German MFL - Harrow/Hiillingdon/Watford

[FrakIsBack]

We're moving to Northwood-ish (Forces) this summer and DS will be going into Y9 in the UK system (currently doing the equivalent of Y9 but he'll lose the year he gained previously, swings and roundabouts). The catch is his languages are French, German and Latin.

Which secondaries in the Borough of Harrow, Borough of Hillingdon or the Watford area offer German and/or Latin and are likely to accept a Y9 transfer? And where do we need to live to get in?

I also have DD1 going into Y6 so coming up for Y7 transfer, not as academic as her brother, but she will also need to do German and/or Latin for when we next move on. And just to complicated things DD3 will be going into reception and all the places have already been allocated, so if anyone has a magic solution for balancing everyone's needs that would be fabulous.

Hey OP I don't know the area but unfortunately you may not have a big choice of schools. You should be offered spaces for all your DC, but a place at a preference school will depend on availability; if it is a popular school it's likely you will need someone to move to vacate a space in year 9.

Your year 6 DC will also be towards the back of the queue as year 7 places were allocated earlier this month.

In terms of German, my subject (hence opening your thread!) fewer schools offer it than used to. Very few state schools IME offer Latin. French and increasingly Spanish are more popular. Is it that your DC especially enjoy German and Latin, or do you wish them to study these subjects for other reasons? You could always keep up the German externally if a school suited in other ways. sorry I can't be more specifically helpful wrt area and schools.

I have no idea btw if the fact that you are a forces family may bump you up any waiting lists but it's worth asking.

Would your DS consider (weekly) boarding?
If there are spaces (and there might be), RGS High Wycombe is strong on MFL and offers Latin (Y7 study French, German, Latin, Spanish and Classical Civ, then choose to continue French + 1 of the others in Y8).
I’m afraid I don’t know about the girls school offerings on that front.

Nower Hill in Harrow offers Latin and has a fantastic classics dept generally. But it’s really really oversubscribed. You’d have to practically live in the school to get to the top of the list

I think this year is the last year that will do German GCSE as it isn’t popular. They don’t offer it to the lower school any more at all.