TGS v Weald - which would you choose?
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Re: TGS v Weald - which would you choose?
If you had twins,one with a score high enough to get into TOGS and the other 386,would you send both to Weald or one to each of the schools?They had prep for the test from April.
They are happy to go to the same school,and my husband and I would rather they did too.They want to be separated within the school,which can happen easy enough,to make their own friends etc,but just like the comfort of knowing the other is there.
Would I be doing the twin who could go to TOGS an injustice by sending her to Weald as she is naturally extremely able?Has anybody else chosen TOGS over Weald for such a child,and if so was it the right decision?
Any opinions welcome!Thanks
They are happy to go to the same school,and my husband and I would rather they did too.They want to be separated within the school,which can happen easy enough,to make their own friends etc,but just like the comfort of knowing the other is there.
Would I be doing the twin who could go to TOGS an injustice by sending her to Weald as she is naturally extremely able?Has anybody else chosen TOGS over Weald for such a child,and if so was it the right decision?
Any opinions welcome!Thanks
Re: TGS v Weald - which would you choose?
Hi Maddiebean,
Sorry to highjack your thread,but did you make a decision?I just wanted my twins to both pass the 11+,now the scores bring another dilema!!
Sorry to highjack your thread,but did you make a decision?I just wanted my twins to both pass the 11+,now the scores bring another dilema!!
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Maddiebean
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Re: TGS v Weald - which would you choose?
LOL! There's always some sort of dilema about this process isn't there?! Yours being even more tricky than most!
We are going to make our decision after the open mornings next week.
FWIW though, I have a friend whose daughter (in area) scored around 420 a couple of years ago. She chose Weald over TGS as she felt it was a better fit for her daughter. Her daughter is really enjoying it there and my friend (who is involved in education herself) is very happy with the school. I've seen both schools and would be happy for my dd to go to either one. My dd hasn't seen either yet so it'll be interesting to hear what she thinks. We're only wrangling with our decision as to order on the form really. We are out of area (by about a mile!) but as dd got a score above the out of area cut off for the last few years we think it is more likely that she will get TGS than Weald, who go purely on distance.
Also, a friend who has two dds at TGS was telling me that one of the girl's primary school friends had chosen Weald because it was the 'easy' option but on discussion they worked out the Weald girl was getting more homework at that time!
Basically they are both good schools with good results. If your daughters want to be together (and let's face it on the logistics front it will be so much easier if they are!) then I wouldn't hesitate to send them both to Weald. They will stream and cater for both abilities and lets face it, they're not going to let the abilities of a very able child go unnoticed, they have league tables and Ofsted to contend with, not to mention they now want the new grammar annex <cynical>
We are going to make our decision after the open mornings next week.
FWIW though, I have a friend whose daughter (in area) scored around 420 a couple of years ago. She chose Weald over TGS as she felt it was a better fit for her daughter. Her daughter is really enjoying it there and my friend (who is involved in education herself) is very happy with the school. I've seen both schools and would be happy for my dd to go to either one. My dd hasn't seen either yet so it'll be interesting to hear what she thinks. We're only wrangling with our decision as to order on the form really. We are out of area (by about a mile!) but as dd got a score above the out of area cut off for the last few years we think it is more likely that she will get TGS than Weald, who go purely on distance.
Also, a friend who has two dds at TGS was telling me that one of the girl's primary school friends had chosen Weald because it was the 'easy' option but on discussion they worked out the Weald girl was getting more homework at that time!
Basically they are both good schools with good results. If your daughters want to be together (and let's face it on the logistics front it will be so much easier if they are!) then I wouldn't hesitate to send them both to Weald. They will stream and cater for both abilities and lets face it, they're not going to let the abilities of a very able child go unnoticed, they have league tables and Ofsted to contend with, not to mention they now want the new grammar annex <cynical>
Re: TGS v Weald - which would you choose?
