SPGS has issued interview invitations

[Jean.Brodie]

Hi all!

We had an offer from NLCS five years ago. We didn’t apply to SPGS because the NLCS private coach stops at the end of our street, whereas the SPGS journey didn’t appeal.

Cranleigh, Stroller’s comments are spot on. The quality of the SPGS applicants and their entrance exam performance are exceptional, even more so than the NLCS candidates.

Superconfused, Stroller and ConcernedDad, For me, SPGS and Westminster (Sixth Form) girls probably are the academic and general elite of the London area, quite possibly all of the UK. They are hyper selected, hyper challenged and supported by hyper resources. But there is comparatively little socio-economic (and ethnic?) diversity at SPGS and the young girl needs to be a strong character in her own right, someone who is either not bothered by others or, more commonly, will respond positively to being amongst such a challenging peer group.
If you think your daughter will be fine in that environment, I would definitely choose SPGS. They have an extra edge, an additional sharpness and strength which NLCS don’t. I reckon most SPGS families think that, too, so the decision is not really difficult for most of them.

Congratulations to your daughters and to your families on earning such a wonderful choice!

[shootmenow]

We didn't sit either of our DDs for SPGS for the same reason- horrid journey. Unless SW/W London girls are inherently more clever, I think you'll find the same quantity of quality candidates sitting for both. NLCS, SPGS and Westminster are always in the top slice of the league tables and frequently swap places depending on co-hort. Even the Oxbridge figures are much of a muchness when you take into account the number of NLCS girls who gain places for med/vet/dent or opt for engineering etc at Imperial.
I would always prioritise kindness over sharpness.

[Stroller]

Congratulations to your daughters and to your families on earning such a wonderful choice!

Thank you. Earning enough to pay for the seven year choice is daunting though. Thinking hard about it. Ditto CLSG (from which DD also has an offer). Also touching wood and wondering idly what we would do if 02/03 yielded TGS or HBS.

If anyone has lottery winnings sitting under a mattress and is feeling benevolent, the PM button is below left.

[Stroller]

I would always prioritise kindness over sharpness.

I agree, but if Jean Brodie meant sharpness in the sense of mental acuity, the traits don't have to be mutually exclusive.

[ConcernedDad]

Couple of disclaimers first : All points mentioned below are just my opinions based on my brief observations. DD1 is in SPGS, and I am definitely biased towards the school. So, please free to take with with pinches of salt if you think my opinions are biased.

Superconfused and Stroller, hearty congratulations to both you and your DDs for receiving offers from these two schools. Quoting one of my bosses - NLCS and SPGS are probably two best schools for girls in UK, if not in Europe. I think it is a rather strong statement as the schooling experience depends a lot on peers, and teachers. How do we know that DD doesn't end up with a bad apple as a teacher for her favorite subject? Even Harvard and MIT are known to have professors who are supposed to be quite poor in teaching skills or even knowledge.

I would try and highlight some of the common points between NLCS and SPGS :
- in spite of the schools being branded as highly academic, both schools go to extra lengths to ensure that learning is an enjoyable experience.
- Pastoral care is fabulous at both schools. Schools are aware that girls can be competitive, and they go to extra lengths to ensure that the competitive nature is channeled in a healthy way. E.g. SPGS doesn't publicize grade marks.In fact, they wouldn't even tell you /girls what are the highest marks in any subject.
- Having said that, both schools do encourage strong intellectual development, and there is no limit to what one can learn if the child is so inclined.
- Academic facilities and science labs are fabulous at both schools.
- Girls party a lot, and have a great time at both schools. All go through typical teenage issues. A number of parents complain that teenagers spend 99% of their time either sleeping, listening to music, or talking / messaging with their friends.
- there are a lot of girls who commute from North London to study at SPGS, and there are a reasonable number of girls who commute from West London to study at NLCS.

Having said that, commute time should be a very important factor in your decision making process. If your DD is likely to be active in Sports, Music or Art, then short commute time can be extremely useful.

