us/examination-results/#:~:text=GCSE%20Results%202023,are%20incredibly%20proud%20of%20them.
Usually, it has been considered as rather similar academically as SCHS, within the GDST family.
As @TizerorFizz outlines, there are many reasons why people choose schools. On our visits, we found SHS to be a really caring and student-centric school and the girls were both engaged and proud of the school.

DD was at a different GDST school for 3 years then moved to grammar for secondary. Her state grammar got just over 85% grade 7-9 compared to the link that is supplied above which has 75%. Results aren’t everything though, it depends what your other options are, best fist for your DD etc.

Check teacher retention at GDST schools, some of DD’s friends who stayed on for senior school had issues with teachers leaving when the pension options changed.

Many thanks for your responses, much appreciated.

@TizerorFizz Good points. I suppose my main concern was keeping up with the momentum of enjoying academic subjects like maths and sciences - which is at a really good standard but not grammar school level (as there are a few around here, also level and pace of grammar schools very off putting). Nurturing environment is key.

@QuiteAJourney Thanks, I saw this too and wondered about subjects. It led me to Sutton Gov website but could only see references to gcse languages, art/design…hence the question about academic performance. I will check out SCHS to ‘compare’.

@PettsWoodParadise Cheers. I heard about pension changes and staff retention too. Will do a little more digging!

I suspect the reason the Sutton Gov website only lists select results is that many indies use iGSCEs for maths and sciences (and often other subjects too). However, the Government data only includes standard GCSEs - state schools aren't able to take the iGSCEs, and this often skew the data.
My DD went to Croydon High - another GDST school - I see their results last year were 77% 7-9, so similar.
A good proportion of the girls there are highly academic, although there is a range of abilities. Emphasis on maths and sciences was high, but all subjects valued. It sounds as though SHS could be similar.
Email them and ask for a break down of exam results.

Just a bump because I am watching this thread with interest as my DD has an offer from Sutton too. They did ok on this list but not as high up as some other GDST schools https://www.londonpreprep.com/2023/08/london-gcse-ranking-2023/

I’m keen on Sutton for the arts and music coverage plus pastoral care, but I need to convince them to bring the minibus further north 😅

That makes a lot more sense. Cheers @Seeline. I couldn’t figure out why subjects would be missing but due to different exam boards.

Great @Lizardlegs. Will take a look at these rankings too. Out of interest, how far north?!

Hi. I have a daughter at Sutton (and another holding an offer for year 7 which we will accept). Happy to answer any questions via DM.
with gcse results I think it’s important to know that SHS automatically allow all their own prep girls in to year 7 regardless of their results and they don’t sit an entrance - so half of my daughters year didn’t have to sit an entrance exam and this means it is really mixed ability and for 50% of the girls it’s sort of unselective. In my daughters case we like this - it means she is sitting at the top and getting pushed in al her chosen subjects - in another school she’d likely be middling and that would worry me. She also has a learning need and needs motivation. I can’t fault the support she has received. When I was looking (this time and last) I looked at value added for the exam results, but actually the letter we got from the GcSe results showed they were really high last year and having just started choosing subjects they really push the idea that add should choose what she loves and there’s a big open choice for her. I would never have thought she’d be choosing Dance GCSE alongside Computing!!
we were there for the strikes and pensions and no teachers have left that we know of and the teachers all seem happy to go the extra mile - lots of clubs, they are working with her one to one in some subjects at break (her send means she needs some help with memory and spelling) and she’s had the same teachers year on year in some subjects.
she loves school and I have no trouble getting her in and she seems happy and her reports say she’s on track to get all 7+ - and that’s from a cat4 of 114 back in prep.

The borough of Sutton has some excellent grammar schools, Nonsuch and Wallington Girls, which achieve some of the highest results in the country.

A fair number of Sutton High girls sit the 11+ and move to the grammars for secondary school. Similarly lots of girls at local preps (eg Seaton House) will sit 11+ and Sutton High entrance but will take the grammar place if successful.

