Independent schools for boys in North West Kent area
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reginaphalangie
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:31 pm
- Location: North West Kent
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T.i.p.s.y
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reginaphalangie
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:31 pm
- Location: North West Kent
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reginaphalangie
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:31 pm
- Location: North West Kent
Not sure I am thinking of the right area, but would Trinity school in Croydon be do-able. There are plenty of boys from Kent go there as it is over towards Shirley. It is a very reasonably priced boys independent (as these things go-currently 11,200 per year). It is selective but tends to take a lot of boys who don't make grammar and they have very generous bursary scheme and lovely facilities. It is a lovely school, but was just too far away for us
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Kent99
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reginaphalangie
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:31 pm
- Location: North West Kent
My impressions:
Sackville - think it is good for boys needing some extra intensive teaching that they may not receive in a state non-selective. But their results are APPALLING - so assuming their teaching is good, it really must be the low ability end that pay to go there. People I know of who use it like it, and value the education it provides, but they are children who really struggled elsewhere.
Sutton Valence - not great results - know a large wealthy family that goes there - if I met them on the street and did not know which school they went to I would have thought they were in the very bottom stream of an extremely poor state school - I don't know what they pay the money for. I have had better conversations with a brick wall. Whenever I see this school in the league tables I wonder why people pay for it. Think it is great for sporting opportunities, and a very "party, party, nightclub" school in the later years
Lingfield Notre Dame - I think it is a bit "flatter and deceive" in the upper school, and I have heard from people who attend the junior dept who are trying to get into the state sector for secondary that they have "ways and means" of making their GCSE and A' level scores look better than they are. I think this is one of those schools where the children from the prep school go elsewhere if they can, and I'm not sure how much effort goes into the senior school. Look in detail at their A' level results (pupil by pupil, subject by subject) and I think you would be disappointed
There do seem to be small girls' independents in Kent which "lift" their results to better than they may have got in a non-selective state school, but I'm not sure about the equivalent for boys. Perhaps the approach does not in general work with boys - they just get what they are capable of rather than swatting away to exceed expectations? Where do you live? Have you tried looking over the border into other counties for good truly comprehensive schools e.g. Oxted School in Surrey ------- if you look at their real A' level results they are much better than many of the non-selective independents in the area.
Is your local non-selective school really that bad? And how about going for performing arts and heading at 13+ for the Brit School in Croydon!!
Sevenoaks and Tonbridge are of course extremely good schools, but if you think that your son is not likely to pass the 11+ what chance of getting in to them. I know Tipsy says that anecdotally some kids who could not pass the 11+ are in there, but it's true of certain independents that certain people would always be accepted e.g. royalty
Why not spend a ton of money on the 11+ coaching now, and save vast amounts on fees for mediocre independents later.
Which year is your son in currently? Maybe try Hazelwood School (Surrey but close to Kent border) for a small number of years for preparation for both the 11+ and 13+ (a mixed independent), or Laverock in Oxted (girls school that now takes boys) for preparation for both 11+ and 13+.
Your son might be a "late developer" and get into a grammar school at 12 or 13.
Good luck
Sackville - think it is good for boys needing some extra intensive teaching that they may not receive in a state non-selective. But their results are APPALLING - so assuming their teaching is good, it really must be the low ability end that pay to go there. People I know of who use it like it, and value the education it provides, but they are children who really struggled elsewhere.
Sutton Valence - not great results - know a large wealthy family that goes there - if I met them on the street and did not know which school they went to I would have thought they were in the very bottom stream of an extremely poor state school - I don't know what they pay the money for. I have had better conversations with a brick wall. Whenever I see this school in the league tables I wonder why people pay for it. Think it is great for sporting opportunities, and a very "party, party, nightclub" school in the later years
Lingfield Notre Dame - I think it is a bit "flatter and deceive" in the upper school, and I have heard from people who attend the junior dept who are trying to get into the state sector for secondary that they have "ways and means" of making their GCSE and A' level scores look better than they are. I think this is one of those schools where the children from the prep school go elsewhere if they can, and I'm not sure how much effort goes into the senior school. Look in detail at their A' level results (pupil by pupil, subject by subject) and I think you would be disappointed
There do seem to be small girls' independents in Kent which "lift" their results to better than they may have got in a non-selective state school, but I'm not sure about the equivalent for boys. Perhaps the approach does not in general work with boys - they just get what they are capable of rather than swatting away to exceed expectations? Where do you live? Have you tried looking over the border into other counties for good truly comprehensive schools e.g. Oxted School in Surrey ------- if you look at their real A' level results they are much better than many of the non-selective independents in the area.
Is your local non-selective school really that bad? And how about going for performing arts and heading at 13+ for the Brit School in Croydon!!
Sevenoaks and Tonbridge are of course extremely good schools, but if you think that your son is not likely to pass the 11+ what chance of getting in to them. I know Tipsy says that anecdotally some kids who could not pass the 11+ are in there, but it's true of certain independents that certain people would always be accepted e.g. royalty
Why not spend a ton of money on the 11+ coaching now, and save vast amounts on fees for mediocre independents later.
Which year is your son in currently? Maybe try Hazelwood School (Surrey but close to Kent border) for a small number of years for preparation for both the 11+ and 13+ (a mixed independent), or Laverock in Oxted (girls school that now takes boys) for preparation for both 11+ and 13+.
Your son might be a "late developer" and get into a grammar school at 12 or 13.
Good luck
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Bexley Mum 2
- Posts: 851
- Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
- Location: Bexley
I think if a child is not particularly academic, spending a ton of money on 11+ coaching now would be a huge mistake. I don't think parents should try to get their children into grammar schools by whatever means possible and I feel rather uncomfortable at the extent of coaching a small number of people using this site advocate. I think an involved, switched-on parent is able to make a good assessment of whether or not their child is GS material and, if they think they are, then practice with them/send them a tutor so they are prepared enough to level the playing field with all the other coached children sitting the tests and make sure they get a GS place.
Guest 55 has, I think, referred to children who should not be at GS and my own year 9 boy is aware of a couple of boys in his year who really struggle with everything. It can't be much fun for them.
Reginaphalangie - not sure exactly where you are located, but would Colfe's (Eltham) be any good? Their fees are around the £11k pa mark. They do offer academic, music and sport scholarships, but only a few substantial ones, I think the majority are around 15/20%. They do maths and english entrance tests which I don't think are particularly hard. The sample maths paper I saw was quite easy, with, of course, a smattering of killer questions presumably to pick out the scholarship children. It's a lovely, lovely school and gets good results.
Guest 55 has, I think, referred to children who should not be at GS and my own year 9 boy is aware of a couple of boys in his year who really struggle with everything. It can't be much fun for them.
Reginaphalangie - not sure exactly where you are located, but would Colfe's (Eltham) be any good? Their fees are around the £11k pa mark. They do offer academic, music and sport scholarships, but only a few substantial ones, I think the majority are around 15/20%. They do maths and english entrance tests which I don't think are particularly hard. The sample maths paper I saw was quite easy, with, of course, a smattering of killer questions presumably to pick out the scholarship children. It's a lovely, lovely school and gets good results.
