Wimbledon High versus prep school

[TimAth]

hi all,

Wanted your advice. Our DD aged 7 enjoys Wimbledon High but we find that she is not academically challenged enough at school (DS goes to Westminster so we have a good comparison at home).

We chose Wimbledon High at 4 because it goes through to 18, but now it doesn't feel our ideal long term option for secondary school. She is quite bright but is not as disciplined as her brother, so we are not sure how well she will take to the 11+ pressure. Hence we are confused between moving her to a prep school now with a view towards a better shot at 11+, versus staying back at WH and going for the 11+. The former option feels higher risk higher return, as we will be foregoing the security of a guaranteed 11+ place at WH, but on the flipside, WH doesn't prep for 11+, and there wouldn't be the benefits of the prep school's headteacher knowing the senior school.

I appreciate that ultimately this is a choice only we can make based on our assessment of our daughter, but very keen to hear everyone's opinions. Thanks.

I'd leave her where she is and tutor her for others at 11plus if you decide you want to move her then. Everyone at Prep schools tutor anyway and you don't really need a Prep head to help with admissions. Some girls leave WHS after the Prep, she wouldn't be the only one. Most co- ed /girls Preps are going to seem gentler and less pushy than Westminster anyway. She's only 7 and happy- why move her?

I’d also advise staying put. Not sure what preps you are considering (?) but my experience of them is that you’re probably better staying at WHS, the local prep schools won’t remotely stretch a bright girl (no matter what their marketing claims say!!) and everyone tutors for 11+ anyway so you are better to stay put and try the tutoring route in Y5 if that’s what you decide. If you’re thinking of a prep further afield (eg Bute) then it might be a different matter but you’ve got to think about journey time (if you’re SW London based) which is a huge factor for a 7 year old.

I think you're probably noticing different teaching styles. Boys are often pushed harder earlier. Wimbledon is one of the best schools academically so I personally would let your happy DD enjoy it and not worry about

Boys preps tend to be more traditional and (subjectively) less innovative. There is perhaps also a slight sexist element- it's often ok to be ambitious, competitive and openly academically driven when it comes to boys, but not really so much with girls' schools. They have to be fun, pastoral, balanced and about wider thinking.

Prep schools which remain more openly 'academic' for girls-

Bute House (although current head has mixed reputation from parents and isn't from a background of academically driven schools but results still focused on SPGS and G&L). You also might have missed the 7+?
Falkner House
Ken Prep
NLCS
Habs
Eaton Houses

We have a boy so this is mainly on hearsay from friends with sisters.

Your daughter isn’t stretched at Wimbledon High? I’ve heard it all now.

Some of the girls only prep schools mentioned doesn’t prep and are along the same lines as WHS. I agree with getting her to stay at WHS and prep with tutor and try to join her brother at Westminster. We have friends at other boys only prep and they are very clear at level, expectatations etc which is not the case for some of the girls only prep.

Thanks for the helpful replies.

Your observations on girl prep schools are priceless- I wasn't aware of this gap versus boys schools. @WestLonMom : yes does feel sexist! Thanks for the school names.

@ShadesOfPemberley we were thinking of Bute mainly. We could choose to move to closer to there, though we love where we are now, so there would be a sacrifice.

@Wimbledonmum1985 Lol. I know that sounds surprising, but it is definitely the case. We are disappointed with the academic level currently at WH. Maybe it ramps up in later years. As I said, we have a good comparison, and our daughter is clearly not stretched.

One question: don't the relationships that prep headteachers have with the senior schools they "feed" create an advantage in the process? All else being equal, a similar ability girl from a known feeder would surely get an advantage over a girl from a school that had no such relationship? Or I am exaggerating this point, and it is all a fair meritocracy?

Not all headteachers have a relationship with secondary schools head that that you want, Faulkner being family run and having a boys school seems to tick the box on consistently being at the top and advising on secondary schools. Bute, you may missed the Year 3 already.

I think for secondary schools, you may want to see the types of tutors that does help boys with Westminster and St.Pauls Boys and get them to review your DC vs boys cohort. Ask for feedback to see what topics may be falling through the cracks.

I genuinely don't think you can compare with Westminster though- completely different ethos and, in general, a different type of parent. However if that's the kind of atmosphere you're looking for you should probably move.
I would say the relationship with a Prep heads is very much exaggerated. It only seems to become important if a child fails to get in to any senior schools and they have to ring round.
I'm probably biased as my DCs went to a State primary and got into a range of Secondaries with no help from any headteacher.

Why not prep for another school from WHS?

Last summer, WHS got 50% A star and A grades at A level.

Westminster got 78% A star and A grades.

Your plan may backfire. She may wobble under all the extra stress. She may end up at a less good school than WHS.

I'm honestly surprised at this post. If you feel like she's not doing enough, get a tutor at home but don't risk your place at such a good school.

