Tiffin Girls vs indies

[meuntilmarch2025]

DD has been doing well so far and DH and I are trying to make up our minds as we go through the second stages next week.

We have Guildford, St Pauls, G&L and LU in the list for indies (kind of have a list of preference already) and DD has been in a selective prep since reception. No experience of state education, but there is a level of fearmongering amongst some parents I know (ironically most of them had DCs go to state primaries) about state schooling. Some of DD current school parents acknowledge TGS is good and hard to get in etc but then they didn’t consider grammar schools either.

What is Tiffin Girls like? What kind of schools do the girls come from - anyone has intel on the breakdown of state vs private?
I found the school better than I imagined, to be honest I thought it would be run down, cramped but it was nothing like that. But is the teaching actually good? Or am I asking too much from a free school.

I am ready to pay for additional tuition where required and for extra curricular activities but then should we just consider an independent school that provides those already? DD still did do a lot of things outside of school during prep such as sports and music but I did like the opportunities her school provided too. To be honest I love her current prep and firmly believe the enriched curriculum and pastoral care really benefited her, but as she is now a little older, she can have a little more room to become independent and sort of ‘out in the more realistic world’ - I know Tiffin would nothing be like that exactly but as children probably get less attention than the indies and she’ll need to fight her way.

Any words from parents who chose Tiffin Girls after private education would be really appreciated.

I wouldn’t assume the state will pick up all of the increase. It generally doesn’t, even when it claims things are ‘fully funded’

Our daughter applied to three schools including Tiffin and has two offers including LEH which she really likes as do we. If she gets a Tiffin offer she and we are struggling with the decision. Part of me wants the decision taken out of our hands too. So many great things about both schools but distinct pros and cons. It feels like a finely balanced decision. Good luck x

A friends daughter was at leh prep. Then went to tiffin girls years 7-11. Then St Paul’s girls. She liked tiffin however felt the sport was rubbish. She rowed so had to do this externally and then did a little at St Paul’s (Covid years). I think she felt the teaching was good. She was very measured in her opinion of the school. Whilst at St Paul’s she spoke a lot about the standard of teaching. I also got the sense there were quite a few girls who struggled with the pressure. This is a recent example

Our DD is in Tiffin y7, last year we had to make a decision as she got offers from 3 independents. We went for Tiffin and so far not regretting it. Yes, I agree with another poster, sport provision could be better. If your daughter is in team A, B or C then all fine but all teams below that don't participate much in inter- school competitions. But no complains about other clubs, there is a wide range of lunchtime and after school clubs, daughter joined quite a few in September and then had to drop a couple as it was too much. Music provision absolutely brilliant...Quality of teaching very good, teachers very nice and approachable. We have homework but it's very manageable, the girls seem to be working fast during the lessons and sometimes part of the homework is done in class. No homework given for half terms. DD does some revision as they have tests at the end of each term but that's probably happens in all schools. So, generally, so far so good, we are very happy with the school. I thought I'd share it as I remember how stressful the decision making process was for us last year....

Thank you so much for this. If (big if) we are lucky enough to get a place at Tiffins it is difficult to decide what to do. I loved Tiffins when we looked round, but also hear a lot about how indies offer better opportunities. I’ve also heard a lot about pressure, which I’m not so worried about as DD is at state school with low level tutoring, so if she gets in I would expect her to be middle of the class which would be more than ok.

DD had the choice of Tiffin or independent a few years ago.

Part of the decision was that, having come from a state primary, I wanted to avoid more years of her teachers being limited by the National Curriculum, and by ever decreasing investment. I also wanted her to have more free choices at GCSE and A level, rather than just option blocks.

It also seemed to me that the cohort at Tiffin (from what I could find out) was very focused on academic achievement in STEM subjects, with parents who viewed things like music as soft subjects that wouldn’t lead to well paid careers. I knew I had a DD who was likely to be more interested in non STEM subjects, and that I wanted her to be at a school with peers who valued those things as well as STEM, and who also wanted to explore things that enrich life in the wider sense, like music and art and drama.

