RGS, FORT PITT AND CHATHAM GRAMMAR 4 GIRLS - OPINIONS PLEASE
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INONOTHING
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RGS, FORT PITT AND CHATHAM GRAMMAR 4 GIRLS - OPINIONS PLEASE
hi all
i have looked round at these schools and i must say i was impressed by them all - i think they are all good schools with lots to offer
i know the norm is to say 'see where you think your child would fit in best' but i am afraid i can't seem to step back from it enough to see that
i do like rgs very much as it is better location wise for us and my daughter plays a musical instrument but i am a little concerned as i have heard they push the girls very much there
i would really appreciate any comments on these three schools - if you are currently in the process of choosing - or if you have girls there or know girls that go there
by the way my daughter likes all the schools so i think i am lucky and feel she would be happy at any of them
many thanks for any comments/advice
inonothing x
i have looked round at these schools and i must say i was impressed by them all - i think they are all good schools with lots to offer
i know the norm is to say 'see where you think your child would fit in best' but i am afraid i can't seem to step back from it enough to see that
i do like rgs very much as it is better location wise for us and my daughter plays a musical instrument but i am a little concerned as i have heard they push the girls very much there
i would really appreciate any comments on these three schools - if you are currently in the process of choosing - or if you have girls there or know girls that go there
by the way my daughter likes all the schools so i think i am lucky and feel she would be happy at any of them
many thanks for any comments/advice
inonothing x
Personally, I think if you and your daughter like all of the schools equally, then I would definitely go for the easiest/shortest distance. It will make life easier and the day shorter for her. You are right, all of the schools are good. My dd liked them all when she made her choice a couple of years ago, but one stood out above them all for her and for us - you are not in this position so I would say make life easier for you all and go for the convenience. 
I know RGS has a reputation as a very hard working school, but I think if your dd is very 'academic' and a hard worker, she will be fine. My dd has friends there that are like this and they enjoy it.
I know RGS has a reputation as a very hard working school, but I think if your dd is very 'academic' and a hard worker, she will be fine. My dd has friends there that are like this and they enjoy it.
I only looked at Chatham girls.
I really loved the school.
However! When I attempted to phone the school with some questions the next day, we could not get past the secretary to speak to the head. While I appreciate he is a busy man, I felt that if they were prepared to do this while trying to "sell" the school, so to speak, what would it be like if I had a pupil at the school? Would they be any better? Also, while speaking to the SENco (my daughter is SEN) she gave me 2 pieces of info verbally that turned out to be entirely incorrect.
I really loved the school.
However! When I attempted to phone the school with some questions the next day, we could not get past the secretary to speak to the head. While I appreciate he is a busy man, I felt that if they were prepared to do this while trying to "sell" the school, so to speak, what would it be like if I had a pupil at the school? Would they be any better? Also, while speaking to the SENco (my daughter is SEN) she gave me 2 pieces of info verbally that turned out to be entirely incorrect.
flavour of the year
I dont really think there is a bad grammar in the medway so ask your daughter to choose, if she cant then i would also go for most convenient option. I liked chatham girls when my eldest child was going to secondary but it meant changing buses. So we didnt put it down.
Ive been reading all the posts about peoples experiences when visiting the schools this year and listening to the views of parents outside the primary school. It appears that these opinions change yearly, this year chatham boys and fort pitt seem to be making more of an impression than shall we say "the usual suspects" - Thats great in that parents are going in with a fresh mind which i think is really important when you visit a school. Listen to others but go in with an open mind, ask lots of questions and decide for yourself. Sometimes easier said than done i know
Ive been reading all the posts about peoples experiences when visiting the schools this year and listening to the views of parents outside the primary school. It appears that these opinions change yearly, this year chatham boys and fort pitt seem to be making more of an impression than shall we say "the usual suspects" - Thats great in that parents are going in with a fresh mind which i think is really important when you visit a school. Listen to others but go in with an open mind, ask lots of questions and decide for yourself. Sometimes easier said than done i know
We are struggling at the moment between RGS and Fort Pitt as both schools seems to offer such good opportunities and prospects. RGS has slightly better results but we realise that this isn't the be-all and end-all. I think at the end of the day it will probably come down to which is the closest (one is 15 minutes away whilst the other is 30 minutes) or whether she prefers a pink blouse or blue kilt 
.
.The lovely thing is that the choice is so good. We looked at the paperwork type stuff before visiting, Ofsted reports etc.
In our case we went by what I can only describe as "feel" and for us it was Fort Pitt. We loved it on the Open Evening and felt even better after visiting this week.
There are many other posts on the schools in the forum and these were very helpful too. I was very grateful to those who pmed me. But nothing beats being there on a normal day and at Fort Pitt we were just blown away by what I can only describe as the happiness we felt there and that was expressed by the students who guided us.
But wherever you choose I am sure your dd will love it.
In our case we went by what I can only describe as "feel" and for us it was Fort Pitt. We loved it on the Open Evening and felt even better after visiting this week.
There are many other posts on the schools in the forum and these were very helpful too. I was very grateful to those who pmed me. But nothing beats being there on a normal day and at Fort Pitt we were just blown away by what I can only describe as the happiness we felt there and that was expressed by the students who guided us.
But wherever you choose I am sure your dd will love it.
having had one daughter recently leave RGS having gone through the entire 7 years there, I have to say we are leaning towards Fort Pitt.
While you cannot dispute academic results, and I understand FP are running a close second, I think the atmosphere offered by a School is critical, and in the opinion of former pupils I have spoken with you don't get that at RGS like you used to. There was a feeling that the spirit of the school was definitely on the wane among pupils and some staff. I definitely think that the head at FP is dynamic and very approachable from what I have experienced.
While you cannot dispute academic results, and I understand FP are running a close second, I think the atmosphere offered by a School is critical, and in the opinion of former pupils I have spoken with you don't get that at RGS like you used to. There was a feeling that the spirit of the school was definitely on the wane among pupils and some staff. I definitely think that the head at FP is dynamic and very approachable from what I have experienced.