Also, A-levels and education can only take you so far. Applications far exceed places at the likes of Oxbridge. She'd be better off pursuing a hobby or extra curricula stuff and becoming truly excellent at it and standing out from the crowd in some other way than just sheer push push push educationally.

And even after Oxbridge it's not just the name of the place, it's the soft skills, the creativity, can you work with other people, can you lead, can you go the extra mile, can be you be humble, that get you a job afterwards.

DD is at WHS in top year now and it's in my view A LOT of work and there are many extra curricula things to keep you very very busy too that are fulfilling in a much broader way than just education that are great for putting on UCAS form.

At the end of Year 6 there's a small flight to Tiffin Girls at WHS some years. If you want more of a push, maybe go there. They got 72% A star and A grades this summer. It's a long way from the station though and a very different kind of environment.

Or you can jump to Kings sixth form. They got 87% A star and A this summer. Your bright child will do well anywhere. They really don't need to jump through thousands of hoops.

WHS got 81% A and A star and Westminster 89% but WHS lose a fair few at sixth form and Westminster ship in a ton of very bright ones so WHS seems to compare favourably.
OP- you say your DD isn't very disciplined etc so it may be that your values just don't align with WHS as I suspect their Prep is more about nurturing at age 7 rather than academic discipline. It may be that you won't find that in another girls school though- they do tend to be gentler and girls are often harder on themselves.

@alexaisthedevil I stand corrected. So WHS got 81% A star and A at A-Levels.

Thank you. OP ignore my previous comment about 50%. That was wrong.

WHS are a very strong academic school.

I think it is admirable that you want your DD to have the same exposure of education and knowledge as her brother. I hope both have a fruitful journey and academic years that suit their personalities.

My DD is at the prep of a very academic all through girls' school (stupid high grades and uni destinations come sixth form).

They're very open about the fact that they don't push them as hard as some of the standalone prep schools, because no one is going to test them externally until they're 16. They don't need to be years ahead at 7 which won't actually translate to good exam results, so they have the luxury to do more sport / forrest school / whatever.

I don't know WHS, but I wonder if it's the same ethos?

Every year these through schools such as Wimbledon, Putney or LEH lose some of the brightest girls to the grammar (Tiffin) and the Hammersmith schools. To be frank there aren’t really academically strong preps nearby that would make much of a difference, unless your DD has a place at somewhere like Bute House. The prep head won’t be able to do much for the top schools though, it’s your DD who just needs to perform well. You can always add tutoring on top of her current education and achieve similar results.

WHS is a very good school. A very bright girl might want to “upgrade” (I mean this in the narrowest sense) to SPGS or maybe Godolphin. But you could go to Bute and end up at WHS/PHS anyway with a lot of stress under your belt. I think there is a lot in the fact that girls schools ramp up a bit later than boys particularly because of the legacy of the 7+ on the boys side.

are you in time to sit at Bute for 7+. If so, maybe (though not sure). I definitely wouldn’t transfer to a 4-11 place like Kensington/Falkner/Glendower and add new girl stress to the whole thing as well.

I am not sure the Westminster comparison is a very fair one. There isn’t really a girls’ prep equivalent to WUS. Bute won’t be that.

i’d be tempted to leave where is and add stretch at home if needed. You can sit for Westminster and St Paul’s fine from WHS juniors.

I have found that WHS are in no particular rush to speed up the learning in the younger years. The focus is more on quality than quantity/pace/pressure. The slower girls are given fair support and most girls thrive. In years 5/6 they are streamed for Maths which is when things step up. Things get more focussed in senior school. So really in juniors the girls are just getting their foundations in place, which might be a more relaxed way of getting to the same outcome by GCSEs. I would suggest you stay put and tutor her for 11+ if you want to move to another school.

I agree with this and my previous post may be unclear. Girls schools don't need to always push in the same way. Often girls are self motivated and need the pressure off and boys need it on! If you look at results, girls schools get the top grades often without the 'push'.

I know my friend rates her girls school as they aren't about cramming but are big on deep understanding. Something like her son knows all his timetables to 12 flawlessly by year 2 and can recite them quickly. Her daughter at same age hasn't got to 8, 9 or 12 tables but knows how to work out 14 x 4 as she gets the concept of what multiplication is. In the long term the second approach is more likely to produce a capable mathematician.

The difference is more some schools are more selective so the cohort will be capable of more challenging stuff. WHS is definitely selective so you're in a good place.

Thanks everywhere for your replies, I am extremely appreciative.

@happy2025 , @PercyFone , @WestLonMom : thanks all for your helpful perspectives on positive differences in girls schools, that's really helpful, and gives me comfort.

@HawaiiWake : thanks for your kind words. absolutely!

@alexaisthedevil helpful to know that the prep headteacher relationship isn't that big a deal. that was my biggest worry seeing the high proportion of girls going to the senior schools from there.