Alleyns or Jags for secondary school Post Reply

[annamarina]

Hello, my DD has offers from both schools. Does anybody have personal experience at these schools to share as finding it very difficult to choose which one to go for. Many thanks!

[Mel01]

Well done to your DD. We were in the same boat in 2012 and after much angst chose JAGS. Well, my dd chose JAGS. You can go round both schools for another look next week after half term. You need to make an appointment. We did it and found it very useful. We also did the schools back to back so the first was fresh in our mind. JAGS is by far the academic of the two schools. That is not to say Alleyns doesn't get good results but they have a much broader intake academically due to their admissions policy. JAGS is the more focused of the two schools and the girls are bright and buzzy. My dd is in yr 10 at JAGS and and loves it and says she's so pleased she went there. Hope this helps.

[Familycompleted]

Did either of your children go to state school before getting offers at Alleyn's/JAGS? Did you use tutors? Sorry but rather clueless with the system here and it's stressing us out a bit!

[Familycompleted]

And obviously, forgot to say - congrats to both of your DDs!! Amazing

[papinian]

Familycompleted: The Guide to Independent Schools says that approximate 30% of JAGS intake come from state schools and approx 30% from own prep, James Allen's Preparatory School. I guess that means that approx 40% come from other independent prep schools.
http://guidetoindependentschools.com/sc ... n-SE22-8TE

Alleyn's website says that about 1/3 of its secondary intake is from its own junior school and that the other two-thirds will be children joining from a wide spread of state primary schools and independent junior schools. It doesn't give a breakdown between state and independent.
http://www.alleyns.org.uk/section.aspx?id=13

Anecdotally, I know a few people who have sent their children to James Allen Prep School or to Alleyn's junior school because they say it is easier to get a place at secondary from there than apply from elsewhere at 11. For Alleyn's it is automatic. For James Allen Prep School I don't think it is automatic but I suspect more likely.

[Mel01]

My dd went to a prep school. She didn't have a tutor but I did get her to do papers at home to prepare for entrance exams in run up to the exams. Mostly to eliminate all the silly mistakes and make her read the questions carefully. The JAGS papers are quite short on time so you need to be sound on your stuff. Alleyns exam in contrast is much more leisurely and my dd said she even did the Alleyns one in her neatest handwriting! The interview at Alleyns is quite important in their selection process. Both are very good schools and at the time it was a tough decision but I'm glad we chose JAGS.

[Mel01]

At Alleyns it is automatic transfer from the prep to senior school. Also, it is virtually automatic for siblings from outside. Never known a sibling to be turned down. At JAGS it not automatic but the JAPS girls only have to pass the entrance exam. Whether this situation will change with new head at JAGS. I think it should but the JAPS parents of course would not want that!!!!

[Mel01]

In our year at JAGS I think all but a very few came up from JAPS. So around 40 to 45 came up. Around 55-60 came in from outside schools.

[ouided01]

Congrats on your DD's results. Our DD was also offered a place at JAGS, Alleyns and Putney high. She came from a state primary in SW11. It's very hard to make a decision, and realistically we can't make one before 1March.
As for siblings, Mel01: are you sure siblings get an automatic place in Alleyns?
The admission policy doesn't suggest so:

7) Siblings Policy
In keeping with the School’s family ethos, in cases of candidates with relatively similar
academic merit and interview performance, priority will, where possible, be given to siblings
of current Alleyn’s Senior School pupils and to those with a recent family connection with the
school.
Such priority assumes that the sibling candidate has done sufficiently well in the written
examination papers to be invited for an interview and, in our view, shows the potential to
take advantage of all that the school offers. Invitation for an interview does not indicate that
a sibling will definitely be offered a place

[Mel01]

Lets put it this way you have an extremely extremely extremely high chance for a sibling to being offered a place......never known one not to. The indi schools do need a get out clause just in case a sibling may have some kind of needs they can't cope with.

[Mel01]

Certainly this has been the experience from the local prep schools maybe its different from other places. Chose the school that suits your DD best. You never know how things may change with a school's admission policy in future years. Good luck in making your choice.

[lorrwa]

Well done clever girl.

If you have an hour to lose, have a root around these pages on mumsnet, lots of useful info on local schools


http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/2 ... 10-11-2016

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/2 ... don-thread

[annamarina]

Many thanks for all your replies, very helpful. Will be going back to the schools this week to have a final look around and hopefully my DD might have a better feel for them.