LEH vs St.Catherines Twickenham

[FTreddy]

Would appreciate any feedback on this topic please as DD got offers from both the schools yesterday, she is very bright and academic and creative(loves Drama and music),we visited both schools ,I am more inclined towards St.Catherines, the head was very impressive and with LEH although very good felt the whole vibe was a bit posh and they didn't sound too strong on their Pastoral care, does any one have work or have DD at St.Catherines who can advise on their academic levels and if they encourage the girls to challenge themselves? both schools are not far away(St.Cats is slightly close by)

LEH parent here. I know nothing about St Catherine’s but there are plenty of resources available to girls who need pastoral support at LEH. My DD hasn’t (yet) needed to draw on these resources specifically but they get plenty of good quality support and advise re social media, pressure, managing work load etc. I wouldn’t call it posh…..but def lots of hard working parents with high expectations of their girls. I’ve heard St Catherine’s def has a softer approach.

Which school does your DD prefer?

she likes both for different reasons

Why don't you look at the 6th forms and university destinations as the St Cats 6th form is small so a move may need to be needed after GCSEs esp if she wants to study medicine etc.

There is also a considerable difference in fees, over £2k per term between the 2 schools, if you then add 20% vat to the numbers it will be worth noting.

Finally many people choosing LEH will also be holding GHS, SWPS, Wimbledon High, Putney High, Surbiton High and for some Latymer Upper, Godolphin, St Paul's and Tiffin. Those holding St Cats will have it as a back up and will not accept.

Well done to your dd for getting LEH, it's a really good school.

St cats parent here. I have been pleasantly surprised wit the school. Academically it was the right fit and the pastoral so far has been very good. Quick to stamp out any in year issues between girls and the girls are all confident but not arrogant.

These are very different schools! LEH very academic, strong on sports, will push your daughter. St Catherine's not particularly academic, limited sport in comparison. Both will be holding offer days - your DD needs to go and see which she thinks will suit her. And if you can visit again too to get the picture as they are so different.

My daughter is Year 8 St Cats. For us it was about a small school and wanting a focus on values alongside achievement. We liked that it is a contemporary take on traditional: the girls are confident and not afraid to say what they think but also it’s very community and character focused. The teachers know all the girls and the girls all seem to know each other with the older ones looking out for those in lower years.

DD is a voracious reader but mildly dyslexic so we were not in the LEH bracket. She is a music scholar and the advantage of the size of the school is that the girls can really be involved in anything they choose as there are enough places for everyone. There are many bright girls at the school and streaming to stretch them. Lots of homework and focus on study but it’s a more mixed intake and the results reflect that.

My DD was at LEH, pastoral support was v strong. I have experience of a number of SW indies with my kids and would have sent them all to LEH if I could have, she had an amazing education. Also keep in mind St C's is very small and in year 7 that might seem great but by year 10 it's nice to have the scope of a large school- not only for things on offer (they combine speakers with Hampton for example so have famous poets, scientists etc giving amazing talks/ or a variety of plays/musicals etc) but also because your friendships might change and there are more students to find friends.
it was full of very hard working parents, of DD's friends plenty sacrificed a lot in order their DD could go there. I would say it is one of the less "posh" schools for that reason

I went to LEH. Excellent if you want to produce a doctor or lawyer! Mind you things may have changed in the intervening 30 years 😉

The benefit of St Catherine's is it is much more of a local school which makes it easier for girls to socialise after school and on weekends. LEH is obviously a great school but girls come from all over SW London and Surrey.

Thank you so very much everyone for taking your time out and giving such wonderful and valuable insights and advice! we will also be attending offer holders event to make our final decision but your insights have been very helpful! x

@3WildOnes makes a good point, but soon enough the girls are old enough to meet independently in Kingston which works for us. We have honestly been delighted with LEH - our daughter has flourished!

Radnor/Kneller Hall is a good school and a academic school?

I have a 10 years old daughter and just got the offer from school for year7 place .But struggle for choose this school.I visited the school on open day ,The first concern is current old site is small and old ,new site is huge and amazing campus but no one knows when it’s done.The second concern is school looks not to focus on academic.Is any current parents can share their experience from this school?I’m really appreciate.

Current Radnor parent and very happy with academics (and the school overall) with kids stretched where they need it. Yes the site is small but it’s used well and they have access to brilliant sports facilities 5 minutes away on the bus.

Honestly, LEH and St Cats are entirely different in most every way. I would say LEH is the better school in terms of quality of teaching, facilities, organisation, pastoral care as well-- and of course in terms of actives and clubs on offer. I have/have had daughters at both- one recent grad LEH and one current 6th form St Cats. St Cats is imore catholic than you might think, is much smaller, has good but small provision of clubs- the same amount as at our state primary actually. Still, if you have a daughter who is easily intimidated and likes the subjects/clubs/activities on offer then perhaps this would be preferable and St Cats is of course a lovely place. Our daughter at LEH loved her time therr, and daughter at St Cats loves her school also! In our experience, girls had instant connection with one school over the other as they are so different!

@faithforgottenland thank you so much , very helpful! Honestly what an awesome community mumsnet is! Such helpful parents taking out time to give their honest views and helpful advice, Thank you!

My daughter left St Catherine's last year and we were extremely disappointed with the school. She joined in year 7 when Sister Paula was headmistress, but we noticed a huge difference with the new head. The pastoral support significantly declined, teachers began leaving, less subjects were offered, and the overall close-knit relationship we picked up on at the open-days disappeared. It seemed that they were more concerned about the image of the school, rather than the well-being of the girls, leading to my daughter being very anxious about going to school. For example, giving detentions for the wrong denier of tights, while ignoring clear mental health problems that some girls had. A significant portion of the teachers are very poor, with my daughter and many of her friends achieving strong GCSE grades by using textbooks to teach herself rather than learning anything in the classroom. The learning support is poor with a separate room not being provided for girl's with additional learning needs during the GCSE's. When handing in UCAS forms, the teachers are very slow to process them, leading to a late hand in which shouldn't be expected due to the low numbers of pupils in the sixth form. This explains why the majority of people leave after GCSE's - unlike they claim on their website. I also noticed a the sheer amount of bullying that occurred without intervention from the teachers. Perhaps it was just the time my daughter was there, as on the mums group chat, it seemed the majority of the mums unfortunately had the same negative experience. Out of a year group of 60 only 15 stayed on for sixth form, which says a lot. Although I am sure every all girls secondary school has problems, it is still something to consider.

I am sorry this is so negative compared to some of the other replies to your post, but I honestly wish that someone had told me this before I sent my DD there. Although, my daughter made life-long friends at St Catherine's, I think the most significant thing to note here is that private schools are businesses, and the most significant thing for them is their reputation in order to make money, and not the well-being of their pupils. DD who went to St Catherine's was privately educated for primary school as well, but having had such a negative experience, and hearing from friends about how much better the state schools are in the area, I am much more inclined to send my youngest DD to Waldegrave or St Richard Reynolds.

St. Catherine parent here. I know this is an old thread but I do agreed with you Fifi123. My daughter currently goes to St. Catherine and I am so disappointed with the school. I am actively seeking to move her to a better school.

Hi both would you be willing to message me privately to say why you are disappointed with the school. Hope your girls are managing and will enjoy their summer. Thanks