Secondary schools

[Monkey]

I?ve started looking at secondary schools, including the two Charters, Harris Girls, Kingsdale and Sydenham School. It?s becoming another full-time job. Any others I should add to my list, which are worth seeing and which i?ve got even if only the tiniest bit of chance of getting into? I live by Goodrich School. Thanks!

[Soylent Green]

Deptford Green

[goldilocks]

Elm Green?

[hazelnunhead]

Good luck - i remember this process last year well! As you mention Harris Girls i will leave out boys only schools.

There is also Prendergast (Brockely) and they have some other schools under this umbrella - but the Brockley one is oversubscribed so it is strictly on distance

Deptford Green (not on your list)

Haberdashers (Telegrpah hill / Deptford) - also a small catchment area though

If your child is musical you can sit a test at Prendergast as well as Kingsdale (and Kingsdale also offers sports shcolarships). There are places for musical scholarships at Prendergast which are then not based on distance.

Prendergast has a written test that your child can sit which you can aquaint yourself with (not like me who looked at this the night before!) if they get sufficient marks for that then they can do an audition.

[jimbo1964]

If you live by Goodrich, Charter might be unlikely on distance. A lot of girls got into Sydenham and a reasonable number into Kingsdale.

Brace yourself for the headmaster and co's very tiresome address at the Kingsdale open day.

[Monkey]

Thanks all. That?s very helpful.

I?ve listened to the K. address already (twice in the same day!) 😊

Generally speaking I find the addresses pretty annoying. I get schools which have moved to a lottery system telling me how they?ve improved outcomes (when they?ve found a way to recruit a different cohort)and schools which operate a catchment in super wealthy areas telling me how amazing they are (when they should really give some kids from further afield a bit of a chance).

I think i?m Open Dayed out.

[jimbo1964]

I found the selection process very suspicious. Anyway good luck. All the kids I know who left Y6 seem reasonably happy wherever they've ended up. Although one girl (at a girl's only school) is missing the boys larking about.

[jane100]

For Prendergast Hilly Fields (the girls only in Brockley) yes the catchment is very small. There are a few music scholarship places. I don?t know if it?s changed but when my daughter went through it two years ago there were 12 places. Firstly they sat a music aptitude test which lasted about 45 minutes. Of those 65 were chosen to audition. Of those 12 were offered music places, although not everyone takes the place up.

[jane100]

Monkey Wrote

>

> Generally speaking I find the addresses pretty

> annoying. I get schools which have moved to a

> lottery system telling me how they?ve improved

> outcomes (when they?ve found a way to recruit a

> different cohort)and schools which operate a

> catchment in super wealthy areas telling me how

> amazing they are (when they should really give

> some kids from further afield a bit of a chance).

>

> I think i?m Open Dayed out.

I have to agree with you, it?s very difficult to compare like for like when the schools have very different entry criteria. Banding and scholarships mean a school can adjust the cohort - you can?t blame them, but it?s a bit tiresome hearing schools boast about their amazing results when they are selecting their intake. Let?s just be honest about it!

[tomskip]

I can't recommend Sydenham School enough. And it is a properly comprehensive school with a transparent admissions process, which is refreshing! It's nice to go to school music concerts and see girls playing the drums and bass guitar, for example. Girls play Rugby there. There's a lot of after school clubs. The pastoral care is excellent. And now they have a beautiful new building and refurbished grounds as well.

[Monkey]

I agree that Sydenham School is refreshing! Beautiful buildings and the girls are really lovely.

We?re already out of this year?s catchment and if it shrinks further, we?re screwed.

Seeing Harris ED tomorrow. We already saw it last year and are really looking forward to seeing the team again.

Thank you for all your help and suggestions.

[kristymac1]

Monkey Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Seeing Harris ED tomorrow. We already saw it last

> year and are really looking forward to seeing the

> team again.

Hi Monkey, as you know my daughter has just started at Harris ED and so far she loves it, the staff are very engaging and super supportive. There is lots of extra-curricular activities for the girls to do, my daughter has opted for netball and climbing (all free). She also has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument of her choice (including drums)and receives small group tuition every week for free.

We are very impressed so far (early days I know but no reason to feel anything other than really positive).

I think they had a weird entry system in the last couple of years - part banding & distance /part banding & lottery, Carrie Senior the headmistress (who we have found to be very impressive) suggested last year that she wanted to move away from this as it was overly complicated - perhaps ask what the entry criteria will be for this year?

Good luck!

[Monkey]

Hi all, just back from Harris Girls ED and absolutely loved it, even more so than I did last year. Very, very warm staff, very sharp. The curriculum is broadening, they?ve improved their library, opened up a bookshop and started their own publishing house. The head of art is very impressive as is the head who made herself available for questions.

I really suggest people go and visit. This school is often overlooked and really shouldn?t be.

[Monkey]

Aarhhh Kristy - forgot to ask about admission policy! Damn it. I?ll just call them or email. Thanks!

[Dodo1]

Don't forget:

Greycoats (girls)

Kingsdale

Cardinal Vaughan (boys)

[Monkey]

Thank you. We?ve done Kingsdale. I?m aware of CV as a colleague?s nephew is there but I have only one girl. I had completely forgotten about Greycoat. I?ll have to check it out. Thanks!

[Dodo1]

Get there early!

[Andrea2881]

I see this post is from September, but also found Harris Girls ED impressive! We visited a few weeks ago. I was not expecting to like Harris ED so much but my daughter, my mother (who is visiting from the USA) and me all agreed Harris ED was tops. We also visited Kingsdale and found the Head's talk far too long, people were actually walking out before it was over (they showed a video of him speaking. We visited Grey Coats today and it its lovely...very academic but could be good for the right girl.

[Monkey]

I?m glad your research is going well, Andrea. And glad you like Harris too. I like the fact it?s small and the head face the best speech out of all them l, I think.

[kamath]

Has anybody got a child at Elm Green school? I went to visit and thought it was great.

[newtose22]

I don't but a friend's daughter is there and they love it.

[cactus]

I have a child in Year 9 at Elmgreen, we love it too.