My daughter is in year 9 so a bit beyond the age of this forum but hoping someone will help!

She's adamant she wants to leave Colchester girls after her GCSEs because she's simply not happy there and tbh we support her decision because she's very artistic and the school really lacks in the performing arts we are finding. Not withstanding it's been dire on the pastoral care front for her and her form group (until they mixed up the classes over the summer!)

However she is really driven and wants to carry on an academic pathway and wants to ideally take Latin as an A level choice - meaning a grammar school is her only option for 6th form really.

Given we are local to the school our only options are the boys grammar or the Chelmsford grammars. Any advice is welcome

Thanks!

There are lots on here beyond the 11+ phase. You may also want to browse the sixth form thread viewforum.php?f=57

I am not from your area but would say that whilst broadly it is the grammars that do Latin it isn’t solely so you may be able to cast your net wider. At Sixth form the majority schools become selective in some way. There is a lot of movement in our area beteeen, into and out of grammar schools at this stage.

Some schools that don’t do Latin still have Classical Civilisation as an A level which might be of interest your DD? Do you also have schools on your area doing the IB? If your Daughter has a spread of interests it may suit her better?

It sounds as though she would be a good fit for CRGS. Performing arts are much stronger there. However entry is very competitive so she'd need a plan B.

Depending where you live I would be wary of moving to Chelmsford if its much further away as being local/ independent is if anything more important in 6th form. If she had an early burthday and you could provide access to a car then this might mitigate such issues.

If you are the other side of Colchester you could look into scholarships at the Ipswich School. Performing arts are vety strong and although the intake is more mixed because its a non selective county you still get a decent number of highly academic pupils.

It's worth waiting until she's stuck in to GCSE Latin before focussing too much on that one subject at A level. It may be that having got further down the line she is less keen on it.

If she ends up looking more generally at 6th form options them don't discount the Sixth Form college. You probably need to be more self motivated but I know of many students who have achieved good results there.

KEGS have a sixth form open day in November and definitely offer latin, drama & theatre at A level - the website has all the admission criteria; good luck to your daughter

Thanks for the replies so far they've been really helpful.

As it stands my husband and I both work in Chelmsford and my parents, siblings and extended family also all live there (why we moved to Colchester I don't know!) And we live near her current school so the travelling won't be an issue as we are that side of Colchester - and if it is and she's tired or needs to be at school late or has a social engagement she has a bed at her grandparents. She already independently travels to and from Chelmsford on the train and bus of a weekend to visit them.

I think from what's been posted the boys schools may be a better fit for her than either of the girls schools. It's a while off yet but remembering the 11+ days I know it will creep up on us!

Both the Chelmsford schools are strong on performing arts and the girls school have an excellent Latin department (I can’t comment on KEGS Latin as no experience of it)
They have quite different atmospheres though so definitely worth visiting all your options.