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KEFW and girls

Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:44 pm
by PollyP
I've been slightly concerned about what I've heard about the low ratio of girls to boys at KEFW. Our dd would prefer an all girls' school in an ideal world but KEFW is so much more convenient for our neck of the woods, because of transport. Our dd is fairly quiet and sweet-natured, not sure whether she would thrive there or be overwhelmed. I'd be grateful to hear of anyone's thoughts or experiences. I'm sure it's a fab school and we'd be thrilled if she passes to get in anyway.

Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 5:53 pm
by fm
The school always quotes a ratio of 40:60 if you ask on open days but I believe they are not being altogether straightforward. This may be the ratio when the sixth form is included because a considerable number of new girls appear for the sixth form--often girls from other grammars or high performers in their comprehensives.
My elder daughter was in the second year of girls and it had gone up to be 50 to 150. The next year there was almost equal amounts, then it began to dwindle.
A girl pupil from 2 years ago put the number at 20% when I asked her. However, they don't appear to evenly spread them so you might ask one child and they say there are 12 girls in their class and another there might be only 4, as was the case with my daughter.
Last year 3 of my girl pupils opted for Five Ways and they were all very confident, assertive girls. In fact, my daughter who had wanted to opt for Five Ways initially was glad she didn't in the end.
I think any child is lucky to gain entry to any of the KE schools; however, they are certainly not interchangable.

Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:00 pm
by KenR
Hi PollyP

My son is in year 9 at at 5-ways. I remember doing a staw poll last year amongst some of his local friends in different classes in the same year and the average seemed to be about 7-8 girls per class (of 25), although as fm says this does vary year on year.

I have to say that I wouldn't worry about your daughter settling in to 5-ways; the school is really excellent in that respect, particularly for children who are somewhat quiet. We have been particularly impressed with the way the 6th formers and older children look after the year 7s. We have spoken to many parents whose children have gone through the school and they all seem to confirm this.

Worthwhile phoning up the admissions office at the school or the foundation office and asking how many girls were admitted last year?

Regards

Ken

Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:21 pm
by PollyP
Thanks so much, I find this forum so helpful, especially as we know nobody else going through this process locally.
It's good to know there is excellent pastoral care at FW, as this wasn't particularly emphasized at the open evening.

Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:23 pm
by KES Parent
I get the impression that they particularly value girls at Five Ways, and not only because they have done so much to improve the exam results from when it was a rather indifferent boys' only grammar school. It does seem like a very happy school, and is really rather unique in being a mixed sex grammar school. It is definitely the one I would choose if I had a daughter taking the 11+ now.

Re: KEFW and girls

Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 10:18 am
by serialtester
PollyP wrote:I've been slightly concerned about what I've heard about the low ratio of girls to boys at KEFW. Our dd would prefer an all girls' school in an ideal world but KEFW is so much more convenient for our neck of the woods, because of transport. Our dd is fairly quiet and sweet-natured, not sure whether she would thrive there or be overwhelmed. I'd be grateful to hear of anyone's thoughts or experiences. I'm sure it's a fab school and we'd be thrilled if she passes to get in anyway.
I've got a Y7 daughter in 5 ways. She is pretty quiet and shy.

In each of the forms (of 25 kids) there are 5 girls. I've found that it's helped them 'bond' because there are so few of them they have all had to just get along with each other!