Tiffins Girls or Nonsuch High School ?

[laretta]

On the note of subjects. Nonsuch has also introduced GCSE dance as an optional out of school extra. It is run on Friday evening until 5.30 and is school funded.

[2outof3]

Modernista,

CCF is the combined cadet force which is held weekly (Tuesday) with Sutton Grammar. The girls go into school wearing cadet uniform and there is the opportunity to go on several camps a year for a very reasonable charge. If your DD enjoys outward bound type of activities, then she'll love this!

One of my DDs also has music lessons in school. Provided they are organised and let the teacher know if they have a controlled assessment or something similar (which won't affect you until at least year 10) there shouldn't be a problem missing half an hour of a lesson per week.

Good luck!

[modernista]

Wow that sounds really exciting, I am sure she will love it. Bottomline is that Nonsuch seems to offer much more beyond its excellent academics and it is very reassuring to hear it first hand rather than read it on the prospectus. Thanks a lot everyone, I feel she will be well supported!

[catcool]

My DD has just left the sixth form and I cannot fault the school it has given her 7 great years. She has the chance to move to Tiffin for 6th form but decided to stay at Nonsuch .
All girls have to take 3 sciences as separate GCSES. Has a very good classics department for those that enjoy Latin and Greek.

[suzanne]

Why dont you try out the journey at school times?

Tiffin is very strict on lateness with no allowance for public transport delays.

The policy on lateness to school:

Registration is at 8.30am and all girls must be in their form room by this time or they will be marked late.

Detentions are held every Thursday from 3.50 to 4.30 and take precedence over music, drama and PE after school activities. Detention is given for lateness to school.

3 lates = detention
6 lates = 2 week signing in with head of year
9 lates = 2 weeks signing in with SLT
12 lates = Meeting with parents, HoY & SLT
15 lates = meeting with parents & Headteacher

The number of lates will be wiped clean at the end of each term, however the severety of punishment will continue throughout the academic year.

Good luck!

[la boume]

We've got a local rumour here in Kingston that one girl in Tiffin travels from Wales! which i personally found hard to believe. Another rumour is that a girl has been transferred from Tiffin to local comp, as she found the school very pressuried.
It would be interesting to hear from the parent's of Tiffin girls, especially with the DD's in year 7, how quickly they settled, how much homework, the general atmosphere etc.

[laretta]

Modernista

A very interesting point you mention with regard to missing lessons for music. My DD now in year 10 had lessons in singing and saxophone in year 7. Her Maths teacher always showed displeasure at her missing maths lessons. Towards the end of the year they told me that she had missed too much work and they were going to be streaming her into the 3rd set of three in year 8. I knew that this was below her capabilities, but the teacher would not listen to reason - even though her test results were better than many going into the middle set - it seemed as though she was being punished by the teacher who was clearly annoyed when she missed lessons! Having stopped all lessons, it then took her most of year 8 to prove herself (with a different teacher, thank goodness) and get moved back up to the middle set. I was so upset about the whole thing and felt that I had wasted money only to damage my DD's education.

[hermanmunster]

Modernista

A very interesting point you mention with regard to missing lessons for music. My DD now in year 10 had lessons in singing and saxophone in year 7. Her Maths teacher always showed displeasure at her missing maths lessons. Towards the end of the year they told me that she had missed too much work and they were going to be streaming her into the 3rd set of three in year 8. I knew that this was below her capabilities, but the teacher would not listen to reason - even though her test results were better than many going into the middle set - it seemed as though she was being punished by the teacher who was clearly annoyed when she missed lessons! Having stopped all lessons, it then took her most of year 8 to prove herself (with a different teacher, thank goodness) and get moved back up to the middle set. I was so upset about the whole thing and felt that I had wasted money only to damage my DD's education.

sounds like we have a maths teacher who regrets never learning herself!
I think music lessons in school time is a chronic problem as to fit them in something has to be missed - some schools manage to rotate the lessons so it spreads out which lessons the kids misses others don't but then don't allow for teachers making such comments! Since senior school have only ever done music stuff out of school time - load less hassle.

Re the maths - DD had a dire teacher at her GS for maths in year 7 - lots of subtle complaints from parents but we felt we had to tread on eggshells for various reasons... They had a different teacher in year 8 and things improved and all is well and bad teacher forgotten.

[mynameisbond]

Hi la boume and everyone else - I have read all the comments with interest and I think the only way you can decide - if indeed you are lucky enough to choose between these two great schools, is to go with your gut reaction and also which your daughter prefers. I can only speak about Tiffin as our DD is now in Y8 there. She has had a fantastic time so far and we have had no complaints. The homework hasn't been too onerous, the teachers have been consistently supportive and she has made some lovely friends. It is a highly academic school, as are all the grammar schools. The Wales rumour sounds nonsense to me and I am sure that girls do move from there if they are finding it too difficult to keep up, but I am sure that is the same for all the grammars - both girls and boys. Even though there is no catchment the vast majority of girls come from south west London, Kingston, Richmond, New Malden and Twickenham. Very few travel huge distances but there are always stories suggesting this to be so. There is plenty of help and support on offer if girls are finding particular subject difficult and we have found the pastoral care to be very good - much better than we had anticipated. I don't think either school will differ in its academic expectations as they all want to maintain their league table positions - think we have to remember that! Ultimately it is down to us as parents to decide what suits our daughters best, and indeed our families. Good luck with your decision - it is so very difficult !

[la boume]

Thanks for the reply, Mynameisbond and good luck to your DS.