secondary school for geeky dd - help please!!

[mangochutney]

Hi

I am after some advice about secondary school for my dd. DD is very bright (i.e. would probably qualify for one of those awful gifted programmes if she didn't have sensible parents) and I therefore feel a huge pressure to get her education right. I am more worried about where she will fit in best opposed to results as I have no doubt she would come away with decent grades at any good school.

She is currently at an OK State Primary where she has been happily coasting for the last couple of years.

She is very self motivated (works loads at home), finds distraction when she is working difficult, is extremely confident/independent but can also be quite sensitive. She would also be a prime target for bullying in some schools I think. She has said she wants to go to an all girls school and yesterday said she wouldn't mind weekly boarding (I'm not sure her Dad and I could either afford this or bear to be without her all week though!!)

So to sum up all we know so far is we would like an excellent, quite strict (dd's words not mine), small girls school which celebrates learning for it's own sake and where being a bit geeky is the norm! I couldn't bear anywhere which was too snooty though or where skiing is compulsory.

If not boarding would need to be in Yorks/Derbyshire area.

Any ideas would be hugely appreciated as really don't know where to start??

Grammar School at Leeds (though is mixed now)

Bradford Girls Grammar

Harrogate Ladies

The Mount, York

???

Have you looked at The Times' "Good Schools Guide"? Available on-line or in a bookshop.

I assume you are Sheffield area if you are thinking Yorks/Derbyshire.

There is a Girls Day School Trust (GDST) school there called Sheffield High School GDST

Here are the basic detail on the ISC website:

Sheffield GDST

There is a link to the school website there and it has had a very recent ISI/ofsted inspection report.

GDST School are usually very high standard, value learning for its own sake, are cheaper than most and are day schools.

Also if you go to the ISC website you can just type in whatever place you like in the search box and it will list all the indpendent school in that area.

I know it is easy to research how good a schools results are but was really more interested to see if anyone has experience of a school in this area that might be suitable for dd. I am much more interested in the atmosphere/feel/ethos of a school than it's results - I supose it is hard as I guess it its quite subjective! Does the Good Schools guide discuss this kind of thing Cherryblossoms or is it more no. of A levels at A* etc? Will have a look at your suggestions branflake thanks although may be a bit too far to travel. We're in between Sheffield/Manchester.

Yes, it does, though it's only a couple of columns and can't possibly tell the whole story. But more than that, it's just a good place to start looking. It's built on parental recommendations, so it's not comprehensive (ie some "good" schools are not in there, along with all the "so-so" ones! - which begs a lot of questions.).

What you really need is a list of all the schools in the area and a few comments on them. Unfortunately, no-one publishes one of those! After you have an idea of what schools are around, you can start asking around and getting more specific information.

Agree that mn is as good a place to start as anywhere. Maybe a combination of GSG and mn. (And then mn for specifics!)

My DD1 switched from an OK state primary to a GDST school (all girls) in Year 7. All the league tables concentrate on exam results so you need to go along and get a feel for the place yourself. This school felt nice and friendly and DD has blossomed. Doing much better academically but, more importantly, very very happy and spends breaks climbing trees, playing games and acting like a (not very trendy) 12 year old should! GDST are not as pricey as many private schools and seem to offer good bursaries too so might be worth a look. They will have Open Days if you enquire.

Forgot to say that she travels an hour each way to school and is still delighted that we sent her there.

MangoChutney

I would say from experience dont knock the G@T label unless you have tried it - my dd is labelled it which she hates but it gets her to do extended programmes in the subjects she is G@T in, residentials, programmes with other schools and one day in house workshops - it keeps her motivated and as she is in the local State school gives her that bit of extra tuition in the subjects she is good at, by the way your description of your dd is virtually the same as mine, she is now in year 9.

I was a very geeky girl who went to an all girls' school and hated it - it was an awful shock to go from running round playing tag/elastics at breaktime to find that didn't happen anymore, and the expectation was you would "clique" off and sit and sedately chat at break. So I would keep an open mind about a single sex school - and also ask about lunchtime clubs etc - so a geeky girl has something interesting to do at lunch.

Harrogate ladies college is VERY snooty (as the name suggests)

Ashville college is a much better choice imo or gateways for girls near Leeds.

Thanks for all your advice - looking at Sheffield High, Kings, Withingtons and Hope Valley College at the mo.
Fimac1 - I have not ruled out local state school although sorry can not abide G&T label and don't really agree with this or any type of streaming by ability in schools.

I have no worries about her staying motivated and don't really see why she would need extra tuition as such but like maggotts dd, I do want her to love going to school every day.

Totalchaos - I do have some concerns as I also went to an all girls school and hated it but dd isn't me and would probably much prefer to sit sedately and chat than tear around the playground! I like the idea of Kings because teaching is single sex but all other activities are mixed.

Dr N - not sure I could send dd to any school with "ladies" in it's name

Mangochutney

If you child was at a large (1800) very mixed catchment secondary school like mine I think you might think differently - my daughter excells in the classes which she is streamed for but finds the unstreamed classes (geography, history, art and design) chaotic and unstimulating as half of the other pupils simply don't want to be there, it helps her and likewise would not be fair on the other less able pupils if they were in with more able - the speed of the teaching would vary enomously for both groups,

My dd was tagged with the G@T by the secondary school and we were not aware before this that she was - she seems very bright but her juniors had not indicated anything to us, by the streaming of ability it sets her end of year targets high(er) which makes sense to me, otherwise I think she would get 'lost' in a rather large local secondary

Fimac -

I do definitely think mixed ability classes are more challenging for teachers but if teaching is good and discipline/behaviour expectations are high in a school then I see no reason why all children shouldn't learn sucessfully together. I do realise this is a bit idealistic though and obviously doesn't work in your dds school - It's down to personal preference I guess.

I also think that academically dd will probably continue to learn a lot more out of school than she will in it so will be looking at lunchtime clubs/ethos/discipline/school size etc.

Still hate G&T label though sorry .

The school stream into ability all subjects more or less by year 9, (not G@T) the G@T do the extended programmes (which they can opt out of) subjects they are "G@T' in (she hates the label!!! as I think most of them do) but it does get to do residentials at design centres, science inter-school challenges and design studies workshops, etc so it has its advantages!

I think it's great that your dd gets these opportunities but playing devils advocate there is an argument that these opportunities should be available to all and would probably be of even more benefit to less able children. I just wonder how motivating it is for those children to perceive themselves as "not gifted or talented" but then I guess that's a whole other discussion!!

agree but many at her school would not be interested in any extended programmes if they were offered to them - even some on a recent G@T design studies off-site workshop were less than interested in the task given to them and quite happy to mess about for the whole day....

that's sad

maybe there should be a workshop for those kids who are G&T at messing around .

seriously though it seems a shame so many kids are failing to be inspired/motivated/disciplined in schools today.

Hope Valley College is a great school

silcoates? maybe too far, great school, excellent pastoral care. is mixed tho.

If you're near Manchester, Withington Girls School is very highly rated both for academic and personal development.

NB I've no direct experience of it but know people who have.

@mangochutney- so, you hate streaming by ability, and G&T programmes - but you're fine with independent schools??????