Deciding between Kingston Grammar (KGS), Emmanuel and Whitgift

[Sssssss123]

Hello
My son has had offers from the above schools and we are trying to narrow it down. He's joining in Year 7. He's academic but also sporty.

To us Kingston seems to be the best academically (Emmanuel is too). I am interested in hearing about the pastoral care and experiences of current students at Kingston Grammar School.

I know their pastoral care is meant to be excellent—honestly, I’ve been asking around about their reputation and I’ve heard nothing but good things, which is so reassuring.

We’re in a very fortunate position with a few other offers, including KGS, so we’re currently weighing everything up! We are very much inclined towards KGS for now, but we’re looking forward to the offer holder days to get a proper feel for the place and see where she’d be happiest.

Honestly I would just look at the transport options and choose the shortest/quickest from your home.
All are good schools with good sports offerings. If your DS is really talented (significantly above 1st team level) he will be playing with academy/excellence programs outside school anyway.
There are always nightmare stories about pastoral care, bullying, drugs, drinking sex etc. But these things are present in all schools at various times - because they are filled with teenagers. It would be difficult for a London school to survive if they systematically failed to deal with these issues as they arise.

Yes, we're visiting the school on Friday morning but I am also leaning more towards Kingston Grammar School.

My DD has been in fourth year (year 10) since September after we moved back to London after living abroad. My DS has just received an offer for KGS, amongst other academic schools, and we’re over the moon to be able to send him there this coming September.
We had heard fantastic things about the school before my DD joined, as friends of hers had been there since year 7, and I have to say it has totally lived up to our expectations.
The girls and boys have all been lovely, welcoming, down to earth and fun.
The teaching has been excellent and the leadership team have been very vigilant in terms of ensuring my DD has been sufficiently stretched (e.g. moving her up in science sets and encouraging her to take further maths GCSE). This was unexpected but very welcome!
Overall, whilst we haven’t been there very long, I can’t recommend it highly enough. I’m really happy to be sending my DS there alongside my DD.

There is quite a significant geographical difference between Whitgift and KGS. How long your DS is willing to travel for may have an impact on where he'd be happy? If your son is sporty, are you willing to drive your DS to sports events at the school on weekends?

Hello, I wondered whether either of you @Etva @Sssssss123 had many any decisions after offer holder days? We like KGS a lot, but Emanuel is closer. Really struggling to decide, they both seem good. KGS came across as more... nerdy/wholesome (didn't see anyone with lots of make up on or very rolled-up skirts), but also slightly put off by the small and old sports hall - and onsite sports provision in general at KGS (e.g. no gym with strength/conditioning offering) doesn't compare favourably.

@MunchkinJ just chipping in as a KGS parent here :-). DD was doing some of the offer holders tours yesterday apparently. I think your impression that KGS has a higher share of nerdy / down to earth children vs make up / tik tok kids is right, I am very happy with the overall profile. You will have all types at all schools, but the percentages differ. I wouldn't really worry about the sports at all, the Ditton field site is great and has a gym / S&C etc, they take them there and back by bus, it is just 15min away.
Even at Emanuel they will need to be bused to Raynes Park for hockey and the like, it is not all on site either. There is plenty of excellent sport at KGS and the coaching staff are very good. The sports hall is just for some PE lessons, while all games sessions and some PE lessons as well as all the afterschool clubs are held at Ditton Field which is spacious and lovely. Good luck with the decision! You can't go wrong with either school. DD has some friends at Emanuel who are also very happy, but they are a bit "cooler" overall perhaps, just on average, that is probably what you observed.

Emanuel has plenty of space on site for games/rugby/cricket, hockey, netball as well as huge sports hall, Gym, rowing machines etc all on the main school site. It is a rather green and spacious school site with open spaces throughout, which is quite amazing being walking distance from Clapham Junction. the younger years are allowed to take their break on the Headmaster's lawn which allows for a run around and there is the peaceful/quiet area.

We are pretty much equal travel time between the three schools above.

I observed the same thing as you. Kids seem very down to earth. I am very impressed with their phone policy. Actively discouraging kids to have smart phones which i feel contributes to them being down to earth. Having seen the negatives of kids this age with phones through my DD friends I am glad.

