I'm probably being a tad optimistic here but just in case my daughter scores well enough for Camphill Girls, I was hoping anybody with a daughter there already would be able to say whether they recommend it at all please. The reason for asking is that we both loved KEFW but the distance would be an issue for us. The Camphill open day last year that we attended was a bit manic and as it was her first open day, she wasn't confident to ask questions and a friend of mine mentioned that there may be problems with bullying there.
Do the leadership tackle any bullying swiftly? Is your dd happy there etc?

My dd hasn't always been happy at her primary school so I'm concerned that similar issues don't happen again at secondary school. I don't want to push her to go a school where she might not be happy purely for convenience sakes and KEFW seemed to tackle such issues better and had a lovely, happy feel to it when we visited.

Any advice or opinions would be much appreciated! Thanks.

Hi Raven

Sorry, I've no experience of Camp Hill but when we got the scores through for both our children we found it really useful to take tours of the schools that were options at that point. The schools organise these in the week following the results. You just need to ring them up to arrange.

You get to see the schools on a normal working day with just a small group of other parents/children- totally different from the open day and much more enlightening. With our daughter, we viewed two and she had a very strong opinion afterwards of which she preferred. With our son we only had one option and he wasn't keen beforehand but once we'd done our tour he was totally on board.

on the whole you'll find that parents on here are positive about the schools their children are at so you don't get much in the way of criticism. There are one or two people with experience of two or more schools you might be considering - they're probably the most useful people but it's still very personal and subjective!

Thanks Crazycrofter for the reply. I'll try arranging a visit if it's an option and she can see the school on a normal school day. It sounds like it could be beneficial as you say.

Hi, I have no experience of Camp Hill girls, but have a DS year 11 KEFW and DD year 8 KEFW.

They have a long journey to school (camp hill schools are closer to where we live) their journey this year on the green bus is about 40 mins (reduced from 1 hour last year)

As you say, the schoo, has a lovely feel about it and both my DC settled easily, especially my DD, she has a huge circle of friends and enjoys all aspects of the school.

My DN sat the 11+ this year and she is hoping to go to FW (again camp hill is closer)

Good luck

Hi Raven07:

Gosh I could say so many things:

I like the standard/ level of academic education
I like what I see of homework assignments
I like that since 2nd term Y7 my small fry has been very independent about her work -it's all her own
I like that she wants to do well - at everything
I like that she's happy to be so busy and although it's said with grumbles, I think she enjoys all the work.
I like that there's a lot going on at the school - lots of clubs/ interesting friends
I like that they get small fry is a 'character' - and aren't trying to change that

I've been surprised that she's done well in areas I'd never even realised she was good at - and they're encouraging/ supporting that
I like that her lessons challenge her - to think more critically, to try something difficult, to consider another point of view

but like any school there are things I don't like....

I don't like Camp Hill Snobbery - the staff really are a bit full of themselves, which I find a bit much.

I don't like their disorganisation - they're pretty slow to take up more modern modes of communication (e.g. texting parents arrival time of school trip buses)/ don't seem to be adopting the new communications app they asked parents to join and oganisation of school events/ trips has been chaotic - as in identifying (perhaps using paper signs?) a meeting point for school trip/ entrance to event wouldn't go amiss. [but they are slowly making improvements since the start of Y7 - probably because we are complaining]

Timing is part of this - but in recent years with building projects - the place has been a building site & will be again when they expand the sixth form. (Can't be helped - this is just the timing of my child's time at Camp Hill & the sixth form has to expand as there aren't enough places for the expanded entry years shortly to be of sixth form age).