In the end, I think that the cohort is probably similar across these high performing schools. Though private schools probably can influence it a bit if they choose, as they set their own exams and also interview, rather than going purely on ranked exam results.

Pay and pension are no longer better in leading independent schools.

Staff are likely to be paid better at Tiffin Girls (St Paul’s’ Girls’ is the exception - I don’t believe that it has cut pay or withdrawn from the pension scheme, but the others you mention have or have tried to).

My view (ex private school pupil) is that if you're in a highly academic state school there are very few private schools for girls that can really add value over that state school. City of London, St Paul's and Westminster would be some the few but ££££.

As far as extra curriculars are concerned if you have time to do taxi duty and research you will get better provision in local clubs/private teaching than through schools - independent schools win on convenience though but you pay for that. Possibly better for less competitive opportunities but not necessarily.

Obviously if you don't have the option to ferry to music lessons/sports club because of work, then being on one site wins.

Not spending school fees frees up a lot of budget for sport, music etc!

Tiffin Girls gives exactly the same salaries as any comprehensive school.

Pay is better in independent schools

Pension is not

@SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn

most independent schools are paying less than comprehensive schools. St Paul’s (girls) still pays more.

My daughter is in y8 at TGS. She is happy there so far.

I was worried it would be a hot house and amplify her tendency to perfectionism but I have found she's doing similar amounts of homework to her friends at Coombe Girls. The school pastoral system has been very good so far. They even had a parental talk about helping with perfectionism and resilience alongside other useful stuff like neurodiversity ones. It feels like they want to support the girls wellbeing as well as results, but let's see how things go once we get to exam years.

Y7 transition was great, so much is done to help them settle, more than her friends seemed to get in Coombe girls (though they are all quite happy there too I believe).

Lots of stuff to help them learn how to revise, how to organise their time so they don't just expect them to inherently know all this. Frequent end of topic/term tests (similar to friends though, maybe this is the norm in state secondary). The frequency almost makes it less stressful for my daughter, seems like lower stakes and keeps her on top of things.

The school is hot on things like online safety and anti bullying.

Teaching has been good, and feedback from teachers has been easy to get.
She actually had 8 girls from her state primary go there but isn't in a form with any of them. She's made a lovely group of new friends who she commutes with and they meet up occasionally to go to the cinema or plan group activities together. They are of varied ethnic backgrounds, no issue with socialising. Similar socioeconomic background , I think it is not hugely diverse in that regard.

She does piano lessons in school, loves her teacher.

For sports, she did various clubs, netball, trampolining and had the opportunity to go to a few comps but she is in a local gymnastics squad and competes with them , it's better than what a school could offer in terms of specialist coaches and equipment.

She's done a Latin competition and some computing competition as well. It wasn't pressured, they were group things she and her friends seemed to be doing it for an excuse for a sleepover to plan their submissions!

Things aren't swanky. But we like the school. We weren't in a position to consider a private so I have nothing to compare against...

I am looking for a tutor for my DD to prepare her for 11plus exam next year. Does anyone know a good one around Walton? I am not sure online will be efficient, so prefer in person.

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We're in a lucky position now and equally very distressed trying to come to a conclusion.
DD has always been in a private school. I'm worried about how much support Tiffin could provide her, pastorally and academically. Is the teaching actually good, or is it just the girls pushing themselves forward? Is it easy to speak to the teachers and raise concerns - do they try to listen and help, what does pastoral care look like in the school? Are the girls gentle and kind, or rather on the competitive side? Are they many girls coming from prep schools, or mostly state? (I'd prefer a good balance..) What type of device is used for school work and homework - e.g. ipads? I know I can't expect everything that DD used to get from a paid school, but really not sure of what it is like... any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Congratulations! I can't give you the information that you seek but I will offer a few opinions:

Is the teaching actually good, or is it just the girls pushing themselves forward?

