St Albans HS for Girls

[Punchbag]

The year 8 girl that showed us around St Albans on offer day - said the class sizes were 26/27. Just wanted to double check as it sounds quite high for a fee paying school?

[Daogroupie]

I think it is 25.

It is certainly not less than 25.

It used to be four classes of 25 but they added an extra class last year.

It seems unclear if there will be a fifth class this year.

Did that come up at the offer day at all? DG

[Punchbag]

Yes - they confirmed the extra class.

[avidskier]

I think normally it is 24/25 but it can stretch to 26/27. But the classes are only taught in the large group for certain subjects and this takes place during Y7-9 as they have a modular teaching system in place: So all creative subjects (music/art / food tech / drama) are taught in small groups of 16 max from Y7 onwards. And then it is streamed for Maths into seven sets from Y8 so the numbers go down to 10 to 16ish students per class.

Y9 onwards English is streamed into smaller groups (when we did it with DD1). We have DD2 going in to Y9 next year but haven’t yet heard about English streaming so don’t know if it is happening.

Then from Y10 (GCSE start) onwards there are 20 ish max per class.

The schools point of view is that there is such a narrow ability range that it makes sense to teach everyone together at the beginning.

It didn’t seem to bother our 2 girls too much. The tutors seemed on top of things both times we have been through it. From this year they have tried a new way of doing tutor time (house time and registration) they are split into groups of 10 or so across Y7/8 within their house for the first period.

Hope that helps?

[Punchbag]

Thanks Avidskier very helpful, much appreciated.

[Daogroupie]

Is it really such a narrow ability range?

I know 17 girls who sat this year and they all got offered a place.

Some are very very strong in both English and Maths and some are much weaker in one of the subjects and some must really have just got in.

It will be interesting to track the start of the extra class and see if it has any impact on results.

Will the extra class be every year now? DG

[Punchbag]

I'm was wondering that as well ... as I do not know anyone who has failed their exam or interview over the last three years and the ability of those girls who had been offered a place was very different. Some were unable to get places at other schools that they had applied to.

This was my concern - a mixed ability class of 26/27 children, for an expensive school outside of London.

[vinb7]

That's interesting - we are still debating STAHS with Laytmer. It's decision time!

[Daogroupie]

They are quite far away from each other. One must be better locationwise. DG

[avidskier]

I was quoting the school regarding the narrow ability range. Whilst STAHS no doubt has a slightly broader intake I would not say that the student body is of mixed ability along the entire spectrum?

My DD1’s year is a particularly able year (they beat Habs in their GCSE). My DD1 is rather middling in the year (never won any academic accolades) but managed to get a Cambridge offer. I gather my DD2 has quite a few exceptionally academic students in her year and DD thinks that some of them could be stretched more and some lessons should be delivered at a faster pace.. (but this is her opinion and I have not experienced this first hand)..

We never had a good state school option: rather think of a school where only 40% of kids get 5 GCSE and where the teachers spend most of the time dealing with behavioural issues rather than being able to teach. Hence they have an integrated exclusion unit..

Those that have a good state school offer are the lucky ones.

I would rather pay than have my kids educated somewhere that my neighbour described as a “war zone”. She had a daughter there and worked there as a dinner lady so knew the school well.

On the plus side if they had gone to the local state school then DD would possibly have received a lower Cambridge offer as it is on their special list of schools (Flag schools?) where Oxbridge are trying to increase accessibility.