11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi there
My son has passed QE and WCGS exams.I am stuck between these two schools.Please mums shed some light on which one to choose.If yours sons or friends' sons who are going there please share some information.
Please discuss about the schools, ethnic mix, behaviour of kids, local areas, subjects offered, teachers and extra-curriculars. Any way, we are ready to relocate for the schools.
Thanks or your help.

I can't tell you much about the schools, but if you base it on area, Barnet is miles nicer than Wallington! (I live very near Wallington, and worked for more than a year in Barnet!)

Joamit wrote:Hi there
My son has passed QE and WCGS exams.I am stuck between these two schools.Please mums shed some light on which one to choose.If yours sons or friends' sons who are going there please share some information.
Please discuss about the schools, ethnic mix, behaviour of kids, local areas, subjects offered, teachers and extra-curriculars. Any way, we are ready to relocate for the schools.
Thanks or your help.

2 of my friends sons attend QE and they absolutely love it, I would go for that based on what I have heard and it is nicer around there.

I have the same question. Mine is Wilson's versus QE versus St Olave's versus Wallington. I can't make up my mind what to put as first preference on CAF form. Any Wilson's parents out there, I really love the school but want to hear about it from a parent.

Hi Joamit,

My son too got a high score in QE, Tiffin, and passed WCGS and Wilsons. So, I think I know exactly what you are going thorough. We agonised for days since getting Tiffin's result, also because my DS really like QE.

QE is a great school, no doubt, but Tiffin, WCGS and Wilsons are good too. You can't really go wrong with either of them. In the end, we decided on distance and what is the shortest traveling time for my DS.

I know how hard it is to let go of QE, so I know exactly how you feel. So I'd say;

1. - if you are currently living nearer to QE - go for QE.
2. - if you are currently living nearer to WCGS and more than an hour traveling to QE and not planning to move or can't move nearer to QE - I suggest go for WCGS. I have read enough evidence to suggest that any advantages that you might think will be gained by attending QE will be cancelled by the long journey , tiredness, stress from being unable to do homework, missing school activities etc.

3. - If you have no problem moving to or nearer to QE, money is no problem, you can easily afford a new house in Barnet, then go for it, go for QE.

In anycase, you posted a great advice in another thread, which sounds like you don't really need this advice!!

Joamit wrote:I would advise other parents as well the same.Take it easy.Ultimately we want happiness for our kids.If not this school,they get other good Schools.They will shine wherever they go.
Most of us here wouldn't have worked this hard when we were 11.Honestly!We have to appreciate their effort.

Here is a sweet thing you could do - I filled up the CAF form online, filled up the 6 schools in ranking order together with my DS, whilst discussing with the rest of the family, asked him a few times if he is completely happy with HIS decision, made a few changes several times, and then let HIM click the SUBMIT button! I filmed the whole process (and the computer screen!) - with the jubilant shouting and jumping up an down once he clicked the SUBMIT button!

He said, ."...now I could say, I turned down QE..."

I am keeping the video as evidence!

Tell us your decision!

edit

Technically he hasn't rejected QE as QE hasn't offered any places yet!

Have you visited the schools? Which seemed to suit your son best, or is it just that you want a grammar school regardless?