The cohorts of girls at TGS or at the privates you mentioned in your OP all push themselves forward. Groups that have already demonstrated they can achieve so highly can make even average teachers look good.

Are the girls gentle and kind, or rather on the competitive side?

I doubt that there is a structural difference between the girls at TGS or at the privates you mentioned. I'd guess the year to year variation within each school is as large or larger than the variation between schools.

Are they many girls coming from prep schools, or mostly state?

Here I can offer something a little more solid. In the most recent data available, compare-school-performance shows that, out of 180 girls, TGS had 151 KS2 high achievers, 1 KS2 middle achiever, and 0 KS2 low achievers. From this, I'd guess that 152 out of those 180 girls came from state schools.

Sorry I can't be of more help but I wanted an excuse to wish you good luck over the next 18 hours.

Tiffin will give an excellent academic education. A good number come from private preps and many from a big range of state schools too. The girls are driven and focused and often have quite a lot of pressure from home ….but of course most are kind and strong friendships made.

The school is a bit shabby and resources are stretched. There’s no doubt about that. You won’t get the shiny facilities but you’ll get lots of extra curricular with many fine to a high standard. There is sport but if you want top level you’d be doing that out of school already. Music etc is strong and valued.

In the end you have to consider if the benefits of private over Tiffin are worth £25k and increasing, for 5 or 7 years. I’d say the private experience is more customer (parent) focused and the facilities shinier. But is that worth well over £100k - depends on how well off you are. You’d also be hard pressed to find such an able cohort than Tiffin. Most independent schools will have much more of a ‘tail’ in ability than Tiffin. Yes, some have students who passed Tiffin or could have, but lots of their students haven’t or wouldn’t have if they tried.

Personally, if I had a really top private offer for a nearby top school and money was no object with zero sacrifice involved, I’d go for the private option….but only if top 20 ranking and nearby. Otherwise I’d choose Tiffin. But people make different choices and everyone’s situation is different including exactly which private offers they hold and location. Location is important. Long commutes are horrible for adults and even worse for kids and best avoided if possible.

Thank you so much, all very helpful advice. It's a really difficult decision to give up on the Tiffin offer but we just made up our mind and decided to go for an independent school. Happy to free up the place to a well-deserving girl. Good luck with the decision making everyone!

This is where girls come from, according to locrating

I quite understand that you may have already dispatched your DD to another institution; nevertheless, I venture to believe that my observations may yet prove of service to prospective parents who find themselves in a similar position.

My DD, together with her DF, is presently enrolled at TGS, and I must confess that I take offence at the description of that venerable establishment as “run down” and “cramped.” On the contrary, I hold it to be a most admirable school, one that has bestowed upon my DD and DF both happiness and a most excellent education.

In response to the other remarks made, I must aver that the quality of instruction at TGS is of a very high standard, and the teachers are attentive and supportive, particularly towards pupils who demonstrate the initiative to seek assistance when it is required. Neither my DD nor I have had occasion to experience private or non-state education, yet DD has never perceived any deficiency in the quality of her instruction.

Moreover, I must commend the pastoral care extended to every pupil, which I have found to be exemplary. There exists within TGS a fine and genuine sense of community; my DD has never encountered, nor indeed witnessed, any instance of bullying.

In all, I should consider TGS a most worthy and honourable institution, deserving of far greater esteem than your earlier remarks might suggest.

Come on, in every schools are instances of bullying. You are very naive thinking that at TSG it is not happening. 🤨🫢

@SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn I wouldn't worry about that post from @HelpfulPoster. It was clearly AI-generated.

Very helpful thread. My daughter has the following offers and we need to have a firm view by end of week of what we would do if a TGS offer comes through

SPGS
WHS
GHS (10% scholarship)
LEH (10% scholarship)
PHS (20% scholarship)
SHS (20% scholarship)

Based on what I read from current parents on this thread, it feels like a number of them would recommend TGS over the above choices? Of course there is the £££ factor involved as a clear trade-off