St Edmund's College, Hertfordshire SG11 1DS

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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Turtle07
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 10:11 pm

St Edmund's College, Hertfordshire SG11 1DS

Post by Turtle07 »

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Hi All,

I'd love to hear any feedback about St Edmunds College, please?

My DD was awarded 50% Academic Scholarship at 11+ and she absolutely loves the school since seeing it at an open day. However our choice is going to be tough as she'd has to commit 2 hours each day to coach travel to get there. Flexi or Weekly Boarding would be too costly for us.

Although she was awarded Scholarships at other more local to us independent schools her 1st choice still remains in favor of St Edmunds.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Many Thanks.

Best wishes
x
Waiting_For_Godot
Posts: 1446
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 1:57 pm

Re: St Edmund's College, Hertfordshire SG11 1DS

Post by Waiting_For_Godot »

Many congratulations to your DD. I think if she has a nearer offer then it would be sensible to choose that over St Ed's. it's an ok school but a two hour trip is too much if there are other good viable alternatives.
Daogroupie
Posts: 11099
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: St Edmund's College, Hertfordshire SG11 1DS

Post by Daogroupie »

St Edmunds is a fine school but I would say most people are fairly local. Lots from Hertford and Ware and Stevenage. Good sport, my dds play them at Hockey and Netball. What was it your dd liked so much about it? I used to think that the right school was worth travelling to, now I don't when I see the worn out faces of some that have to travel far. You need a local peer group. My dd's are among a group of about sixty that travel on the train so it is very socal, nobody has to travel alone. Even after the clubs there is a whole pack of them going down to the station. I think your dd would be wiped out in weeks. DG
Yummiemummie
Posts: 160
Joined: Mon May 23, 2011 9:02 pm

Re: St Edmund's College, Hertfordshire SG11 1DS

Post by Yummiemummie »

Turtle. Well done to your DD.
Re travel, is that 1 hours travel each way? If so many senior school children do this for a school that suits them. It's hard in year 7, but in no time you are into a routine.
zorro
Posts: 2076
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:27 am
Location: Barnet, Herts

Re: St Edmund's College, Hertfordshire SG11 1DS

Post by zorro »

Do you mean an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening? If so, that's ok. My DS travels an hour each way to school and has had no problems.
What are the other schools in the equation?
Turtle07
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 10:11 pm

Re: St Edmund's College, Hertfordshire SG11 1DS

Post by Turtle07 »

Thank you all for sending your replies...

To WFG - absolutely agree with you...we'll have to think very carefully over the weekend...

To Daogroupie -she loved everything about St Eds- apparently staff were ''very friendly'', she liked the teachers/ pupils/ the buildings even the fact that it was far away from London :( ...also hinting she'd love to board there too... As I wasn't allowed to get her on one of their coach routes due to insurance issues I plan on taking her to one of those stops to have a chat with those 'worn out' current pupils next week ... :wink:

To Yummiemummie
yeh, that's what she keeps on saying - that she'd be absolutely fine

To Zorro
...the other offers are from Forest, Chigwell, Bancrofts plus Woodford High County (awaiting result by next week on the latter)

Best wishes to all in making the best choice for your DC by the 5th March
xx
tubby
Posts: 137
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2010 3:53 pm

Re: St Edmund's College, Hertfordshire SG11 1DS

Post by tubby »

Hi Turtle07.

My son went there for 2 years, and left for a grammer school, which they were upset about because he was a major sportperson for the school, the pastoral care is good the Father of the school came to visit us at home before he started, but he does not tell parent when he comes, to avoid fuss. In terms of academic it is ok, they don't really push the child, and l was not happy abou the fact they did not pick up something quite significant abut my DS's education which the grammer school picked up within months :x but it is a lovely school nevetheless. With regard to travelling we live in east london, so DS got the coach you miss it, then you have to take him to school, the first term was hellish for him, he was so tired, that he sometimes fell asleep eating, :( but got over it , he said it was difficult sleepng on the coach because of the noise from the other DC, overall an okish school, but every child/parent is different. Goodluck
Daogroupie
Posts: 11099
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: St Edmund's College, Hertfordshire SG11 1DS

Post by Daogroupie »

Great idea to go to the coach stop and see who she would be travelling with. I dont think this is a choice a ten year old should be making. My dd loved loved loved HBS and wanted to put it first but the travelling would have been lonely and long. Now half way through Y8 she knows exactly what travelling to school really means but back at open day she was just enthralled by the school and I could really see her there, still can. Great school, wrong place, just like a house really. There are lovely houses that you cant really live in because you can't run your life from there. There are plenty of schools in rural locations, actually St Ed's drives me mad because it is so back end of beyond, I should imagine it is awful in the snow. You have great local choices, I would go for them in your situation. DG
tubby
Posts: 137
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2010 3:53 pm

Re: St Edmund's College, Hertfordshire SG11 1DS

Post by tubby »

l concur with DG, it is so far in, during the bad winter period they get to school late, traffic etc. You also have to think about sport days, parents meeting, and taking DC to friends birthday parties etc, all the above we did, or DH did, cause l refused to drive, and during the first year was pregnant with twins anyway :)
Turtle07
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 10:11 pm

Re: St Edmund's College, Hertfordshire SG11 1DS

Post by Turtle07 »

DG& tubby - thanks for your valuable input too :)

...and so we went to one of the stops tonight and watched 6 kids stepped out off the black Golden Boy coach, all smartly dressed wearing their school uniform. I must have looked like a weirdo Mum trying :oops: to form a chat with the last 2 who came off - a boy& a girl apparently in their Year 10. My DD has also managed to ask them few Qs - they said they were v.happy at St Eds and the long travel didn't bother them at all, they still had time for their homeworks in the evenings ...
Perhaps I should have aimed chatting to younger - more 'worn out' ones - i.e Y7 :wink:

...5 more days to go before the big decision is made...

Best of luck everyone

BTW Tubby - Forest is my fave too :wink:
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