Late Move to Prep Dilemma...

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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surreymum
Posts: 553
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:26 pm

Post by surreymum »

Hi

I think I must live very locally to you and my sons sat entrance exams for all the schools you mention having been at prep school first.

Year 5 is definitely fine to move

I would definitely sit 11+ for Whitgift and Trinity as it is there main intake and there have been major issues with boys getting places at 13+ this year. I think there were about 15 places at Trinity but much less at Whitgift although they have a mammoth year 8.

I am afraid it makes for a very difficult year 6 as most prep schools will not support the 11+ so you have to do your own preparation for it plus the grammar school and indie school exams are strung out from September to January for boys at the moment, although at least Wilsons and Wallington will be close together from this year.

If you want to PM me with where you live I can share more knowledge about local prep schools.
guest43
Posts: 237
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 5:06 pm

Post by guest43 »

It is a valid point that limiting yourself to single gender independent schools is making your options much more limited (impossible?)

With a DD at a co-ed secondary inde school I would challenge what I would see as the pro-single gender propaganda which generally comes from schools with a vested interest (GSA etc). Even if it were true, any difference due to co-ed is insignificant compared with other aspects of a school (not least would I rather my DD was taught in lessons in an all girls group of 30 or a mixed group of 15?)

Any decent inde co-ed school is well aware of the issues that you talk about and will pro-actively go out of their way to make sure that they are not a problem.
Rob Clark
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Post by Rob Clark »

It’s interesting, I always thought that the studies showed that girls did better at single-sex schools and boys did better at mixed schools (I’m talking academically, obviously the social aspect of an all-girls school is a different issue).

We, being contrary have done it the other way round :D and sent DS to all-boys school and DD to a mixed, but that was down to what suited them individually more than anything.

Ultimately I believe DCs who want to mix with the opposite sex will find a way to do so (even at Eton, Tipsy :wink: ) but IMHO there is slightly less of an air of desperation about it for those who mix every day.
sherry_d
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Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:38 pm
Location: Maidstone

Post by sherry_d »

Rob Clark wrote:but IMHO there is slightly less of an air of desperation about it for those who mix every day.
Second that, went to all girls boarding and to a mixed school for A levels and at the all girls we had a boy school we called our "brother school" if that makes sense and whenever these boys came to our school, I have never seen much mayhem in my life. It was so sweet and done innocently though and girls were at their best (just not me) :wink: Acedemic wise I think being all girls you concentrate more without distractions (boys) and you can run around in PJs without a care in the world.

It was a shock going to the mixed school where everyone was more consious how they looked and dressed but great for university preparation I think. The all girls school had a high number of girls who got pregnant during their study at university, not sure if was the shock horror of finally seeing boys. I still have a thing or two I like about single gender, you were told you could become the next prime minister or engineer and believe it. At the mixed school you had to be cool and follow trends in some way and being a girl who wants to do engineering wasnt a very cool thing to do. Also when relationships turned sour, there were bucketloads of tears and everyone in the school would know about it.

Out of interest are they any coed grammars? I know most are at A level but I mean mixed from Y7
Impossible is Nothing.
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

I am very pro co-ed sixth forms but not during the 13-16 stage for boys and 11-16 stage for girls. Co-d either side is best and I regret that my eldest has been at all boys schools although his current one is fantastic. For the sake of your daughters I intend to send my youngest to a boys senior school! :shock:
guest43
Posts: 237
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 5:06 pm

Post by guest43 »

It's interesting how everyone has their perspectives (prejudices?).

For me with a DD as a teenager at a coed inde school one huge advantage is that any boys that she is friendly with I know and I know their parents, because social life revolves around the school (which won't happen at a single-gender school)

It also gives the school a natural pleasant environment.

I think it a great shame that co-ed schools don't have a powerful lobby group (the equivalent of the Girls' Schools Association) to address some of the dogma. For goodness sake at least visit one or two co-ed schools, speak to the teachers, the pupils, the parents, before you write them off.
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

Guest43, co-d schools don't need a lobby because most schools are co-ed! There are now only 5 full boarding boys senior schools left in the country as the rest have gone co-ed.

I have been round both co-ed and single sex schools and those who opt for single sex probably do look round both. On the whole it depends on the schools but I have noticed both positives and negatives when looking round co-ed schools. On the whole, I would say the students have been less polite and the atmosphere slightly slower paced. But I did look round a co-ed school the other day which was very nice and the most laid back school I've seen has been Winchester which is single sex. The argument about single sex schools doing better academically is right but there are more positives to a single sex education than mere academics.
loopylou
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Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:08 am

Post by loopylou »

I didn't intend to raise hostile debates about co-ed schooling. :oops:
Its a purely personal decision and not made at all on the basis of "GSA dogma" or school visits or anything other than personal preference.
I am sure there are valid reasons to choose either but both DH and I attended single sex schools and want the same for our children.
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

I'm glad OH was educated at an all boys school because he thinks my "princess" behaviour is normal! 8) :lol:
hermanmunster
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Location: The Seaside

Post by hermanmunster »

T.i.p.s.y wrote:I'm glad OH was educated at an all boys school because he thinks my "princess" behaviour is normal! 8) :lol:
:!: DS is at all boys school... but it is OK, he has a sister :roll:
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