Good Private vs Good comp - Putney High vs. Waldegrave

[Peridot]

Hello tiredandconfused,
We too are in the catchment for Waldegrave and last year thought long and hard about choices for our daughter. We were not able to consider private school but were trying to work out our priorities for state schools. In the end she got a place at Tiffin Girls but she was very keen on Waldegrave, and she wanted it as second choice on the common application form, above another grammar. Many girls (of all abilities) from our primary and other schools in the local area go to Waldegrave and I have heard only positive feedback apart from one child who was unhappy and moved to the private sector, but this is a rare exception. I do know Putney is an excellent school; although have no direct experience of Putney I myself attended a sister GDST school and had a great education.

My impression of Waldegrave when we had a school tour with our DD was that it suited particularly middle-ability children well and had great sporting, dance and musical activities. I did feel though that it was a very large school and that less confident children might find it hard to adjust. I loved the new science labs and the art/needlework/cookery provision. Have you visited both schools? I think it is particularly valuable to go during normal lesson time if you can, so that you get an accurate impression of the daily life of the school, rather than the madness of open evenings.

You can apply for both of course and make your decision later!

[Tiredandconfused]

Thanks P, that is very helpful colour. Yes, we are planning on visiting both schools again this term and hopefully we will have a clearer view after that. Planning in applying to both (plus G&D) so we may have some choices to make on the spring (and some time to think about them).

[menagerie]

Amber I don't see how a load of GCSE As and Bs could exclude anyone from any career choice , barring the highly unlikely situation where the desired career absolutely depended on the subject in which a C was obtained. A level results are important for uni choices, but a good spread of reasonable GCSEs holds no one back. Who's to say the same girl at a comp would have got such an even spread of results? A stack of As and Bs is very creditable by most standards.

OP, comparing my DS's work at his indie with that of his friends at the local outstanding comp - DS just has more to do. He's more engaged. More is expected of him. After a bit of wriggling umbrage at the quantity of homework, having been at a laid back state primary, he's got stuck in and realises how much he loves hard work. This is one of the core reasons we went for an indie. There's no way my DS would have done more than was asked if he was at the local comp and what is being asked, according to his friends and friends' mothers, isn't much at this stage.

[Amber]

Amber I don't see how a load of GCSE As and Bs could exclude anyone from any career choice , barring the highly unlikely situation where the desired career absolutely depended on the subject in which a C was obtained. A level results are important for uni choices, but a good spread of reasonable GCSEs holds no one back. Who's to say the same girl at a comp would have got such an even spread of results? A stack of As and Bs is very creditable by most standards..

Many universities look at GCSEs and want to see A*s and As. You would not get on a Medicine, Vet Med or a dentistry course with those. It's just not true, unfortunately, to say that GCSEs don't matter to universities- they do, and Bs will not cut the mustard at high end ones. It may not be fair, but it is true. Unis don't see A level results when they give out offers, and AS results are not always taken into account either as they don't have to be declared by independent schools so admissions officers don't like them as much as GCSEs. Oxford and Cambridge look at A*:A ratio. You can be the best musician in the school, captain of the rugby team and have DofE platinum, but if you've got As and Bs at GCSE rather than A*s and As, I'm sorry but your options are reduced and I stand by that assertion.