New Hall, Brentwood or Westcliff?

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

schoolrun
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2016 11:39 pm

New Hall, Brentwood or Westcliff?

Post by schoolrun »

If you had offers from all three schools, which would you go for? Here are some assumptions...(1) Distance is not a problem either way as equidistant between W and B and New Hall would be weekly boarding, which DC is open to. (2) DC is academic, musical and sporty and makes friends easily. (3) University is a priority for the family - Russell Group or Ivy League. Thanks
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: New Hall, Brentwood or Westcliff?

Post by Guest55 »

schoolrun wrote: .... (3) University is a priority for the family - Russell Group or Ivy League.
What about your child's wishes? What if they want to get into a career where RG unis aren't the best e.g. engineering, computer science? What if university isn't the best option e.g. retail management.

I think you need to think about keeping options open not closing them down.
schoolrun
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2016 11:39 pm

Re: New Hall, Brentwood or Westcliff?

Post by schoolrun »

Thanks.
Guest55 wrote:
schoolrun wrote: .... (3) University is a priority for the family - Russell Group or Ivy League.
What about your child's wishes? What if they want to get into a career where RG unis aren't the best e.g. engineering, computer science? What if university isn't the best option e.g. retail management.

I think you need to think about keeping options open not closing them down.
ToadMum
Posts: 11946
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: New Hall, Brentwood or Westcliff?

Post by ToadMum »

Are you talking about a son or a daughter? Is there a particular reason you have discounted the Southend High Schools? It's easier to get to SHSG than to Westcliff if you are on the Southend Vic line and an easier walk from Southend East than WHSG is from Chalkwell. And SHSB is definitely easier on the Southend Victoria line, being a ten to fifteen minute walk from Prittlewell station.

Is it a 'prestige' thing, as you already have very fixed views as to where your offspring will be allowed to consider going to university?

Both SHSG and SHSB have a better reputation than the Westcliff schools for sport and the music at SHSB in particular is very good.

Another thing to consider is that students do move for 6th form, depending on their particular interests, or just because they feel that they want a change of scenery, so personally (speaking as the mother of one who moved at sixth form, another win is currently weighing up the merits of other schools vs her own and a third who currently wants to stay wherewith is but will consider his options when the time comes) I wouldn't get too hung up on A levels before your DC is even out of primary school.

As for Brentwood, the daughter of a friend moved there from SHSG for 6th form and as far as I know has been happy there and has done well. A neighbour's DS got a sports scholarship at New Hall a few years ago, having failed the CSSE exam, and as far as I am aware has also enjoyed his time at that school.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
schoolrun
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2016 11:39 pm

Re: New Hall, Brentwood or Westcliff?

Post by schoolrun »

Thank you, Toad mum
This is a daughter. We have a coach that goes from our area to Brentwood school and another that goes to Westcliff school but getting to the south end schools takes another fifteen minutes. We were wondering about people's views, based on the schools themselves and people's experiences so your message is particularly informative, thank you.

The university preference is not a prestige thing. I don't make decisions based on prestige. It's to give her more options in life.

On visiting, I had an equally good feeling about Brentwood and New Hall with a slightly warmer feeling about New Hall pastoral care and boarding facilities. Brentwood, I felt was marginally better in terms of music and sport and it seems neither of them match up to Westcliff academically.
Apart from academics, my opinions of these schools are only based on a day's visit.
ToadMum wrote:Are you talking about a son or a daughter? Is there a particular reason you have discounted the Southend High Schools? It's easier to get to SHSG than to Westcliff if you are on the Southend Vic line and an easier walk from Southend East than WHSG is from Chalkwell. And SHSB is definitely easier on the Southend Victoria line, being a ten to fifteen minute walk from Prittlewell station.

Is it a 'prestige' thing, as you already have very fixed views as to where your offspring will be allowed to consider going to university?

Both SHSG and SHSB have a better reputation than the Westcliff schools for sport and the music at SHSB in particular is very good.

Another thing to consider is that students do move for 6th form, depending on their particular interests, or just because they feel that they want a change of scenery, so personally (speaking as the mother of one who moved at sixth form, another win is currently weighing up the merits of other schools vs her own and a third who currently wants to stay wherewith is but will consider his options when the time comes) I wouldn't get too hung up on A levels before your DC is even out of primary school.

As for Brentwood, the daughter of a friend moved there from SHSG for 6th form and as far as I know has been happy there and has done well. A neighbour's DS got a sports scholarship at New Hall a few years ago, having failed the CSSE exam, and as far as I am aware has also enjoyed his time at that school.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: New Hall, Brentwood or Westcliff?

