Channing or Highgate or Henrietta Barnet

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

Post Reply
11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now
londonparent
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:39 pm

Channing or Highgate or Henrietta Barnet

Post by londonparent »

We have an offer from Channing and Highgate (and infact Francis Holland Clarence Gate). We think we should go for Channing or Highgate due to better academics overall
Is there any advise on the pros and cosn of Channing vs Highgate. Additionally, expecting Henrietta Barnet result next week. If dd gets thru, any advise on choices? ofcourse there is the huge fee advantage - but other than that, are there any advantages or disadvantages over Channing and Highgate ?
herewegoagain
Posts: 104
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:10 pm

Post by herewegoagain »

Major differences are Highgate is co-ed, Channing girls only. Highgate better facilities (swimming pool, art and design building, more grounds). Highgate is bigger (around 120?? in year as opposed to about 65 in Channing). I'd say Channing is stronger in art/drama; Highgate in sport/sciences. Highgate has better school dinners! Really depends on what suits your dd. Both good schools. Don't know much about HBS but class sizes will be bigger than either H or Ch. Have you looked around all the schools?
londonparent
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:39 pm

Post by londonparent »

we did see HB and highgate, but not channing. DD wants to pursue Medicine eventually. we saw A level results; one indicator was channing had 74% As and highgate 58% vs HB 68%. Ofcourse not all that matters but a key indicator. DD isnt very sporty but likes it as indeed also art/music. DD also not particularly keen on coed, and thinks channing is right for her. She may well be right - but we only wondered whether highgate may have been better from 'hard' subjects point of view. We also saw that highgate faculty better qualified and diverse than channing - more teachers (size), generally most with masters, and more oxbridge trained. On HBS, question only arises if we qualify - apprehensive about quality of teaching and individual attention, and that DD more likely toi begin being in lower percentile of the class in terms of academic skills that may weigh her down. On balance, just wondered that we should choose HBS if we hv a choice due to the fee advantage, and in the worst case that it does not suit DD - switch, but then not sure will we get something like highgate or channing later (highgate has 13+ though)
herewegoagain
Posts: 104
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:10 pm

Post by herewegoagain »

Highgate does have 13+ but not sure of position if you've turned them down at 11+. Channing A-level results are better this year but given small size perhaps more subject to year-on-year fluctuations - you probably need to look at the breakdown over several years. You also need to try to see which subjects the top grades were in. Destination of leavers also useful indicator - Highgate's is on their website - see how many did medicine. However, if your dd prefers a girls school I think this is a very powerful reason for choosing Channing or HBS although personally I would really hesitate about going for a school I hadn't seen! (And the deadline is tomorrow...). At HBS class sizes are much bigger (31 compared to 22) but I know they break them down into smaller groups for practical subjects such as science and art. Hope this helps.
londonparent
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:39 pm

Post by londonparent »

many thanks for your advice. you are absolutely right. I have seen the subjects comparisons. From what I can understand the % profile of hard subjects slightly higher for science/maths in highgate and HBS compare to channing. Cannot get hold of channing destinations - is there a copy you have as apparently it was part of the admissions pack and we are missing this particular page/leaflet ? it is not on the website

also read that in channing 6th form entry they only allow doing Maths (and this applies only to Maths) if girls have a chance to get an A ! This is for 6th form entry, but I wondered whether they (and independent schools in general) come down heavily in not just influencing but forcing subject choices ? Do you know?

yes the last date is tomorrow - I am hoping to call in to ask Channing whether they will be willing to wait till we know about HBS

thanks again
herewegoagain
Posts: 104
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:10 pm

Post by herewegoagain »

Channing has 3 leavers going to do medicine (2006), 2 at Imperial and one in New York. Other associated areas - dentistry at Birmingham and pharmacology at UCL. In all 8 out of 37 leavers did science or maths (biochemistry, dentistry, maths, medicine (3), pharmacology, physics). I don't have any info on subject choices at A-Level but I would think most selective schools would require an A or A* at GCSE in order to take that subject at A-Level. I find it hard to believe you could only do an A-Level if you were expected to get an A at the end of Year 13 but I don't know. I would imagine that if your daughter is keen on medicine and has the ability she could get there from Channing but would probably have more fellow-travellers at Highgate/HBS. But this is an opinion only!
beenherebeforebutnoeasier
Posts: 21
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 3:54 pm
Location: london

Post by beenherebeforebutnoeasier »

It is worth getting hold of destinations so Channing should be able to fax that to you - I seem to remember we were surprised to see 3 going to read medicine at Cardiff but can't recall details! But I wouldn't base it all on results and teachers, for there's a long way to go and all sorts of plans and ambitions can change. There is a huge difference in feel to all three schools and given your dd will do best if she's happy that is as worth considering. Channing the most traditional and we felt in the end perhaps too small but very supportive; Highgate still rather a boy's school feel and HBS great teachers and very high standards and a more varied intake but of course bigger. You can change across from one school to another in further years - and not necessarily at 13 - it isn't always easy either academically or socially but kids survive it. Maybe you can see Channing tomorrow? Our dd wouldn't sit for HBS but if she had and had got it, it would have been hard to turn down!
londonparent
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:39 pm

Post by londonparent »

thank you both so much. yes, I am going to get hold of channing destinations if possible. I am sure herewegoagain - you are right about science kind subjects etc
Inclined to accept channing over highgate unless HBS comes thru, as you will have guessed - and I think its really important to go by gut feel as one that applies to one's particular case
my son, now 7, was happily admitted to well known Hall. The 1st day we took him - he refused to go in and preferred to go to charterhouse square school in barbican, less known where he knew we still had an option. We were in two minds too but finally went for his choice although parents were divided. Lost the deposit - gosh that was realy painful. But now, in about a year at charterhouse - he has secured westminster for himself. He also got st pauls, highgate (we are still a bit tempted at the possibility of combining with DD) and UCS - so that was a fantastic feat. Anyway, the point is about gut feel - and I think it is for Channing as knowing our DD, we think the attentions she'd get there will suit her more. In a way, I kind of think that even in academics being at Channing will suit her more than will have been the case lets say theoritically if she were offered at a very very acdemic school like st pauls for girls. The difficult bit is going to be if HBS comes into play when we will ahve to toss up between 'supportive' vs 'fee pain' !
we dont live very close to any of these schools (except francis holland BTW), any advise on whether car pools, or indeed buses ply or potentially play for channing or westminster - not that I have heard of anyways
nailbiter
Posts: 17
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 2:02 pm

Post by nailbiter »

i dont mean this rudely lp, but would you really consider accepting a secondary school place for a school you've never seen? or have i misunderstood?
londonparent
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:39 pm

Post by londonparent »

you are right. we managed to see channing today - it ended up being exactly as was projected to us, so we are in the same place
Post Reply
11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now