School is a bit weird about being slightly late to class after lunch if you've been in a club/ music group. So my small fry has had 'lates' for her first class after lunch because the conductor of her music group insisted they finish the piece of music. She's tried to explain why she is late (with other kids affected doing the same) and that it wasn't her fault and the class teacher wouldn't have it. It's lead to the classic 'IT'S UNFAIR' retort from small fry and I do sigh and feel for goodness sake she's going from one school organised situation to another - can't the Camp Hill adults work this out between them - but this seems to be a problem in general - especially with music groups and having asked about it with friends who have older girls there who also have music groups at school - it is something that has been going on for years. It's a little upsetting for younger students - and not really necessary in the scheme of things. Just creates bad feelings - and means that small fry didn't work hard for this teacher because 'she's horrible! she marks me as late when it wasn't my fault!'

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When your DD is accepted to Camp Hill - you will get a letter from Camp Hill offering you the place and offering you the opportunity to visit the school. My advice is arrange a visit for you and your daughter (as we did - in fact Papa Trout attended - having not really engaged except on results night when he stayed up until 2 a.m. hoping to learn the definite cut off for 2016 entry ) - it gave small fry a chance to see what a real class there was like (she got to sit in on 2 or 3, talk to some students and papa trout just kept saying - Wow! This is an amazing school. Yours truly kept saying, yes dear that's why small fry wanted to go here ).

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In terms of bullying I've had no experience of that - nor has small fry. There's a bit of teasing - but it's not as bad as when she was at primary. There has been a bit of name calling/ insulting on social media - but the school has clamped down on that. I believe the girls involved have been spoken to (with their parents) - and it seems to all have simmered down. But to be honest - that happens at ordinary state comps too - so isn't really a 'Camp Hill problem' - if you see what I mean - it's more a sign of the times for our kids really and hard if we, as parents, aren't that aware of things like Facebook, Instagram, etc..

Some of the wealthier girls do show off a bit - and can say cutting things about the fact you don't have an apple this or that/ what you don't have sky sports package? But to be honest, it's deeply uncool in the Camp Hill setting and ultimately they get that message and seem to calm down about showing off gadgets. There are a set who are jetting off here and there on ski holidays in the Alps, beach holidays in the Caribbean, etc.... and sometimes that can lead to a bit of friction - but that's not their fault and hey, if I had the spare cash, I'd be jetting off on holiday somewhere nice over Easter break too!

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So - sorry this has been so long winded - but like anywhere there are pros and cons.

as I said, if your DD is accepted, my advice is visit the school with your daughter on a normal day at Camp Hill - it's very different from the hubbub of an open day event

I think it will help settle your mind and your DD's.

best of luck with everything

OT

Thanks Nervousmom for the reassurance re KEFW, particularly how your DD has a 'huge circle of friends.' My DD is concerned about the school being boy heavy (134 of the 180 pupils last year were boys apparently) and not being able to make many girl friends. Do the girls from the different forms get the chance to meet at breaks and lunchtimes as I can't imagine individual form groups would have many girls?

Apart from the question of the distance to travel, which I'm sure she would get used to eventually, her only real concern about KEFW is the ratio of boys to girls as the social aspect and making friends is important to her. I think she's hoping I can tell her which school to choose but I want this to be a decision we're both happy with. Is she worrying about nothing do you think? Thanks.

Thanks for the taking the trouble to provide such a detailed insight into CHG. I'm glad to hear your DD is happy and coping in such a challenging school.

I'm reassured to hear that she is being supported and encouraged in new areas as I suppose I'm being unfair but have been comparing it to the boys school, where this doesn't always happen. The two schools are obviously very similar in their attitudes to lateness and the disorganisation of lunchtime clubs however as my nephew often complains about being late for classes as a teacher has kept them behind but he inevitably gets told off through no fault of his own. The other gripe is that they get let out late and literally have to sprint for the Green Bus but staff don't seem to care that the bus will leave without them.

As regards the snobbery of staff, a friend of mine spoke to the Head recently who told her that the school was the best school in the region and my friend really didn't like the implied criticism of other schools in her comments.