Post by Guest55 »

schoolrun wrote:. The university preference is not a prestige thing. I don't make decisions based on prestige. It's to give her more options in life.
RG is a self-selected club - a lot of the talk is just that 'talk'. I would suggest that now some of the newer universities outrank RG in several degree areas. For example sports facilities at Bath and Loughborough are outstanding - neither is RG.

I speak as someone who has dealt with UCAS application at a GS ... you do need to look more deeply into the future career.
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: New Hall, Brentwood or Westcliff?

Post by kenyancowgirl »

As a 15+ years experience careers adviser, have to agree with Guest. If you genuinely want to keep options open for your DD, choose the most appropriate uni course for her aspirations, not for your aspirations for RG or IL. Those employers in the know have definite preferences which aren't necessarily these.

Which school seems the best fit for her personality and interests? Which made you as a family feel more comfortable? Is your DD open to, or actually happy with, the concept of boarding? There is a difference...
ToadMum
Posts: 11946
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: New Hall, Brentwood or Westcliff?

Post by ToadMum »

I have a DD currently at SHSG, her younger brother is at SHSB and her older brother attended both, so I am admittedly a bit biased :). DS1 is now at university, at the one which best fitted what he was looking for in terms of course, campus and location. And yes, it is a Russell Group one, but if the school made anything of the overall desirability of RG universities, he never mentioned this when we (certain parent input here, or we would never have got him off our hands :roll: ) were considering possible places for him to study. Probably in part because the Russell Group hadn't even invented itself when I was at university and partly because I did gently guide him towards those universities with which I had some familiarity and of all the academics I worked with from those institutions in my professional career, the term 'Russell Group' was never, ever, mentioned. By anyone. Perhaps things have changed since I left, or perhaps the Research Councils in general or just the one I worked for actually look at the candidate, not the institution.

DS2 wants to be an architect. Arguably the best place to study this is Bath and many of the institutions offering degrees validated by RIBA are to be found in former polytechnics - usually just because that's the way that the original institution where people trained to be architects in the area has evolved. DS1 is consistently within the top 10% in his year, but if where he identifies as the best place for him to go is somewhere like Oxford Brookes or NUA, then we will support his decision.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
schoolrun
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2016 11:39 pm

Re: New Hall, Brentwood or Westcliff?

Post by schoolrun »

Yes she loves the idea of boarding. Probably the Enid Blyton influence. I'm indifferent between day and boarding. There are advantages and disadvantages in both.

Yes absolutely I would expect that she'd choose an appropriate uni course for her. Some schools are better than others in giving the necessary guidance and in bringing out the child.s potential. I assume (maybe wrongly?) that if a school has a great track record for getting students into RG then getting into the others can't be harder so yet again...more options?

quote="kenyancowgirl"]As a 15+ years experience careers adviser, have to agree with Guest. If you genuinely want to keep options open for your DD, choose the most appropriate uni course for her aspirations, not for your aspirations for RG or IL. Those employers in the know have definite preferences which aren't necessarily these.

Which school seems the best fit for her personality and interests? Which made you as a family feel more comfortable? Is your DD open to, or actually happy with, the concept of boarding? There is a difference...[/quote]
schoolrun
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2016 11:39 pm

Re: New Hall, Brentwood or Westcliff?

Post by schoolrun »

Sounds great to me.
Give them options and give them guidance (I would never leave it solely up to a child to make life changing decisions).
ToadMum wrote:I have a DD currently at SHSG, her younger brother is at SHSB and her older brother attended both, so I am admittedly a bit biased :). DS1 is now at university, at the one which best fitted what he was looking for in terms of course, campus and location. And yes, it is a Russell Group one, but if the school made anything of the overall desirability of RG universities, he never mentioned this when we (certain parent input here, or we would never have got him off our hands :roll: ) were considering possible places for him to study. Probably in part because the Russell Group hadn't even invented itself when I was at university and partly because I did gently guide him towards those universities with which I had some familiarity and of all the academics I worked with from those institutions in my professional career, the term 'Russell Group' was never, ever, mentioned. By anyone. Perhaps things have changed since I left, or perhaps the Research Councils in general or just the one I worked for actually look at the candidate, not the institution.

DS2 wants to be an architect. Arguably the best place to study this is Bath and many of the institutions offering degrees validated by RIBA are to be found in former polytechnics - usually just because that's the way that the original institution where people trained to be architects in the area has evolved. DS1 is consistently within the top 10% in his year, but if where he identifies as the best place for him to go is somewhere like Oxford Brookes or NUA, then we will support his decision.
Post Reply
11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now