St Helen's v Watford Grammar

[Middlesexmum]

My dd is currently in Year 11 at St Helen's. She is happy there but wanted to consider other schools just to compare. She has been offered a place at Watford Girls which we have to accept by 13th January.

She is still undecided and it feels too early to make a final decision.

Her subjects are English and History and she is still wavering on the third. One advantage of Watford is that they offer Sociology which is the third subject she has been offered. At St Helen's they have to choose 4 and do an AS in one subject in Year 12 before dropping it (although I suppose that's not compulsory). Her third subject at St Helen's would be either Psychology or Government and Politics neither of which she's mad keen on.

If we accept the Watford place, is she committed to going there as long as she gets the grades?

[Booklady]

I think you can hold as many as you want. My DD was in BHS, we also held places at Wycombe Girls and Newlands before making final decisions when she had her results (and after the try out days).
She ended up staying at BHS.

[Middlesexmum]

Actually reading the letter again, it says to accept the place by 13th January but after GCSE results are out you have to confirm the place by 25th August otherwise the offer will be withdrawn.

We don't want to mess around Watford especially as it is dd3's first choice of school. She is currently Year 5 so will be sitting the exam this coming September.

[scary mum]

It's not messing them around. They will have a lot of people accepting places who do not take them up.

[tense]

Middlesexmum - don't worry about it at all, your DD can accept now & change her mind at a later date. It certainly won't have any impact on DD3.

My DD accepted a place a couple of years ago, then decided in June/July not to take it up. She contacted the school but was still on the class lists for September!

[Middlesexmum]

Thank you, we will send the forms off in that case.

[Middlesexmum]

Update after dd attending a Taster Day today.

She surprised herself by really liking the school. She said the girls were friendly, there was a nice atmosphere and a big intake of new girls in Year 12.

I was surprised that only 40 girls move up to the sixth form from Year 11. Is there a reason for this? Where do they all go?

She's having a dilemma now and doesn't want the decision to be hanging over her head with GCSEs coming up soon. And I would have to give a term's notice to St Helen's so that would be the end of this term.

Dd really liked the trial Sociology lesson, they don't offer it at St Helen's.

They are very different schools I know, and WGGS has much more of an urban feel and less green space.