Just realised I did not reply re Graveney. There’s a lot to be said for a local option. As someone else has pointed out, Croydon is a long way away. The journey takes a good 2 hours (total) out of our son’s day and means he has to get up very early. And Graveney is a good school, but without the same sports offering, although this can be partially filled by local clubs.

If I were in your position I would really consider sending my son to Graveney, see how it works out and maybe have him sit the 13+. Lots of boys leave/join Whitgift and Trinity in Year 9, so he would be one of many. However, the numbers seeking Year 9 places as opposed to Years 6/7 may well increase as cash-strapped parents reallocate their school fee funds over fewer years.

Another alternative would be to join one of these schools in the sixth form.

Just realised I did not reply re Graveney. There’s a lot to be said for a local option. As someone else has pointed out, Croydon is a long way away. The journey takes a good 2 hours (total) out of our son’s day and means he has to get up very early. And Graveney is a good school, but without the same sports offering, although this can be partially filled by local clubs.

If I were in your position I would really consider sending my son to Graveney, see how it works out and maybe have him sit the 13+. Lots of boys leave/join Whitgift and Trinity in Year 9, so he would be one of many. However, the numbers seeking Year 9 places as opposed to Years 6/7 may well increase as cash-strapped parents reallocate their school fee funds over fewer years.

Another alternative would be to join one of these schools in the sixth form.

What she said.

My son is v sporty, got into both, chose Trinity. Loves the sports opportunities Trinity offers. Teaching is excellent with outstanding areas including languages and music. The mixed sixth form permeates the school culture - girls are not aliens to be sniggered about or feared.

The school building gets a bashing but it’s actually a fantastically well-designed space for a 21st century school. Everything close together so less wasted time and rushing between lessons, corridors are wide, classrooms are spacious with lots of daylight. Canteen food gets a big thumbs up, too.

Whitgift is also a great school and prettier. As a visiting parent its no-expense-spared facilities are seductive. It is bigger and requires strict rules to run smoothly which is good for boys who need a firm hand, but not only for those.

Main differences Coed vs Single Sex
Language offering is more diverse at Whitgift and I assume Trinity
Sport hugely better at Whitgift and Trinity
Lunch better at W&T

Commute to Croydon is not great but doable

£30K a year and rising is a lot of money though

Hi. This may be an impossible question to answer but thought I’d try. IF we were fortunate enough to get an offer from Trinity / Whitgift and from Graveney (WT place) can anybody shed any light on the true differences (price aside)? We have been very fixed on independent but our son is developing a preference for Graveney, a lot of which is driven from the fact it is so much closer (short cycle rather than train / school bus to the others), he knows others going and he liked their art rooms. We are not there yet but are hopeful for offers and am trying to make the right decision whilst feeling very confused. In truth I think he could flourish anywhere as he is a well rounded bright kid with a lot of diverse interests but I just can’t quite put my hand on the true differences. Any insights would be most welcome as I dont want to make the wrong decision when offers are on the table and there is only a matter of days to decide.

Hi,

We have a boy in year 7 at Whitgift, he started in year 6. Wanted to clarify regarding transport- the boys are NOT collected at south Croydon and walked to school! They make their own way there- it is about a 5 min ish walk at pace. On the way home there are sometimes ‘walking buses’ and staff members around the area to help keep it safer.

Most kids who take public transport go from SC and change at East Croydon. My son has always taken the train and it’s been okay. The school are very aware of incidents and safety and are trying to make it safer by increasing patrols and staff around, but it’s an ongoing issue. That said, there are also many problems at CJ and around Northcote rd/Wandsworth common so it’s not a Croydon problem per se.

Re sport. My son is incredibly sporty. Loves sport. In year 6, before he went into year 7, he was playing pretty much top team in 2/3 main sports… a word of warning. The school (obviously) massively increases at year 7 and suddenly a kid who is pretty good at sport (and my son is, he plays externally in 2 sports and is good!) he is suddenly not in the A/B teams for his two top sports… Luckily he’s ok with it and determined to work hard and get better, but he’s a bit sad not to have played any matches in these sports this term. There are loads of opportunities for lower teams but be warned- it is hardcore in terms of ability. Their main sport this term is rugby and to be fair, there have been fixtures for A-E teams in this, and he’s in a reasonable team for this- he just much prefers the other two sports!

Most sports staff however are excellent and fair, and they do assess and change things a lot, so it’s all fine, but just v v competitive.

It is strict. But not unreasonably so. My son had a few detentions in year 6, but he finds it ok. Academically he was near the top in his state primary school, Whitgift he is definitely more middle of the road which says a lot! Good luck.