Thank you very much Maddiebean,you have made me feel a lot more relaxed about sending them both to Weald.Not many people understand that it will be easier (for me!) to have them in the same school,as I also have a son who will be going into senior school 2 years after,which will be a third school!
I had sleepless nights before the results came out,and now I'm fretting over this!
The problem now is if we should even look at TOGS?What if they both like it and it's only possible for the higher scoring daughter to go?It will be so hard to tell her sister that it's not an option for her.
Do let me know what you decide.
I had sleepless nights before the results came out,and now I'm fretting over this!
The problem now is if we should even look at TOGS?What if they both like it and it's only possible for the higher scoring daughter to go?It will be so hard to tell her sister that it's not an option for her.
Do let me know what you decide.
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Maddiebean
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Re: TGS v Weald - which would you choose?
I will!
Honestly, I think I would not go to TGS. If it is only an option for one dd you are risking the other one falling for it (and no doubt for a spurious reason like 'they have chinchillas' or 'the girl showing us round was really funny'
) and then you have to either give in and have two daughters in different schools (not fun when parents evenings/school performances clash and then you throw another school for your ds in the mix - you risk not having enough of you to be at an important events unless you start drafting in grandparents as substitutes 
) or you have to say to the one who likes TGS 'sorry, your opinion doesn't count' if she says she loves it and wants to go there.
They've said they want to go together, they can't do that at TGS so in my mind TGS is not an option. Don't forget a) lots of children get no choice, it's local (crap) school or nothing b) Weald is a great school!
Lecture over!!
Honestly, I think I would not go to TGS. If it is only an option for one dd you are risking the other one falling for it (and no doubt for a spurious reason like 'they have chinchillas' or 'the girl showing us round was really funny'
) and then you have to either give in and have two daughters in different schools (not fun when parents evenings/school performances clash and then you throw another school for your ds in the mix - you risk not having enough of you to be at an important events unless you start drafting in grandparents as substitutes ) or you have to say to the one who likes TGS 'sorry, your opinion doesn't count' if she says she loves it and wants to go there. They've said they want to go together, they can't do that at TGS so in my mind TGS is not an option. Don't forget a) lots of children get no choice, it's local (crap) school or nothing b) Weald is a great school!
Lecture over!!
Re: TGS v Weald - which would you choose?
Thanks again Maddiebean.You are 100% right;think I just needed to hear it from somebody who is not involved.My husband and I share the same opinion,but quite a lot of people have made me feel (unintentionaly I guess) that I am just thinking of the best for the twin with the lesser score,and that the twin with the higher score is wasting her chance to go to TOGS.
Also,funny you should mention chinchillas,but I know that seeing any form of pet at TOGS will make both girls fall in love with it (so shallow,lol),and they did have pets last year when we visited there.I think it would have a more negative effect for life on a child being told she can't go to a school she falls in love with because her score isn't high enough than a child being made to 'suffer' going to a non super selective school for the sake of her sister.The last thing we want is any kind of resentment between the 2 of them.Would be much easier if they were boy/ girl twins!
And you are right about being very lucky to have the choice of a briliant school such as Weald.So we will look at Weald Tuesday,and forget TOGS.
All the very best to your daughter,and i would love to know what you both decide.
Also,funny you should mention chinchillas,but I know that seeing any form of pet at TOGS will make both girls fall in love with it (so shallow,lol),and they did have pets last year when we visited there.I think it would have a more negative effect for life on a child being told she can't go to a school she falls in love with because her score isn't high enough than a child being made to 'suffer' going to a non super selective school for the sake of her sister.The last thing we want is any kind of resentment between the 2 of them.Would be much easier if they were boy/ girl twins!
And you are right about being very lucky to have the choice of a briliant school such as Weald.So we will look at Weald Tuesday,and forget TOGS.
All the very best to your daughter,and i would love to know what you both decide.
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Maddiebean
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Re: TGS v Weald - which would you choose?
