Decision Time: Independent vs. Grammar

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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mz
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:50 pm

Decision Time: Independent vs. Grammar

Post by mz »

Dear Parents,

Decision time for us! My DD has been offered by Guildford High and Farnborough Hill, both with top scholarships and we’re still waiting for Kendrick’s results, hopefully she will get an offer from Kendrick on 3rd Marth.

In terms of overall performance,
Guildford High> Kendrick>Farnborough Hill

In terms of cost,
Guildford High 80%fee> Farnborough Hill 67%fee >> Kendrick (almost free only £500/year)

In terms of travel time
Farnborough Hill> Kendrick~Guildford High

Oxbridge offer rate
Guildford High: 20-30%
Kendrick: 10%
Farnborough Hill: need to find out

My question is how much better Guildford High is compared to Kendrick? Your advices would be highly appreciated.

mz
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

There are very few independent schools which have a 20-30% success rate at Oxbridge entrance so Guildford High must be very good academically. Apart from cost, I always think that if you've been offered an academic scholarship at a highly selective school then DC must be exceptionally bright and will probably meet more like-minded peers at that school. Scholars, in general, are often looked after well and given lots of enrichment because the school is investing in them intellectually. That is not to say that other pupils are not well looked after.

Guildford High's intake is academically far above Kendrick and even further above Farnborough.

I'll pm you some details.
FirstTimeBuyer
Posts: 271
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 10:34 am
Location: S East

Post by FirstTimeBuyer »

According to the Sutton Trust, the Oxbridge hit rate on average between 2001 and 2006 for Guildford was 21.9% and for Kendrick was 13%.
In ranking of schools that is 18th and 61st respectively.

However as Tipsy correctly points out, the intake to the former is likely to be much stronger, which might account for the entire difference in results and Oxbridge placements.
So the question is how much "value-added" is there by each?

Academically there may not be much difference in how your DD would fare, and it's a lot of money.
Could boil down to affordability against extras that Ind school provides, rather than academics, ie a very personal decision.
Good luck
Exams are formidable for the best prepared. The greatest fool may ask what the wisest man cannot answer.
mike1880
Posts: 2563
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Post by mike1880 »

Wrong school - 15.9 vs 13

Mike
Loopyloulou
Posts: 878
Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:20 pm

Post by Loopyloulou »

Congratulations to your DD mz!

Academics are important, and on that score I think you'll have to rule out Farnborough Hill in favour of Guildford High for a very bright child like yours unless you really want a Catholic education (and even then I don't think FH is particularly outstanding on that score either). Your DD's academic ability is such that it surely warrants the extra £3k a year that Guildford High will cost you.

Where Kendrick is concerned, the academics are much poorer than Guildford High's (and it's not just Oxbridge - Kendrick gets about 1/3 fewer of its students to the "second tier" universities too). But just as important are the other, non-academic, advantages that an education at a good independent school like Guildford High will offer. I've recently had to make a similar decision myself, and this was one major factor that swung things for me.

It's like the difference between a Picasso and a Picasso print - the original is worth every penny, if you can afford it :wink: .
Loopy
Thea
Posts: 250
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2005 4:01 pm
Location: Richmond

Post by Thea »

Hi - have no insight into the specific schools mentioned, but..... our DS was offered places @ various schools, and was considered a 'dead cert' for grammar if we waited one more year. In the end we took a deep breath, and because everyome told us he was exceptionally bright, we opted, a year ealrier than we had to, for the most academic (and costly!) independent, just to see what would happen. He has visibly grown taller ( poeple notice and tell us!) because he is SO HAPPY being with clever boys, and not having to hide his interest in learning. He is not a typical 'boffin' and so it was not obvious to us how much he needed that environment, where he was surrounded by curious, sparky, lively, academic boys - it has only become apparetn sinmce he has been there.
We are delighted with the outcome, but we could easily have missed it... So now I would say, if you have a child who really loves learning, aim high... ( you can't take the cash with you....)
Best Regards,
Thea
stevew61
Posts: 1786
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:54 pm
Location: caversham

Post by stevew61 »

Loopyloulou wrote:It's like the difference between a Picasso and a Picasso print - the original is worth every penny, if you can afford it :wink: .
Hi Loopy,

I am happy to respect your interesting opinion on different types of schools.

I really don't know why we bother with this elven plus business when all we get at the end of the day is a "copy" of the real thing. :)

steve

PS Putting :wink: on the end of a post that is offensive, arrogant, devisive, condescending... does not work, IMHO.
dinah
Posts: 147
Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2008 12:25 pm

Post by dinah »

I would agree that loopylooloo does make it sound like there is no substitute for an independent and that grammar children would be better off at an independent but what shame- they can't afford it. I suspect she didn't mean that. I hope so.There is no doubt that a grammar which selects from thousands of candidates is more likely to have a more academic intake than an independent that only selects from candidates that can afford to pay . De facto the number of applicants will be smaller and income is no determiner of ability.
I would take little notice of the number of Oxbridge successes a school boasts about as a very good grammar will have the kind of pupils who will make very original choices about course and universities. Grammars often have pupils who choose not to attempt Oxbridge because they simply have more creative thoughts about their degrees. Indies tend to promote Oxbridge as the be all and end all because a high number of successes in this catagory will seduce parents into accepting a place for their child in Year 7.We all know there is more to a school than that.
Sassie'sDad
Posts: 459
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: Rugby

Post by Sassie'sDad »

There is a lot of conceit about the value of GS and in my opinion the academic ability of these schools is declining. I for one am glad that Warwickshire has changed the entrance criteria to demand more intelectual ability than formerly.
There is much snobbery and inverted snobbery about these schools and Independants. They have never had academic distinction as the sole purpose.
As for Oxbridge much the same applies. Oxford students by and large spend their whole course in College accomodation. I wouldn't pass up the chance!
solimum
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Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 3:09 pm
Location: Solihull, West Midlands

Post by solimum »

Oxford students by and large spend their whole course in College accomodation
Not necessarily true - my son has already arranged a private rented house with a group of friends for his second year . And I'm not quite sure what the point is - the Oxbridge college experience is great, but the standard of rooms/ catering etc varies widely across and within colleges and is not (IMHO) the overriding reason for choosing to study at either place. O & C ideally cater for the brightest from ANY kind of school, not just the unimaginative scions of the rich who progress smoothly from prep to boarding to Daddy's college to Daddy's bank (ha ha!! are we allowed to be rude about bankers here???)
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