Tiffin Girls' from Wembley/Harrow area ?

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DadSam10
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Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 11:15 am
Location: London

Tiffin Girls' from Wembley/Harrow area ?

Post by DadSam10 »

Anyone out there commutes to Tiffin Girls' from Wembley/South Harrow area ?

It could take more than hour for the commute, especially in the mornings.

Any views/help is appreciated.
DadSam10
mad?
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Post by mad? »

Hi

I don't know anyone from your area doing that journey but am aware that in ealing the girls tend to be on the 65 by 7.15 and work on the assumption that the journey is about an 1 - 1.25 hours. Add on getting to Ealing and there you have it.

I would recommend trying it, at both ends of the day, to see if you feel it is OK.
mad?
DadSam10
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Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 11:15 am
Location: London

Post by DadSam10 »

Thanks for the info.

Wonder if there are that many girls travel from these areas to Tiffin, why there are no proper coach service or private buses ?

Guess it is free for girls to go on tfl buses.
DadSam10
mad?
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Location: london

Post by mad? »

Hi

I don't think there are very many that do the journey, and for those that do the 65 is virtually door to door.
mad?
resmum
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Location: wolverhampton

Post by resmum »

I would have thought Wembley/Harrow to Kingston would be a horrendous journey to undertake at peak time. I would be very surprised if you could do it in less than an hour and a half.

We often made the trip from Harrow to Kingston at weekends to visit friends and it was never less than an hour unless it was late at night.
Sherwood
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Post by Sherwood »

Hi DadSam10

If your daughter doesn't already have a place at Tiffin, I'd just draw your attention to this quote from the new head of Tiffin Boys' (former head of Tiffin Girls'):

"There is a health warning that I would like to give. As parents you are rightfully ambitious for your sons. However, if you are thinking of making your son travel a long distance to school then you are going to put a significant burden on him. If he is travelling over an hour to school – it is too long. He will be tired, not able to take part in the wider opportunities and not be able to share in the range of activities that Tiffin school offers and expects boys to take part in."

When I went to the Tiffin Girls' open evening a couple of years ago, she made a point of saying the same thing too.
DadSam10
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Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 11:15 am
Location: London

Post by DadSam10 »

Hi Sherwood & Resmum,

Thanks for your comments. Yes, I couldn't agree more with you.

unfortunately there aren't any Grammar school or good Comp in Wembly/Harrow area. All the good ones are at least 10 miles away.

But there are few Indies close by. We have 6 months before we fill-out CAF and decide.

I heard quite a few are commuting from Harrow to Tiifns, looks like none of on this forum - it would be nice to find out how they cope/their struggle.
DadSam10
resmum
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Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:53 pm
Location: wolverhampton

Post by resmum »

Also, we did go to Tiffin's open evening (as we were thinking of moving to Kingston - house prices are however higher than Harrow/Wembley area) and the headmistress made a point of saying "We accept NO excuses for lateness". I also heard that a pupil was killed crossing the road a few years ago. Trying to get to school on time must put extra pressure on the girls.

Don't know where you are in Harrow area but Clement Danes in Chorleywood take 10% on ability and for music. They run a school bus from Northwood. Henrietta Barnett also run a school bus from the Harrow area and is on a par with Tiffin.

Whitmore School in West/South Harrow is currently being rebuilt and some students have done very well there in the past.
DadSam10
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 11:15 am
Location: London

Post by DadSam10 »

Hi Resmum,

Thanks.

From what I hear from people's experience, Henrietta vs Tiifin, most say Tiffin is a much better environment in terms of well-rounded educations, extra-curricular etc. Tifiin has long standing reputation academically while Henrietta came to prominience relatively recently.

I heard that this year people put Tiffins as their higher preference over Henrietta.

As for the other schools suggested I will check them out.
DadSam10
Nou
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Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 12:55 pm

Post by Nou »

Speaking as a Tiffin mum - it is a good school but believe me it is not the only good school around. I don't think the extra-curicula stuff is particularly unusual or outstanding, I know some comps that offer more. I think it is a fairly well rounded education but a lot of girls are interested in doing medicine etc, there seems to be less interest in the arts or humanities.

It really is not worth that sort of commute. I think HBS is at least as good and not so strict. Girls have to be at Tiffin for 8.30am - 3rd time late in a term and detention. The doors don't open until 8.00am so too early and you are left out in the cold and dark.

I think you are looking at a drive of around an hour and a half - are you really going to do that round trip twice a day for the next 7 years.? Surely your daughter would prefer to be independent and use public transport?

It will seriously curtail your daughter's social life if she cannot meet up with friends outside of school. Most girls I know at the school seem to come from the Kingston or New Malden areas, a couple from west London or further into Surrey, I know of no-one from as far as Harrow.
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