SPGS 2014

[Finchley mum]

She isn't a swotty exam competitive type but she competes with herself and is so inquisitive can spend hours researching odd topics that other kids often find weird.

I have a DD like that. Obsession in Year 6 was the cultural revolution in Mao's China and she read every book she could find on it (think it initially started with Wild Swans). When asked why, she said "its like a horror story.. but its true". She even went into our local Waterstones (bookshop) and asked where their "Chinese cultural revolution misery memoir section" was. We sent her to Habs because we wanted her to continue to be herself and not feel she had to conform to a type or be an amazing all rounder - the school reassured us they were not an exam factory but they would get her up to scratch in her weaker areas and let her do as much as she liked in certain subjects where she had a particular interest/passion. It's working out so far. But to be honest, I think that is also true for SPGS, City and others schools as well. I am not sure you can go wrong with these schools.

[Daogroupie]

I agree that all these schools have academic girls but I think that SPGS is full of wealthy academic girls and City and Habs have lots of girls who are very academic but do not come from very wealthy backgrounds. My dd felt very comfortable at Habs and City but not at SPGS. It was the way the girls behaved that she did not enjoy, the staff were lovely and the music and the exams were enjoyable. It is a shame that you did not sit more than one school and give yourself the opportunity to have something to compare it with but I am sure your dd will get an offer at SPGS and do well there. DG