I wonder if this means many of the highest achievers are bring creamed off by the grammars, which means Sutton High results, although good, would compare less favourably to local state schools, because those schools happen to be super selective?

i know a few parents with girls there, and what I hear reflects what @1forward2back said. Lots of pastoral support, excellent for girls with SEN, parents happy with academic results based on their individual children. I agree they lose a lot at 11+ to what are seen as academically stronger options, and again at 16 where I have heard some outgrow the small and cosy feel of the school.

I have a DD there in y11, joined in y7. We've been v happy throughout. The support fantastic - both practical (extra help if struggling with lessons/exams) and pastoral. Would we have been better saving the money and just tutoring? I'd say no - DD has learned to study rather just just get thru the exams (iyswim), and she's had support from the teachers who see her daily rather than aligning a tutors approach v her teachers approach. My DD is predicted 7+ in her subjects, which I'd say is fine on the academic front! She is staying for 6th form, as are the majority of her friends.

So no, it's not one of the "top" schools in league tables. For academically minded DDs there is plenty of challenge, the results reflect a broader ability range in the students. Like all school decisions, you need to be sure it's the right place for your child but I would not be concerned the academic level would be "low" for a bright DD.

@1forward2back Thanks for your post. Really good to hear your daughter is benefiting from the attention and tailored support she receives at SHS. That is one thing I do admire about the school as well as the scope of subjects on offer.

@Memba Makes you think regarding results but as there are so many grammar schools in the borough the local state schools have to ‘up their game’.

Quite a few identify the high achieving students and give them greater depth work, have Oxbridge visits/entry planning giving them impressive results at GCSE & A levels. SHS seem to do this as well but support all their learners to achieve their best - which is I believe is admirable too. As ever it’s what’s best for your own child.

Yes @HighRopes - all goes back to bringing out the best of the individual child.

Thanks for the insight @Pumpkinandpie. As mentioned I think results are a reflection of the range of student ability. Pastoral care is high on their agenda as well as helping students achieve to their highest ability too.

@Memba Makes you think regarding results but as there are so many grammar schools in the borough the local state schools have to ‘up their game’.

Quite a few identify the high achieving students and give them greater depth work, have Oxbridge visits/entry planning giving them impressive results at GCSE & A levels * wanted to add - not just grammars do this *. SHS seem to do this as well but support all their learners to achieve their best - which is I believe is admirable too. As ever it’s what’s best for your own child.

Another Sutton High parent here with a daughter in Yr 8. I'd agree the focus is very much on the girls being individuals, and there is definitely a spread of abilities - in her class there are junior school girls, who didn't sit an exam, as well as 11+ scholarship girls. And compared to her very high achieving prep school, she has relatively little homework! However, academic standards seem high. They are all assessed early and set into tracking for subjects, then given support to reach their potential.
I would say though that the most recent exam results aren't as good as previous years - so this year they are a bit lower in the league tables. That's hopefully a hiccup.

@MaitreKarlsson Of course those pupils might have made great progress. You don’t know their starting points so their results could have been very good for them as individuals. Few schools can maintain the same level of results year after year. There are dips in recruitment and schools get a reputation for not being academic which is then self fulfilling. Brighter dc don’t go there and just use it as a back up if other plans go wrong.

I have noticed exam results are nowhere near as good as they were at our old school. The brighter cohort seems to have gone. I’ve seen parents on MN think it’s not a school for bright DC but value it for nurturing and arts. It takes a lot of effort and aspirational SLT to turn that around so more academic dc apply again. Where there is lots of choice schools are what their intake allows them to be.

Thanks for your message @MaitreKarlsson I agree that the focus very much seems to be on a tailored education and attaining best results for each individual.

I have a child at Sutton High and an older child at another more ‘academic’ GDST school and as far as I can see, there’s no difference in the teaching. Sutton is a fabulous school, and I concur with all of the positive comments of the others posters on this thread.
The reason for the higher exam results at some other schools is because they are so selective at 11+. It’s not that the school
is better and as far as I can see, Sutton is better and predicting potential and putting in individualised monitoring to maximise that. I am very happy with Sutton and a great fit for daughter.

Thanks for your message @Vista123 and personal experience. I agree Sutton High is a lovely school and sounds as though they really do take a keen interest in bringing the best out of their girls.