Not having a child at Trinity I can’t comment on it as a school. However having two boys at Whitgift I’d just like to correct some errors in an earlier post!
Whitgift has teams from A to E in pretty much every sport in the first few years and encourages as many boys as possible to take part. Just as much effort is given to the A’s as the E’s which is why it won Sport School of the Year in 2021 knocking Millfield off the top spot for the first time in ages.
I would say that every boy is given the chance to try new sports at Whitgift and definitely given a chance to shine. One of my sons is lucky enough to play football with a lot of the academy boys and really values the interaction - he is definitely not at that standard!
From my experience, a big difference is that Whitgift is very strict. And I believe from what others have told me Trinity not so much. For my boys they need the boundaries and so it suits them but I know for many others, they would struggle.
I would advise you to go and look at both schools, speak to the boys there and go with your gut if you are lucky enough to be in the position to have a choice.
Both schools are amazing and your son will do well at either. And if for any reason he doesn’t you can always change!

hello there, I have to boys at Trinity, they also had places at Trinity. but at the time chose Trinity over because it seems more nurturing, friendly and more academic, it felt more balanced and rounded than Whitgift, and we liked the coed sixth form, the school had buzz and a community feel, the staff seem to get on well and know the families. Lots of siblings which we thought was nice. it's a bit smaller, it felt less like a traditional lads' rugby school, it depends what you like. I understand that over the years, whitgift has evolved is actually less "sport" oriented and more academic orientated. Whitgift is also again changing Headmaster's whether you mind or not.
on the whole, both schools have a lot to offer in their own style. for us, it was quite easy, and I am sure your son will have some clear idea of where he wants to go should he have the choice.
I also thought that Whitgift was not terribly flexible regarding some of the options, or at least how to combine them. for example you had to take Korean, and had to choose between french and spanish, couldnt learn both. it may have changed.

you'll be spoiled if you are in a position to choose between those two !

Thank you! This is all super helpful responses and very insightful information regardarding Trinity, Great to know not everyone does music which was my concern that you have to be a musical genuis.

How did your boys find the commute to East Croydon? Have heard Whitfgift boys are met at south Crydon station and walked to school. Is this the same for Trinity?

Another important thing I forgot to mention and which swayed our decision back then is the fact that Trinity has a coed sixth form while Whitgift is all boys until the end. So it depends how you feel about single sex es. We thought a coed sixth form was a nice balance of both

I agree - Trinity is very sporty and amazing at rugby https://nappyvalleynet.com/trinity-scho ... p-winners/

Please ignore the tutor's response as he seems to have no idea and obviously here to promote his tutoring services any way he can. I imagine he had a few children from these schools and has formed his opinion based on a couple of kids. His post is misleading

I'm an actual parent so hope can clarify some things. We chose Trinity over Whitgift a few years ago as Trinity was more academic and had better academic results. I believe the gap in terms of academic achievement is much smaller these days and, having many friends with kids in Whitgift, I believe they are both excellent schools.

First let me correct one thing - Trinity is incredibly sporty and the facilities are on par with Whitgift facilities. My son is very sporty and sport is his life - he does sport 6 days a week (including th weekend). Trinity excels in rugby and hockey, as well as swimming and water polo. Their football team often wins national competition and two of the boys left only this year to join professional football teams. I suggest you speak to their Director of Sport to get a feel for their sport provision because it's the excellent. Also, Trinity tend to have several teams (A,B, C, D and often also E). They have fixtures for all these teams and all levels while Whitgift tends to invest mainly in A team, sometimes also B team. Unless you are top in a sport, it's harder to be part of the team and shine. Whitgift has many academy level kids on scholarships which means that it can be harder for "normal kids" to get into A or B teams.

Yes, Trinity is very musical and many boys play instruments or are in the choir. My boys ar not musical at all and dropped music at the first opportunity and it didn't matter at all.

Yes, the cultures of both schools are very different - Whitgift is bigger and more boisterous while Trinity is softer and calmer. However, both are very multicultural and have kids in bursaries which I think is lovely.

They are both excellent schools. I think the best thing is to arrange a daytime tour during school term to get a feel of the schools as they might match different personalities.

Both schools offer the same level of extracurricular activities - you can or try much do any club you can think of including climbing, ceramics, languages, e-sports, chess...

Hi, I have been running a tutoring company (HRB Education) based in SW London for a number of years. From students i have worked with from both schools, i would make this summary:

Both Whitgift and Trinity are excellent schools with strong reputations, so your choice would depend on your child's needs and strengths. Over the years, I’ve worked with students attending both, and while Whitgift’s larger campus and large extra-curricular programs (such as sports, especially rugby) offer great opportunities for students with broad interests.
Trinity’s more intimate setting can provide a more personalized academic environment. For students who thrive in a highly competitive atmosphere with top-tier facilities, Whitgift might be a better fit. On the other hand, Trinity’s close-knit community can be ideal for those who prefer a more supportive, focused learning experience.

We are busy looking at schools.
Why did you choose Whitgift over Trinity?
Have heard Whitgift is more sporty and tradtional, Trinity more musical. Trinity has a smaller intake and less boisterous?

Thank you