A visit to the school seems to be the best bet as you and others have suggested. My DH is biased towards CHG purely because of its ratings and location but I want to make sure that my DD is happy to go there and rise to its challenges and that she has some involvement in the decision, so I will share your thoughts with her as well. Thanks.

I think in any school it can really depend on which friendship group you join.
So some comments above - such as apple phones, ski-ing and Caribbean holidays - I don't recognise as nobody dd knows has done that!

My daughter hated primary school - from Reception through to Year 6, (where she left early) and was bullied; even at age 10, she would cry and cling to me when she had to go in.
I was therefore initially very worried about her joining CHG but she has been very happy, and has become far more confident, which has been super.
She has a group of friends who she is happy with. Her friends are not wealthy. She even once said she was a bit embarrassed about all the special stationery I'd given her as some friends were looking through it and couldn't have those things. I was relieved as they seemed more grounded and less spoiled and materialistic than the girls in her primary school (state school/wealthy families in general) had been. She has a cheap and completely smashed phone and given that she still keeps dropping it, I've no plans to repair it!
She is also, while able, not a massively high achiever and is a 'summer baby', yet still seems happy enough without being top of the class.

Dd is only in Yr 10 but generally I've had no problems communicating with the school.
It seems as though the leadership is very good/organised and that teachers monitor her well.

I do feel that girls benefit perhaps more than boys do from being in a single-sex school; research shows this to be the case, particularly with science and technology progression. I think she can be a bit timid and having to try and express herself in lessons and push forward in subjects such as Science, would have been harder for her with boys around. As FW is majority boys, I don't think it would have suited her as much. Plus she has four brothers so was already sick of boys . She has taken part in quite a few Science and Engineering activities with CHG, which she has really valued.

Out of curiosity, why does your friend feel that there maybe bullying issues at Chg?

Friendship groups do change a lot and this exists in all schools. My own dd1 was bullied in her primary school and one of the girls in that group went off to Chg in y7. When dd1 joined Chg at sixth form, the relationship with this girl had completely changed!
I know my dd1 has only been there for over a year and previously, we used to hear negative views from dp with girls there. But personally, I really like the staff at Chg. My dd1 has health issues and they've been very warm and supportive of her needs.

Bullying in my experience (I don't have a dc at kefw but I have dc in all the other KE schools) is dealt with quickly by staff. There was an incident with dc5 that could have led to long term bullying. He was slapped in the face by another boy on the green bus. Thankfully, his sibling was there too and reprimanded the boy, reported it to the driver and told me too. I also contacted the school who dealt with it swiftly. As soon as my dc5 reached school, the boys were seen and situation resolved.
No issues followed after that.

Just agreeing with Um - I think no matter how good (or indeed bad) the school choice may be - so much will depend on their circle of friends your child develops and as parents, we have to accept we have very little control over that.

Also just to stress - in terms of the gadget show-off girls/ kids going on amazing holidays - both are a very small minority - and really by late Y7 it was no longer an issue. Just wanted to explain that although we've not experienced bullying there has been a bit of very minor (in my opinion) showing off/ teasing/ bragging. (Again, this absolutely depends on what personalities end up in your DD's form - and as parents we can't do a lot about that - my view is to see some of the behaviour as funny - and I'm afraid when news reached home that show off girl lost precious and expensive device at school, I found it funny - and totally justified my 'NO WAY am I spending that much money only for you to lose or break it!' views. PS the device was eventually located & returned to owner).

In terms of proximity - having a shorter commute does mean that there's more time for homework/ relaxation/ outside activities. If your child is musical/ sporty and involved in a lot of things outside of school (possibly also likely to join in these types of activities at school) - a shorter commute is a factor, in my opinion

Also agree with Um - my DD has felt able (and encouraged) to speak up more in class and has found at she's rather good at things she never expected. Not sure about the research side of single sex education myself - but know that my small fry is gaining in confidence (whether that's the school/ the single sex side of things - or a mixture of the two - I couldn't definitely say) - which really pleases us.

OT