11 Plus Exams Forum

It's almost time to make a final decision and my dd and I are having great difficulty in choosing between CCHS and WHSG. We are going to the info afternoon for both schools but CCHS don't offer any further tours.

If anyone could help with either positive or negative information regarding these two schools, I'd be very grateful.

We live closer to CCHS and this makes me wonder if perhaps it wouldn't be better to put CCHS as our first choice?

My main concern is that if she went to WHSG, her friends would live quite far away from her and that she might have problems meeting up with them on weekends whereas if she went to CCHS, her friends would live closer.

Has this been an issue for anyone or is it such a non issue that I shouldn't even consider it?

My dd is a child who loves to get involved in school life so she will be signing up to every extra curricular opportunity that she can, she will want to go to events at school, she will want to be highly involved in the things that are offered at the school and I wonder if this would be easier for her, and for us, if she were at CCHS rather than WHSG.

The difference in miles between my house and the two schools is about 7 miles. ie WHSG is approx 7 miles further from my house than CCHS. They are both an easy travel option for dd so nothing to really choose between them there. The times that she leaves and gets home will be about the same.

If anyone has any advice to offer us, we would be very grateful!

I do realise that we are in a very privileged position to be able to choose between two such excellent schools.

If I were you I would go for CCHS based on proximity. Your dd sounds like mine in that she loves to be involved in all aspects of school life and helps out at events. You will spend the next seven years having to drop-off and pick up from extra-curricular activities so you may as well make it easier for yourself and dd. We have just had to drop ds off at Kegs this morning at 5am for a trip to Germany and I was very glad that we live fairly close to the school!

Regarding the friends issue someone with experience of WHSG will be able to advise you but at CCHS, dd's friends come from quite a wide area anyway so that should probably be less of a factor in your decision-making.

DD is at SHSG and although plenty of the girls are relatively local, as we are, many come from quite a distance. My understanding is that the proportion from outside the area tends to be higher at WHSG. Obviously, the 'spread' also makes a difference - friends may live twice as far from your home or more as either you or they do from school, if you see what I mean.

Also something to consider is whether and how much you or your OH might want to get involved in school life (Parent Association / governing body etc).

I have PMd you.