Kingsdale

[NunheadSophie]

We're right near the top of the Kingsdale waiting list now, so it's feeling more likely that we'll get a place. My child is happy with the place they got (2nd choice) and doesn't know if they want to go to Kingsdale any more, even though they put it first. The big difference is single sex vs mixed school and being able to walk vs getting a bus. Any current parents that can share their views on the good and bad of Kingsdale? I'm a little nervous about the size, my child is quite shy and i'm worried they'll get lost with all those kids. 

[tiddles]

I know lots of children who have gone there very happily. Secondary schools are quite a big change however I believe that year 7’s are given their own playground so as not to be overwhelmed by the big kids (hopefully still the case) they soon get used to the hurly burly of big school. I went to a single sex school so was adamant that mine would go to mixed!!! Good luck 

[NunheadSophie]

Ha! I went to a single sex school and loved it! 🙂 Thanks for the input very helpful.

[redjam]

My older daughter went to Kingsdale and had a great time there, and I thought it was very good too: brilliant for music/extracurricular stuff, generally very good academically and pastorally, and they responded incredibly well during the pandemic. We made the decision not to send our younger daughter there as we thought it would be too big for her - she is also quite shy. However, in retrospect I think she would have been absolutely fine and she would have found her tribe (in fact in some ways I think it's easier to lose yourself in a crowd in a bigger school anyway). I slightly regret not sending her there as overall I preferred Kingsdale to where she ended up.

The travel to Kingsdale is a bit of a pain but they get used to it quickly. As the earlier poster says, wherever they go it feels like a huge step up, but they adapt incredibly quickly. Good luck!