11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi all,
We are looking at those schools for our sporty DD. she also likes art, drama and music at leisure level. we have not managed to see the schools this year and are looking for some advice/feel to sort them out by preference.
Alleyn's and PHS are on first look favourites, but do not feel we have seen enough and/or have enough info. we are from continental Europe and do not speak English at home. DD is currently at a state school, which is quite international and diverse, we enjoy and would ideally find a close/similar environment. thank you !

I know JAGs and Alleyns well - cannot comment on the other 2.

TBH they will all have excellent sports/art/drama/music provision? JAGs and Alleyns both have theatres and decent grounds. Slightly easier to make the teams at Alleyns simply because there is a smaller pool of girls?

Depends what you mean by diverse. If you mean racially then JAGs might be slightly more mixed than Alleyns?

Alleyns is certainly very international though and has a lot of bilingual kids.

Of the 2 schools I think JAGS tends to pull more state school entrants at 11+ although am not sure. Of the Alleyns entrants they always used to say a third from the junior school, a third form prep schools and a third from primaries - not sure that's still correct though?

Hi !
thank you very much.
I meant diverse in any way, including racially diverse yes.
Do you have DC at both ?

Hello

Yes, I think JAGS, Alleyn's and WHS all have quite a diverse intake with generous bursaries. I'm not sure about PHS. I would agree that all 4 schools cater well for the arts and sport, although you may find a focus on specific sport at one or the other. PHS play Lacrosse for example.

Good luck with the process, all a bit different this year!

All great schools but in my experience Alleyns is really part of the community. Very close to the train station, so a lot of students come on public transport and interact with the community instead of being whisked in and out by car. They also did a great series of public lectures last year which I attended, including one by the Head. The hall was absolutely packed and most left on foot.

Plenty of state school students and great Sport, Music and Drama.

Can't go wrong with Alleyns, but I am sure the others are very strong too. DG

just wanted to come back after DAO's comments.

DAO is mainly a North London specialist (as the name suggests). Am not at all sure where the perspective that Alleyns is part of the community etc etc comes from.

All of these schools will have a large % of kids coming in by public transport and school buses, - how that means that any one of them could be perceived to be really part of the community I don't know? (Most left on foot - probably because the parking near school is so terrible that they parked a few streets away?) And JAGS is actually nearer the station.....

I love Alleyns (And am a current parent) but I think the comments re sport, music, drama, state school entrants could equally be applied to JAGS (and I'm sure the other schools). The ethos of each school is very different and the key is to find the one that will most suit your own child?

Anyone looking to make a decision needs to speak to people who actually have kids at these schools and not rely on the evidence of someone who attended a lecture in one of them once.

Gosh!

Please read what I said, which was that I was sure that other schools are equally strong, but I know a lot more about Alleyns which is not just based on attending lectures there. DG