Wilson's or SGS ?

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mynameisbond
Posts: 170
Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:53 pm
Location: south west london

Re: Wilson's or SGS ?

Post by mynameisbond »

Thank you for your reply - forwhatitsworth. Would love to hear more about the Wilson's after school activities which your son has particularly enjoyed and also how they choose their languages in Y7 ? Also, do they put them into forms with boys from their primary schools, or do they purposely try to mix them up ?

Any extra info would be great - thank you.
codecharacter
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed May 09, 2012 8:40 pm

Re: Wilson's or SGS ?

Post by codecharacter »

Hello! I'm currently a student in Wilson's (Yr 9) and hopefully I can help you out :) .

I believe there is an option to choose the language you'd like to do before you get into the school (either French or German) and you do Latin as a compulsory subject (Which can be dropped or continued at Year 9 for GCSE). There also is an option to take Ancient Greek as an extra-curricular activity after school, and if your son is willing to continue, it will count as an extra GCSE.
There are a fantastic range of non-academic extracurricular activities you can do within the school. Judo, chess, debating, cooking, CCF etc.
Wilson's also has a huge field on site, series of Powerleague astro turf courts, an expansive common/park and a Virgin activity sport club (formerly Esporta) right next to it. Even though I'm not a very 'sporty' type, it gives me tons of opportunity to get involved, which is great.

No one had anyone from their primary school put into the same form as them in our year, but it's not a big deal as everyone is friendly and a good friendship is bound to occur. A few months/weeks before the school starts, the soon-to-be year 7s will meet up with current year 7s and will be paired up in a buddy system, it's a chance to ask questions about the school and the school life. There also is a sports week during the summer holidays before, and that's a good way for the year 7s to meet up and form friendships even before school begins.

The school also never has a dull moment (unless it's a lesson). It's lively at the start, during and at the end of school.
In terms of discipline, your son will have to follow a one-way system. Since Wilson's hasn't got the biggest of corridors or staircases, having everyone going off in all directions can create havoc, and this system definitely helps to reduce the amount of havoc during the time between classes. The teachers will be quite strict about the punctuality to lessons and how pupils organize their time and equipment. There are also strict rules about bullying, drugs, internet usage, uniforms, so discipline should not be something that you should worry about.
Homework at the start may seem like a lot, since it's quite a big contrast from primary school, but students get used to it quite quickly. It won't be a stress, but it could be difficult at the start of the term.

If you have any more questions please feel free to ask, it's the only reason I registered :D.
mynameisbond
Posts: 170
Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:53 pm
Location: south west london

Re: Wilson's or SGS ?

Post by mynameisbond »

Many thanks codecharacter - great to hear from someone with direct experience of Wilson's. Would be interested to hear more about the buddy system and how that operates. Also I hear there is a specific Y7 area for break and lunchtimes ? What are the school lunches like and are there horrendous queues as there are at some schools ? Finally what sort of house competitions are there and are there lots of opportunities for school holidays/trips ?

Many thanks for your words of wisdom
codecharacter
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed May 09, 2012 8:40 pm

Re: Wilson's or SGS ?

Post by codecharacter »

mynameisbond wrote:Many thanks codecharacter - great to hear from someone with direct experience of Wilson's. Would be interested to hear more about the buddy system and how that operates. Also I hear there is a specific Y7 area for break and lunchtimes ? What are the school lunches like and are there horrendous queues as there are at some schools ? Finally what sort of house competitions are there and are there lots of opportunities for school holidays/trips ?

Many thanks for your words of wisdom
The Yr 7s will use the Bowden Room/South Canteen (I forgot what it's called) for lunchtimes and this is a Yr 7 only area (and staff) for lunch, but other years can use it during the break.
The school lunches are quite good, but don't expect luxuries, and the meals are healthy if that is a concern. The queues aren't long at all for the Yr 7 canteen, and will only take a few minutes to get in since there are teachers there always managing it. It may be longer on Fridays as that is a Fish/Chicken & Chips day.
When your son meets his buddy he'll have an opportunity to ask about school life, about the school subjects and homework and much more. That day will also be the day when all the year 7s get to meet one another for the first time.

There are lots of house competitions, within subjects (like maths challenges), within PE & Games and inside EC clubs. There's also something called "Golden Tickets" which are tokens that teachers give to students if they do great work within a subjects and these count as 1 house point.
In Year 7 students go to the Brecon Beacons as an end of year trip, there will also probably be 1 or 2 subject-specific trips such as going to the Science museum. As students go up in years the opportunities to go on schools trips will increase (In year 9 we've had 4 trip options, but this number depends on the subjects you take for GCSE and certain ECs).
forwhatitsworth
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu May 03, 2012 3:41 pm

Re: Wilson's or SGS ?

Post by forwhatitsworth »

Hi mynameisbond

Wilsons offers German or French. Boys are allocated randomly, but if you have a preference you can let the school know and they will try to accommodate (we requested French and were given this). this will be in the info pack.

The school makes a conscious effort to split boys from same primary schools into different houses. This is to encourage them to make new friends and to avoid the pitfall of sticking like glue to a familiar face. They really are fine, since so many don't know anyone else to start with. The year 7 boys also go on a week's trip to Wales in October and this is a real bonding exercise. They go with one other year 7 house and all come back good buddies.

On after school stuff, a combination of their friends, word of mouth, teacher encouragement and suggestion means they quickly work out what's what and get involved. The thing I found hardest was not being able to necessarily know what their choices are, and to influence them. But of course, this is where us parents have to let go and trust them to start forging their own paths. They are fine. It's us parents that tend to worry!

Good luck.
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