Here are a few points where NLCS, in my opinion, scores over SPGS.
- While SPGS has excellent Gym, swimming pool, and very good sporting facilities for a central London school, it can not match with the sporting grounds of NLCS.
- NLCS offers International Baccalaureate as well as A levels. Don't have enough information, but some say IB is more useful for admission to American Universities. You at least have a choice.
- There is an opinion that NLCS emphasis a lot of more on Humanities and Arts. Having said that, a number of NLCS students get into Medicine.
- Choice of subjects at GCSE level seems to be wider at NLCS. You can see the lists in their web sites.
- There doesn't seem to be any quorum for offering a GCSE level subject in NLCS. This is however contradicted by another NLCS parent on this forum. You should check it. I understand that the required quorum at SPGS is four for offering a subject at GCSE level. There doesn't seem to be any quorum at A level.

Here are a few points in which SPGS, in my opinion, scores over NLCS.
- SPGS starts at Year 7. So, everyone starts afresh at the school. While Bute House does tend to send 18-20 children each year, they get distributed across 10 teaching groups of 10-11 students. About 40% of NLCS are from their own primary school.
- Because of either real or perceived high standards of admission process, a number of parents tend to chose SPGS over NLCS if they have the fortunate choice. This maybe self-fulfilling at times.
- SPGS tends to focus more on science and technology. Having said that, it emphasis massively on Music (priding on Gustav Holst legacy), and Art.
- Not sure how the co-ordination and sharing of teaching staff works between NLCS, London and NLCS, Jeju. But, SPGS does not have any affiliates or branches.
- Being so closely situated to Thames, SPGS emphasizes a lot on rowing.
- Some girls prefer no-uniform policy of SPGS. Please note that brand culture is specifically looked down upon. Girls are in PE dress, or simple t-shirt / shorts /jeans most of the time.
- SPGS, in my opinion, has a more diverse set of students and parents (shootmenow will probably shoot me now ).
- Alumni association is probably stronger. Paulina sounds better than ONL as such

All the best in your decision making process! I am sure your DD will thrive in whichever school she choses.

CD

[reader88]

Earning enough to pay for the seven year choice is daunting though.

I shared the same feeling when SPGS asked whether considering a fee-paying place.

SPGS has something unique touching the heart, and I trust it is worth every penny. If financially capable of paying 7 years, I would have been more than happy to accept the offer.

The fee is rising every year...

[Stroller]

ConcernedDad, that was an amazing post. Along with the perspectives Jean Brodie and Shootmenow have also contributed about how SPGS stacks up against other schools, this thread is becoming very useful. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience and insights.

If anyone could compare SPGS with City of London School for Girls from a similar vantage point (i.e. a daughter at each school), it would be very helpful too.

[shootmenow]

Great post ConcernedDad!
Just to clarify a few points-
NLCS is more diverse than SPGS and I speak to many families every year who chose it for that reason. It is a lot closer to the more ethnically diverse areas of London. As an ethnic minority myself, I love the rainbow feel of NLCS and how they accommodate for festivals.
It is also a lot less expensive.
Jeju hasn't been a drain on staff so far. When they go out there, they often return with interesting ideas from teaching in a co-ed school. Girls have the opportunity to do exchanges with Jeju and spend part of their gap year teaching and acting as boarding house big sisters. The Jeju franchaise also pays for bursaries for NLCS.
I'm a big fan of uniform. Most girls buy from the Good As New sale because the new sweatshirts are hard and itchy until they've been washed to death. It is a great leveler. The SPGS girls may all be wearing jeans and sweatshirts but the girls will know whose are JBrand and Abercrombie and whose are H&M.
IB is great for American unis but also allows girls to keep more options open for UK unis. The PreU path is also more rigorous and less perscriptive than A Levels.

This is all just splitting hairs, really. Parents need to see the schools again with their DDs and get a feel for where they will most at home.

[Guest55]

Concerned dad says: "SPGS, in my opinion, has a more diverse set of students and parents"

Shootmenow says: "NLCS is more diverse than SPGS"

I can't believe you are arguing about this! You can't both be right ...

[mad?]

Concerned dad says: "SPGS, in my opinion, has a more diverse set of students and parents"

Shootmenow says: "NLCS is more diverse than SPGS"

I can't believe you are arguing about this! You can't both be right ...

But they can both have gained this impression, based on their experiences of the schools