I'll see you at Weald Tuesday morning! I'll keep an eye out for a woman with twins looking for every positive ('Look girls, what an absolutely smashing fire escape route poster, wouldn't you just love to come here...')
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Maddiebean
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Re: TGS v Weald - which would you choose?
Hey Chococat,
What did your girls think of Weald? Dd loved it. Although she thought the head teacher's speech was "really boring" From what I remember last year, hers was one of the better ones so dd's really going to enjoy the one at TGS I thought the two pupils who spoke were excellent, a great reflection of the school.
Hopefully your twins loved it too.
What did your girls think of Weald? Dd loved it. Although she thought the head teacher's speech was "really boring"
From what I remember last year, hers was one of the better ones so dd's really going to enjoy the one at TGS I thought the two pupils who spoke were excellent, a great reflection of the school. Hopefully your twins loved it too.
Re: TGS v Weald - which would you choose?
Hello Maddiebean.
My girls loved it there,although we didn't stay for the talk as I was there on Friday.The girls that gave the speeches were amazing!I am putting Weald down as their first choice,and though we are 9 miles away we are within catchment so girls from here usually get a place.
I looked at Togs last year,and though that too is a wonderful school,I truly feel that Weald will suit them both better.
If your daughter thought the Weald headteachers speech was boring,from what I remember last year the Togs one went on for even longer!
Good luck in making a decision...keep me updated!
My girls loved it there,although we didn't stay for the talk as I was there on Friday.The girls that gave the speeches were amazing!I am putting Weald down as their first choice,and though we are 9 miles away we are within catchment so girls from here usually get a place.
I looked at Togs last year,and though that too is a wonderful school,I truly feel that Weald will suit them both better.
If your daughter thought the Weald headteachers speech was boring,from what I remember last year the Togs one went on for even longer!
Good luck in making a decision...keep me updated!
Re: TGS v Weald - which would you choose?
sorry to butt in your thread 
My DD score high enough to go to TGS but I am not even considering it...simply because I think it is too far and I am not going to start feeling bad because people are making feel as if I am handicapping her by not sending her to a superselective just because she scored full marks...good on you chococat for choosing what you think is the best option for your girls
My DD currently attend primary in Tonbridge (don't ask why...long story )...take us about 40 minutes every morning to drop our DCs to school then go to work in the opposite direction...Our struggle at the moment is... Is it going to be Invicta or Rochester Grammar (DD took Medway test too and passed with high scores too)...It is closer to go to RGS than TGS and Invicta is a lovely school....so decision is not going to be easy as DD loved both schools! Now I wish she hadn't taken the Medway test....decision would have been very easy
I have friends who are teachers and have their DDs at Weald and their daughters are loving it. One daughter came to Weald from an Independent school and scored full marks but chose Weald over TGS...she got her GCSE results in August and she got loads of As, A* and a couple of Bs....And she she just started 6th Form at Weald!
I am sure your daughters will love it there.
My DD score high enough to go to TGS but I am not even considering it...simply because I think it is too far and I am not going to start feeling bad because people are making feel as if I am handicapping her by not sending her to a superselective just because she scored full marks...good on you chococat for choosing what you think is the best option for your girls
My DD currently attend primary in Tonbridge (don't ask why...long story
)...take us about 40 minutes every morning to drop our DCs to school then go to work in the opposite direction...Our struggle at the moment is... Is it going to be Invicta or Rochester Grammar (DD took Medway test too and passed with high scores too)...It is closer to go to RGS than TGS and Invicta is a lovely school....so decision is not going to be easy as DD loved both schools! Now I wish she hadn't taken the Medway test....decision would have been very easy I have friends who are teachers and have their DDs at Weald and their daughters are loving it. One daughter came to Weald from an Independent school and scored full marks but chose Weald over TGS...she got her GCSE results in August and she got loads of As, A* and a couple of Bs....And she she just started 6th Form at Weald!
I am sure your daughters will love it there.
