WALLINGTON COUNTY (BOYS) - Please add comments from the 1st

Eleven Plus (11+) in Surrey (Sutton, Kingston and Wandsworth)

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now
computer
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 3:49 pm

WALLINGTON COUNTY (BOYS) - Please add comments from the 1st

Post by computer »

Please add comments here.
Doubledutch
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2015 2:53 pm

Re: WALLINGTON COUNTY (BOYS) - Please add comments from the

Post by Doubledutch »

My boy was offered Wallington, our first choice!
Very happy, especially as he was one of the boys caught up in the mismarking of the SET and had originally been told that he had not passed.
I would still love to know what happened there, by the way...
PurpleDuck
Posts: 1586
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:45 pm

Re: WALLINGTON COUNTY (BOYS) - Please add comments from the

Post by PurpleDuck »

Great news, very well done to your DS! :D :D :D
It felt like I hit rock bottom; suddenly, there was knocking from beneath... (anon.)
reinhardtdj
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 11:29 am

Re: WALLINGTON COUNTY (BOYS) - Please add comments from the

Post by reinhardtdj »

He got it ! 1st choice wallington , time to pop the corks whooo whoooo
KeB
Posts: 27
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 11:01 pm

Re: WALLINGTON COUNTY (BOYS) - Please add comments from the

Post by KeB »

our son got it too ! first choice.

anyone travelling from the Clapham Junction/Balham area by any chance ?
Doubledutch
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2015 2:53 pm

Re: WALLINGTON COUNTY (BOYS) - Please add comments from the

Post by Doubledutch »

Hello KeB, my son will be travelling from Clapham Junction, but WCGS tends to put boys from the same area either in the same house or form, so that they will be travelling with friends. My older boy went to the same school, and that morning train is usually heaving with WCGS and Wilsons boys. There is an extensive induction programme, so they will know each other well before the summer holidays. No worries, the train journey will become THE daily social event.
McC
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2016 11:47 am

Re: WALLINGTON COUNTY (BOYS) - Please add comments from the

Post by McC »

Our DS has been offered his first choice of WCBS and we live in the Clapham/Balham area too. It's good to know that there are other boys who live locally as one of my fears is that no one else in his year would live close by. We are currently weighing up this offer with an indie scholarship offer and is proving too difficult to decide.
Doubledutch ,given you have already have knowledge of the school with an older son, would you be willing to say , in your opinion, what the strengths and weaknesses are of the school? In addition, what you think might happen over the next few years - I've heard about the local state academy ? Also, my DS will be coming from a co-ed state primary and I'm still not sure how he would feel in an all boy environment , though we liked the feel of the school when we have visited the open evenings. Thank you.
Doubledutch
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2015 2:53 pm

Re: WALLINGTON COUNTY (BOYS) - Please add comments from the

Post by Doubledutch »

McC,
I am a staunch supporter of the state system, as I believe that the best way to prepare one's child for modern society, with its many ethnic and eco-socionomic backgrounds, is to send them to a state school. However, it all depends on what your boy is like and what you want to get out of the school.

WCGS will definitely help your child fulfill his potential. They certainly did mine!
Whilst pushing the boys quite hard during lessons (as you would expect), there is plenty of space for fun and games. The house competitions such as House Music, House Drama, House Arts, are all designed for the creativity of the children to flow freely, and they can be pretty silly! Not everything is high-brow Culture.

When choosing WCGS originally, what clinched the deal was that someone told us that they are a bit eccentric, and so is my eldest son, so they would go well together.
Discipline is important, they aim to produce "independent learners", care a great deal for the individuals, are very approachable (emails get answered promptly), albeit sometimes a tad disorganised.

What you need to consider if you are weighing it up against the indie, is money. Money is tight, whereas, obviously, that would not be a problem in and independent.

How much does your child want to do sports etc as a part of the curriculum? WCGS does lots of sports, but obviously a lot of it is cocurricular. In the indie they will probably timetable a lot of it.

As your boy must be bright, he will do as well academically in the indie as at Wallington.

As far as the single sex issue, I was also concerned, but it does not seem to have been a problem. Okay, it might be less likely that they have a girlfriend at school before the age of 16 (when the girls arrive in the sixth form), but hey, that means less distraction!

The WCGS Federation (New academy)... My guess is as good as the next one's. They assure us that none of the current staff will be syphoned off to go to the new school. I hope that is true. The Federation will make sense economically, and that is important in the next few years, plus that may even be a deciding factor for you.

I hope I have been of some help here. We know the school warts and all, and, having looked at all the other grammars, have decided to send no 2 there again.
Good luck!
McC
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2016 11:47 am

Re: WALLINGTON COUNTY (BOYS) - Please add comments from the

Post by McC »

Hi Doubledutch,
Wow! Thanks so much for your detailed response. You have been very helpful and given us further food for thought. We will hopefully make up our mind by the weekend.
Good luck to your DS2 and hope he has a wonderful time there.
pooziepuzzle
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2014 3:06 pm

Re: WALLINGTON COUNTY (BOYS) - Please add comments from the

Post by pooziepuzzle »

Hi McC, congratulations on the offer from WCGS. We were in a similar situation as you when our DS had a scholarship to Whitgift and an offer from WCGS two years ago. We chose WCGS after much decision making (it wasn't easy) and we are all very happy with that decision. My DS is very happy at school, has lots of friends, is doing well academically and is involved in the team sports. My DS came from a co-ed state primary and it's not been a problem. I know we sleep much easier at night not having huge school fees to pay! Good luck with your decision.
Post Reply
11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now