Rochester Grammar or Gravesend?

jnadams2 · Post by **jnadams2** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 12:24 pm

My dd has passed the kent test and I'm confident with her scores that she will be offered a place at Gravesend Grammar school for girls as we only live a couple of miles away. My problem is, after visiting the school this week, I'm not sure it's the school for her. I simply wasn't impressed, not sure why really, always thought it would be the school for her. My ds is currently in year 10 at gravesend grammar and doing great.

On the same day that I visited Gravesend I also visited Rochester Grammar and was really impressed. I loved the facilities and the whole ethos of the school!! My dd wants to go to Gravesend as she has lots of friends who have passed and are likely to go there, as for Rochester she has only one friend that may go there. Really not sure what to do, going back to RGS in a week or so with my daughter, obviously need to find out whether she's passed the Medway 11+ 1st.

Anyone got any advice, or comments on these 2 schools please.

orangebear4 · Post by **orangebear4** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 1:22 pm

You must have been at RGS the same time as us. We loved the school, particularly the strong ethos, good manners, support network, and of course academic achievement. However the query for us is the music, which we need to know more about.
My DD will be the only one from her school to go there, if she does. The girl who showed us round said they separate children into different houses if they go there from the same primary school, and they have vertical tutor groups across all year groups, who belong to the same house. Therefore girls would only see others they knew in some lessons I presume. Its supposed to encourage new friendships, and a good support network.

jnadams2 · Post by **jnadams2** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 5:28 pm

orangebear4

I visited RGS on Thursday afternoon from 2 to 3. Really impressed. I'm sure my daughter would settle in well there and I know that the friends she has now probably won't be in her form were she to go to Gravesend. My ds has nothing to do with his old primary school friends. I've convinced my dd to have an 'open mind' when we return to RGS on 4th November.

Fingers crossed she'll pass the Medway 11+.

Do you know what the pass rate will be?

Chukka · Post by **Chukka** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 5:48 pm

My DD went to RGS last year and has really enjoyed her first year there. In terms of music, there are pleny of choirs and various ensembles. The 2 music concerts last year were excellent and very varied ranginf from mozart to rock bands! In terms of vertical tutoring my dd didn't have any of her old school friends in the form - but this has not been an issue and has made plenty of friends older than her. All in we are very pleased with the school - its achievements speak for themselves - my only poor comment would be that the admin (communication) with parents isn't always brilliant. However that is a small price to pay. Good luck. My youngest has just passed the Kent and is now waiting the result of Medway.

fairwaydad · Post by **fairwaydad** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:25 am

Hi jnadams2,
We have a similar conundrum to you. Based in Gravesend but not particularly enthused by Girls Grammar. My wife went there (and I went to Boys) but it left us a bit underwhelmed last Thursday am. Our daughter knew lots of pupils already there via ballet, horse riding etc so she kept having friends saying hi as we walked round the school. It just had a feeling that we're a grammar school so we don't need to make an effort to impress. We then went back to RGS pm - daughter had been there for weekend taster session last month - and we all loved it. Despite fact that she doesn't know anyone at RGS DD is really keen on it. Now we're just keeping fingers crossed for Medway results. Did very well in Kent test but we're not counting our chickens yet!

BTW guess you already know but there is a bus that runs down to RGS from Lion Garage. Good luck in making your decision. Who knows our two could both get there and become friends.

orangebear4 · Post by **orangebear4** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 3:44 pm

Hi jnadams2,
You mentioned on 4 November you were going back to RGS. Do you have a private appointment, or is it an open session. I can only find 8 Nov on their website, which, of course is too late for us Kent residents. Not sure about pass mark, but someone on here has mentioned 543(?) as being last year's lowest score to be accepted there.
To me this seems quite low considering they take from highest scores, especially when you think its out of 700, but this may just be an ignorant Kent resident talking! I suppose there is more margin of error in the extended writing task than in the Kent tests.

medwaymum · Post by **medwaymum** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 5:05 pm

Orangebear - that is roughly about right the cut off score for RGS. The year before I even knew somebody who got lower and appealed to get in and did.
Historically for the last few years it has only been about 10-40 points above the 'pass' mark for the RGS cut off.

jnadams2 · Post by **jnadams2** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:16 pm

Hi Fairwaydad

We also felt that at Gravesend Grammar no effort was being made to impress us!! Also like your dd our dd was constantly bumping into friends from school etc. Our dd also attended the 'bridging the gap' morning at RGS in September and loved it. We're hoping that our visit on 4th November will remind her just how much! Really hoping that we get the result we need on Saturday! Fingers crossed for you too.

Thanks for the information regarding the bus!

jnadams2 · Post by **jnadams2** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:20 pm

Hi orangebear4

I phoned RGS believing that I would have to arrange a private but this was not necessary as they have tours taking place, I had the choice of any morning as I was apparently the first to phone! Hardly surprising as it wasn't in the booklet.

Good luck for Saturday.