I really liked that KGS had a variety of kids on the panel not just outgoing kids, but also ones who need a few seconds to think through their answers. I think it shows they open up opportunities to everyone.

I agree that the lack of green space and sports facilities is apparent in KGS compared to the other schools but to me that is the only downside I observed.

Emmanuel is also doing building work for a few years so I thought that could be disruptive.

I think the commute is a really important part of their school life. If we lived a lot closer to Emmanuel I feel that would be my choice given they are similar on all other areas.

@Sssssss123 sorry I am a bit confused about the phone policy… which school’s phone policy do you like and would you mind elaborating a little more the details please? I plan to buy my DD a brick phone but worried if she would look weird if everyone else has an iPhone.

@MunchkinJ we are deciding between LEH and KGS… we actually got offers from Latymer Upper and Wimbledon High as well but LEH and KGS are the closest… I think coed schools are more fun and there will be less cliques among the girls.. I like the idea that all year 7 pupils know each other from afresh as there’s no prep school too. But we also worry whether we should give our DD the best academic environment—-seems LEH rank higher on the league table… it’s such a hard decision to make!

Sorry I should have been clearer, KGS is the one that has a strict no phone policy. They actively discourage smart phones and encourage brick phones. They have a strict policy of not using phones in school. I am also buying my DS a brick phone.
They also try to stop class WhatsApp groups etc.

My DD considered WHS and we really liked it there. She got a local grammar so we didn't accept but WHS is very impressive. I don't know much about the other two schools you mentioned so can't comment. I personally would pick WHS over KGS but agree commute time/preference for coed need to be considered too.

@Etva hi, our son also got Latymer Upper. We have found it really hard ruling it out given it’s ranked higher, but some of the Mumsnet posts about the school put us off. My daughter is in Y3 at PHS juniors and it’s already a bit cliquey, we are hoping to move her at 11+ also.

My son woke up this morning and said he thinks he wants to go to KGS, so I think we’re leaning that way now!

Emanuel has no smart phones allowed into school for year 6,7,8. for older years it's straight in the lockers, the form tutor checks in the morning when register is done. Straight Headmaster Master's detention if caught without a good reason.

That’s exciting @MunchkinJ! Hopefully both our DSs will be joining KGS together in September.

Regarding the other points, my year 10 DD confirmed it’s definitely a more down to earth / nerdy vibe which we all love (secret nerd family!).

Can also confirm that the mobile phone policy at KGS works in real life. My DD can use it before / after school in case travel plans change but no one is using theirs in school.

That’s really good to hear, phone policy is a major deciding factor for us!

Have KGS changed their phone policy? I remember a couple of years ago they were the outlier, still allowing phones when most other schools had them locked away in lockers/ yonder pouches etc? My friend said her daughter and friends were on it every break time and lunch time. Good that they’ve cracked down now!

Yes, they don’t make the kids lock them away in anything other than their own bags. But there are now stiff penalties for breaking the rule and, from what I’ve heard, the approach is working.

Does anyone know the Whitgift phone policy?

We have just been to the Latymer upper sport ground visit day. I like it but as we have a younger daughter who is not sporty and quite laid back, I think KGS will be more suitable for both girls.

so I hope we will see each other in KGS! (Tiffin girls result will be out on Monday but we will not choose it anyway), @firsttrax @MunchkinJ wish our DD and DS the best in the secondary school years!

At the open day I was told that they are allowed to keep them with them all day :/

https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1759148597/whitgiftcouk/gcwgbmu9tdj28jzg225c/MobileDevicesAcceptableUsePolicy2024-2025.pdf

The policy suggests that kids aren't allowed to use phones at school however it would be good to know if that's enforced?

We were in similar situation with LEH WHS SHS and KGS and had the same worry about the league table but we decided to go for KGS! DD has made up her mind on KGS after the offer holder

@mitaka congratulations to your DD and hope to see you in coming parent events! XX

Just to add to this that I spoke to the teacher who did our interview at Whitgift and he confirmed that phones are not allowed to be out during school time. This is basically the same as the KGS policy but I think the difference is that kgs actively discourage smart phones.

Congrats to both you and @Etva! Looking forward to being in the same parent community!