JAGS vs Putney High School Post Reply

[SW11 Resident]

Hi

Has anyone had any personal experience of either JAGS and PHS (or perhaps even both!) and could recommend one over the other?

Difficult choice to make...thanks!

[Isabella2022]

No direct experience of JAGs but was in a similar position a few years ago and have a daughter at PH.

For us it was a great decision and she has been really happy and will definitely stay for 6th form. Lovely happy school with great sports and where girls are encouraged to try lots of new things (I have a child at another local secondary which is not quite as encouraging !!) commute from Clapham is so easy with lots of trains and the girls love having Putney on their doorstep. (Jags is slightly in the middle of nowhere) quite a lot of my daughters friends went to Jags and to be honest have had mixed experiences and a number have since left … but that could just be one of those things ! (Maybe a sightly unlucky year group?)

To give you a balanced view … the sporting facilities at Jags are definitely better with girls at PH having to get a bus to get to their main pitches (although this hasn’t stopped them from being national lacrosse champions) They play lacrosse not hockey and am not sure you can row at Jags ? Rowing is very popular at PH with the rowing house just a short walk from school.

Honestly it’s so difficult getting honest reviews here. People will tend to jump in and praise their own school choices and in my experience with kids at different secondaries it can so depend on year and friendship groups !

But for us so far it’s been a great choice and I think Jags would not have been as nurturing and encouraging for my quite shy daughter

Good luck - I would say you have two good options !!

[SW11 Resident]

Thanks so much Isabella

[Vista321]

Hi SW11 Resident

I too have a daughter at PHS, she has been there since the junior school, and we are very happy with it. It is indeed a lovely, happy 'can do' type of place with a huge amount of diverse opportunities, great teaching and a positive, confident culture.  Academically, they go at quite a pace but there are catch up clinics and support if needed. 
Music, sports, art etc are all of exceptional quality and are inclusive in the early years, before the girls tend to specialise in certain areas. There are extension activities such as PIE (Putney Ideas Exchange) plus loads of clubs like robotics, coding, debating, chess, dance, creative areas etc
Isabella2022 is right that a lot can depend on friendship groups and I know of cases where the school has intervened at parent's / girl's requests in terms of moving people across classes, changing who sits where etc and they manage it well and respectfully.

I also have a niece who was at JAGS several years ago and she was also very happy and did very well / really enjoyed school. It seemed on a par with Putney in many ways. She did say that it was quite high octane academically.

In terms of differences between the schools, PHS is part of the GDST, which is a great network but JAGS has links with the other Dulwich schools, including Dulwich College.
JAGS has a swimming pool and does waterpolo etc, PHS does rowing and lacrosse - no hockey. Also does football as a club. PHS is very supportive of elite athletes too, and they have a fair few there (one having moved from another school who did not accommodate them).

As Isabella2022 said, it is a good choice to have and both are excellent schools. Maybe factor in the travelling and location of future friends? Many PHS girls come from Wimbledon, Putney and Barnes - fewer from SW11/ SW12 areas (although we are in SW11 too.) 

Good luck with your choice

 

[SW11 Resident]

Thank you very much Vista321, this is so very helpful.

[purpletortoise]

This is really helpful - thank you. What’s PHS like for girls who aren’t very good at sport? Are they still encouraged and given opportunities or is the elite athlete factor just a bit demoralising for C-team types?

[Vista321]

Putney has many girls who are not into sport at all and get involved in other things instead. The extra curricular offer is huge and sport is by no means the ‘be all and end all’. There are several orchestras and choirs, academics clubs, book club, drama club, engineering, medical society etc.

In year 7 they have teams A-G for netball as so many girls want to play it, and they all get some matches. As the years go by though many tend to drift away to other sports such as lacrosse, cricket & football and of course rowing. Girls can also join non competitive sports sessions.

My daughter says the expectations are quite high and you are ‘pushed to do your best’ which can be a bit stressful but is also rewarding.

I hope this helps

[Vista321]

Putney has many girls who are not into sport at all and get involved in other things instead. The extra curricular offer is huge and sport is by no means the ‘be all and end all’. There are several orchestras and choirs, academics clubs, book club, drama club, engineering, medical society etc.

In year 7 they have teams A-G for netball as so many girls want to play it, and they all get some matches. As the years go by though many tend to drift away to other sports such as lacrosse, cricket & football and of course rowing. Girls can also join non competitive sports sessions.

My daughter says the expectations are quite high and you are ‘pushed to do your best’ which can be a bit stressful but is also rewarding.

I hope this helps

[Mummyof3SW11]

I have a daughter at Putney and friends with kids at JAGS. The obvious difference is the space and facilities- JAGS certainly has more space, whereas Putney is more urban. For us living in SW11, Putney was a good choice commute wise and we just really liked the feel of it. My daughter is very happy there. Teaching is generally great, loads of extra curricular stuff on offer. A few minor annoying things with comms and inconsistencies in rules but nothing major. Headmistress Suzie Longstaff is amazing but sadly she’s leaving at the end of this term. So will be interesting to see how the school changes.

[purpletortoise]

Thanks, both, that’s very helpful indeed, and thank you for taking the time to reply. Good to hear from SW families, also, as another Putney concern has been having friends located primarily in West Ldn. One more question, if I may: do we think JAGS & Putney are on a par in terms of academic pressure and, conversely, pastoral support?

[molly henders]

i would say both aren’t good schools. my friends daughter has had bad experiences at jags with bullying, rude teachers ect and my daughter goes to putney and it’s honestly gotten so much worse since the new head joined, she has been making a lot of changes of the school to up their image but not much about the students well beings. the teachers are bad and the students are bully’s. the new head is also introducing yondr pouches which some parents think are good but i think are a complete invasion of privacy and comfort. there are many better schools out there

[Btwmum]

I am interested to know how Putney is with the new head.
@molly henders seems very bitter. Are you a mum or a student? Which type of changes in specific have been introduced that you deem not useful? It would be good to substantiate your answer. Taking the phone out of kids during school time is just positive, as many studies show especially for mental health. For sure no parent can not support it?!

[GramSp Elf]

Nightmare.

[Putneymum24]

My daughter joined PHS in yr 7 from a state primary . She also had an offer for JAGS. We’ve seen it under both heads and it feels a good fit. The commute is v easy and flexible. (Bus and train options) The facilities are great and the new Athena building will appeal to drama/music and scientists. My daughter enjoyed sports in her first two years but is now happier with the creative silubjects/academics, there are so many clubs there is something for everyone. She plans to stay for sixth form.

I completely disagree with the bullying comment. My daughter had a hard time at primary but has found a really lovely group of friends. There are a wide array of interests and personalities, doing your best is applauded being the best is not required. It’s warm, supportive and aspirational but with a lot of giggles along the way.

[Mummyof3SW11]

Coming back to this thread over a year later- the change of head has been interesting. Suzie Longstaff was certainly a more popular choice anecdotally- but the new head, to give her credit, has got to know the girls and is making some positive changes- the phone rule and the new pouches I think are pretty sensible.

That said, we do still have a few niggles with the school- the teaching is not brilliant in one or two cases but I think that would be true anywhere. We have also had a few pastoral concerns but the school have been okay at dealing with these on the whole.

For me, I would say we are 80% happy. It’s not perfect and my son is certainly having a better experience at his large, all boys school, but he is also a very different child to my daughter.

All that said, we were considering moving her for sixth form and she now wants to stay, which is testament to the school I guess.