DC vs CLS boys

[MellowJadeFox]

Hi all. We have been fortunate with our DS securing offers from school’s of his choice and is now down to two

1. DC with academic scholarship
2. CLS boys

if I look at just league tables and academic performance then CLS seems to be the superior choice. However DC has a much bigger intake and so the academic ability will be slightly mixed at DC. DC also look at their top 150 boys and they seem to perform at par with Westminster?
i wanted to get views on this from existing parents or anyone else who has experienced DC.
I appreciate I am only looking at one dimension for now and school is much more than that but wanted to get an idea on academics at DC especially their focus on STEM subjects vs CLS boys.
I appreciate any help.
thank you

sorry to add. The scholarship value while handy is more about the opportunities that DS can get as a scholarship holder. I know Alleyn’s seems to give a lot of focus to their scholars but not sure about DC.

What’s your son like?

What does DS think?

Yes agree, go with what your ds wants and also the sports and travel to sports ground with CLS.

He is a fairly rounded boy. He loves football (his enthusiasm makes up for lower skills), table tennis, chess . He works hard. He enjoys science. He thrives on positive influence.

This is the issue. He can’t make up his mind. He loves the DC sports facility but also like CLS for its academics. He knows the drawback of CLS is lack of space. So unfortunately even he isn’t sure yet.

I have a very academic boy at DC (15% academic scholarship) and I find that they work at a good level, lots of opportunities for the boys to challenge themselves, both with classwork and optional challenges/competitions.

What’s the daily journey like to each? Remember there will be travel to weekend sports matches, evening events, rehearsals etc too. And remember a closer school means more chance of local friends.

If journeys are equal I would probably err on the side of DC - bigger pond to give a better chance to find his tribe, and lovely huge on site green space.

Two great schools and you can’t really go wrong here.

Travel is absolutely important. But worth noting City plays sports matches during the week rather than weekend. Weekend commitments for most at City are one open day per year.

City often put out 5-6 football teams in first form so the enthusiastic but not skilled have plenty of chances to play.

Both schools will offer sufficient academic challenge, the scholars programme at DC supports various boys who compete at olympiads. DC has superior facilities and grounds. Factor in the day to day commute over 7 years, do not underestimate the stress this can cause both to you and your DS. Our DS is at DC on an academic scholarship having been offered the same at CLS. He couldn’t make up his mind. In the end we went with what worked best from a practical perspective but also the environment including facilities and grounds tilted the decision. We’ve never regretted the choice.

We are in similar position with my DD! Academic scholarship from JAGS and an offer from City of London Girls (City doesn't offer academic scholarships) - My DD really liked City so I think we will accept City offer!

Well we’ve picked Dulwich so just a bit biased. It’s a school without any compromises for us: Academics, cocurricular, pastoral, sports, location all are ✅

I've got two with academic scholarships at DC and yes, there's absolutely plenty to challenge them! Not just academically but also leading or taking part in all manner of co-curriculars. There's more than you could possibly imagine to suit every type of student, not just the standard sports and clubs - teams up to F/G so everyone can take part - but also the likes of rowing, drone-making, knitting, or additional Japanese, Arabic or Italian, as well as maths and STEM olympiads etc, to name but a few. Also, despite it being a big school, there's lots of mixing outside your child's year group, with older boys helping lead and mentor younger ones.

As someone mentioned earlier in the thread, the exam result differences may lie in the bigger intake of DC and a consequently bigger spread but there's no shortage of bright and hard-working boys there. It's easy to get fixated on league tables during the 11+ process as it's a tangible metric but in reality, both schools will offer excellent academic opportunities so I'd go with what appeals beyond academics alone. Hope this helps!

I appreciate all the replies to this thread. It has been very helpful. Thank you all for taking time out to post thoughtful responses.
We are doing all the offer day events this week so hoping we will have a decision made by end of this week.

I have a son at City (a second son at another school) and know friends at DC. Both are equally good: the difference in academic results, if any, is minimal, and by the time they finish school they may have even flipped! All the things that have been said here are good advice. One more thing to consider is the scholarship. IMO, this is a big deal, not only for the recognition and enrichment opportunities it carries whilst at school, but also has a positive influence in uni applications. This carried a weight in our decision and dont regret it.

How so re university applications? Most top unis are mainly moved by predicted grades, results in entry exams and possibly school reference/place in cohort. I dont see how a scholarship at 11 makes a difference and I have been involved in admissions at a highly regarded uni

School reference will mention scholarships, as well as leadership positions, etc. Everything matters

I would not choose a school on the off-chance that a scholarship at 11+ would matter. Well above that would be performance in the school over the years. I would however factor in the validation a child gets from receiving a scholarship, any extra opportunities and the financial impact of a scholarship

Yes, agree - I wouldnt choose based on the scholarship alone. But having similar opportunities from good schools, this IMO an important decision factor. The scholarship granted at 11 usually carries through middle and senior school if results are mantained. It is a great recognition: the scholars represent the school in external events, they have extra enrichment opportunities, etc. In some schools they wear a differenr tie, or a lapel pin. To me, this was a mire important factor in the mix than, for example, location. Now that we are approaching that stage, it will undoubtely strengthen uni applications, here and abroad (particularly at a time that there is a bit of a bias from UK unis against private schools). Scholarships are selective, in an already selective environment - they do mean something.

Completely agree with the benefits of a scholarship for the child - certainly worth thinking about. Just clarifying that 11+ scholarships dont strengthen university applications. It is a small detail but many read these threads over time and take statements at face value. I say this as someone with experience in admission and colleagues in the space. Would be interested to see evidence that it does in some unis

To the OP - worth comparing sports, academic attainment, commute, cost including scholarship and the benefits of a scholarship during school across the 2 schools and then determining which factors matter most for your child and family. ChatGpT is very good at helping you present this in a table that can help you make up your mind.

I have to disagree: it does influence positively uni applications (as many other things do!), and I say this as someone with lived experience - so I guess we are your evidence!

Thank you all for your insightful responses to this thread. It was very helpful to revisit all the offer schools again last week and helped us in making a decision. Most importantly it has helped my son make quite a clear choice now and is going with DC. Now it’s down to him to make the most of the school. It’s his choice!