SGS vs WCGS vs Tiffin vs Graveney-Help needed please-thanks

[KeB]

Hi there,

We are torturing ourselves with prioritising these schools for the CAF due on Sat 31st. we have not seen any of these schools apart from Graveney as we didn't think our son would actually pass (he developed lately), and also had not realised there was only one and only open day !

Our son is very sporty, loves football, cricket, tennis, swimming, cycling, table tennis...currently interested in rugby. he has some talent for music - but his interest in it varies up or down.

English is an additional language for us as we're from continental Europe, ie White European as they say.

He would be travelling out of Clapham Junction. SGS and Tiffin have fast trains out of there. no fast train for WCGS and slightly longer walk station to school. Graveney is much closer but the bus is so slow that it is about the same timewise. I also don't think he will pass Graveney as VR/NVR not his thing.

We're not driven by academics, but we'd love as friendly and supportive an environment as possible, support, lots of extra-curricular (he's a good all rounder) where he can continue developing.

if you have a DS at any of those schools, please help !!!

Thanks so much in advance.

[Peridot]

I can only speak for Tiffin as I don't know the other schools. My son is having an excellent, academically and pastorally supportive education there, with great sport, music and drama opportunities. Boys can take Dance GCSE; they have a boathouse and take rowing as seriously as rugby and cricket. Basketball, tennis, badminton, cross country all available. No football though apart from house football. The house system encourages competition across all fields.
My son has friends across many nationalities and colours - including quite a few European white ones with at least two languages spoken at home!
In the end though, I'd prioritise the school with the shortest and easiest journey. Imagine a scenario where the train from clapham is cancelled. How would your son get to school then? Is there an alternative.

[KeB]

Hi !

Thanks for your feedback, it sounds amazing. wow.

Commuting is a worry indeed, there are various trains options to the all of the grammars so one would hope they don't get all cancelled at once, but hey there are always the signal failures at CJ possibly grgr. Graveney is the only one we would drive to, if we didn't have a choice.

Tiffin is probably the shortest journey, at any time of the da, any day of the week.

any other thoughts ?

Thanks everyone

[PurpleDuck]

Given the deadline for CAF submission is 31 October, you have tomorrow morning to try out an early morning commute to a couple of schools you are considering, to see whether this is what you would like your DS to do. Trains do get delayed, especially in winter. Boys get penalised (detention) for being late for school. Given they are all excellent schools, I would go for the one which is easiest to get to, e.g. if there is a problem with a train, he could go by bus and still get there on time.

[pooziepuzzle]

My DS is at WCGS and travels by train to Hackbridge. Lots of Wally boys on the train. Easy walk through the park. What station is it from CJ? Hackbridge? It's closer than Wallington station.

Very happy with the school. Small, friendly, good pastoral care. My DS loves sport and is very involved at school. They love love their rugby so good if your DS interested in that.

All the grammars you list are great schools. WCGS and Sutton are smaller whilst Wilsons a bigger school and larger intake.

I've visited Graveney many times over the years but it's never felt right for any of my children to be honest.

[KeB]

My DS is at WCGS and travels by train to Hackbridge. Lots of Wally boys on the train. Easy walk through the park. What station is it from CJ? Hackbridge? It's closer than Wallington station.

Very happy with the school. Small, friendly, good pastoral care. My DS loves sport and is very involved at school. They love love their rugby so good if your DS interested in that.

I've visited Graveney many times over the years but it's never felt right for any of my children to be honest.

thanks so much Pooziepuzzle.

Choice from Clapham Junction to WCGS is hackbridge (fast train) or Wallington (slow train). thank you for telling me about the walk from hackbridge to school. I have only done the wallington one. that's very reassuring and saving 15mn on train journey (16mn vs 32mn) ! can I ask what train does he get ? i.e. at what time does it get into hackbridge ?

I understand WCGS try and put the boys together in house who can commute together ? is that true?

Graveney is very big, what I like about it is that it is co-ed and closer to us. also all the children we know in the extension highly rate their school. can only give credit for that. but I can see why it's not as appealing as the other grammars.

SGS : I have realised that our ds might be late with the fast train to Sutton in the morning.

thanks thousand.

[KeB]

thanks Purpleduck.
but guess what ? we are oversea to support family this week, of course ... I even emailed the schools before we found out to see if we could have a sneak peek, but to no avail.

[pooziepuzzle]

My DS gets into Hackbridge at 7.42am. It's about a 15 min walk through the park, but a nice walk. He gets to school about 8, likes being early. Next train he could get arrives at Hackbridge at 7.55, still time to get to school. It's def a nicer, quicker walk than from Wallington.

[pooziepuzzle]

And lots of boys walk from Hackbridge. Yes WCGS put boys in the same house/form from similar area/postcode so they straight away make friends with bolts they will travel with. WCGS do a family barbecue, a morning of rugby and a 4 day school induction whilst boys are still in year 6. The boys have already formed friendships before day one!

[pooziepuzzle]

Boys, not bolts!!