想請問有關Wymondham College

siugub

大家好。

我在計劃讓大女兒兩年後到英國讀year 7。我會帶埋小女兒一起過去做陪讀媽媽。因私校費用昂貴，兩個女兒加起來學費的負擔頗吃力。因為我是英藉，所以決定會讓女兒讀state school。
做了好一段日子research，發現找state school比想像中困難。想找好一點的學校，大部份都是selective grammar school。但因為我會做陪讀媽媽，要找day places，一年前要入紙和考試，對我們來說有點難度。因為就算一年前租了或買了屋在一個心儀的catchment zone，如果女兒考不入，那local authority會派另一間比我，如果不好的，就不知怎辦。

朋友向我提起Wymondham College，好像是很不錯的學校，我在good school guide和Ofsted 都看到不錯的評價。重要是year 7 day places 是 non-selective，只要我找到一間近學校的屋，一年前入紙，女兒就可以入讀。

我知這裡有幾個家長的孩子也在Wymondham College。想請教，你們覺得學校整體如何。例如孩子在學校開心嗎？讀書壓力大嗎？因我女兒在香港讀國際學校，太過academic的學校，我怕她適應不了那種太"谷"的讀書氣氛。我想她讀書之餘，都可以享受學生生活。

另外，我心儀Wymondham College的原因是，我知道那裡有來自香港的學生。我不想女兒入一些全校得她一個香港人／中國人的學校，我怕她會被孤立。所以也想請問，Wymondhamk學校的學生對其他種族的同學友善嗎？學校裡bully的情況有嗎？如有，學校的處理可以嗎？另外，朋友也提及英國state school drug 的問題。想知道以你們認識，Wymondham College有drug problem嗎？

我也知Wymondham College今年會換校長，家長覺得對學校的影響大嗎？

抱歉很多問題。因為實在很怕找錯學校給兩個女兒。先謝謝你們。

另外，如果以我的情況，除了Wymondham College外，你們還有沒有其他建議。謝謝！

lamb2003

回覆 siugub 的帖子

我也有相同的問題,現在心目中有以下4間學校,可否比些意見?我的concern也和siugub差不多,知道這裏有家長的子女在Wymondham College 就讀,請告知有關詳情,謝謝!
1. Adams Grammar School
2. Wymondham College
3. Sir Roger Manwood
4. Old Swinford Hospital

Tommy

1. 我們對學校的評價是正面的，各方的支援非常足夠，活動和設施都足夠。唯一不足是學校不會強迫學生參加課外活動，如小朋友唔夠主動，他們可以完全不用參加任何課外活動。

在學業上和其他支援也類似，如學生不夠主動，學校也不會迫您讀書。如小朋友不夠自律，或家長期望學校谷成績，這裡未必是最佳選擇。

我的孩子讀得很開心，壓力唔大功課唔算多，一般可於Prep time 之內完成。

lamb2003

回覆 Tommy 的帖子

謝謝你的回覆，請不要介意我再問多-句。學校-般讀書風氣如何？這幾年的公开試成绩如何？

Tommy

2. 其實，整個英國的族種歧視都唔明顯，好多時只是由於語言和溝通的問題，是人際關係多於種族問題。如您的小朋友英文不是問題，應該適應到，不用擔心被歧視。

我細仔同一位來自非洲的同學同房，感情非常要好，完全無問題。請放心，一觸及種族就係好嚴重，學校唔會輕率處理。

Bully 就一定有，但不用大驚小怪，我細個讀書時，都bully過人，也被 bully 過，是成長的一部份。最近我見返一些三十年無見的同學，有些我曾被我欺凌過的，我親自向他們道歉。

學校當然有曳人，但唔多，佢地通常物以類聚自成一組，您唔去理佢地，人地亦懶得去搞您。

如學生犯事，學校會嚴肅處理，會有不同程度的detention.

elmkc

Tommy 發表於 14-8-29 22:22
2. 其實，整個英國的族種歧視都唔明顯，好多時只是由於語言和溝通的問題，是人際關係多於種族問題。如您的 ...

Sorry Tommy. I disagree with your view that bullying is part of one's life. Perhaps your situation is not serious. There are many serious cases around the world. You are correct to apologize to your classmates. But, some may not be lucky to hear apologies from the one who hurts them as they have already passed away.

Tommy

I totally agree with you. Every single bullying should be avoided and deserve serious intervention.  Although all schools are working hard to prevent it, inevitably, it appears in everywhere and almost every School. That's why I said it was part of development process.  For sure, I'm not to encourage bullying.

Given that bullying is hardly to avoid, more importantly, our kids should be able to manage it in addition to avoid it.

siugub

many thanks Tommy!

hinhinmami

回覆 Tommy 的帖子

Hi, Tommy and people who know Wymondham well,
My son will attend an interview with Wymondham College at end of October. Quite nervous at this moment and would you please give me some tips for attending the interview? Will my son be interviewed in an one-to-one format and parents be interviewed afterwards or be interviewed altogether? What are the normal questions to be asked and will questions about HK be asked during the interview? Any written exam? I learned from other posts that candidates may be required to write an essay after the interview. Is this the case for your sons?
Really hope that someone could offer me some advice. Thanks!

ttwc01

Once again some exceptional results were achieved at A Level in Year 13 with one student gaining 5 x A*        (and 1B at AS), 17 students achieving two A* grades and 35 students achieving 1A* grade as part of their overall results. - See more at: http://www.wymondhamcollege.org/ ... thash.VJ8ikzfH.dpuf

由上述數字可見，呢間學校的成績好好
校風方面其實都幾嚴，因為我有朋友子女係果邊有讀

odelia_ho

lamb2003 發表於 14-8-28 11:24
回覆 siugub 的帖子

我也有相同的問題,現在心目中有以下4間學校,可否比些意見?我的concern也和siugub差不 ...

Hi Lamb2003,
你是找boarding schools 而非day schools, right?
個人覺得1至3都是好學校, 由各方comments及資料搜集所得
4. 就不太清楚
但1至3地方都比較偏遠
以成績計, Adams 比較好, 它和Sir Roger都是grammar school, 如果想㨂grammar, 也可考慮Cranbrook, 在Kent,
都是很不錯的選擇
小兒報考過Adams 和Sir Roger, 兩間都有offer, 但最終㨂了Royal Grammar, HW, 所以個人認為Royal Grammar 也非常好
Royal Grammar 今年十月中, 學校的Boarding Director 來香港收學生, 可以去AA問吓詳情, Adams 也是經AA的
24 Oct - 2 Nov 是half-term, 好多學校在這段時間來港收生

CPU1995

Wym is not a state grammar school so there is no entrance written exam.  The ranking of Wym is about 600 while Sir Roger Manwood is about 400 in 2012.  This year, four Grade 9, one Grade 8 and one Grade 10 Hong Kong students are admitted by Wym.

Despite these rankings, several HK students from Wym are admitted by UCL and Imperial and one HK student from Sir Roger Manwood is admitted by Cambridge this year.

My impression on Wym is that the school campus is very large (80 acres with over 30 school buildings) but are quite remote from town centre.  Students cannot walk to nearby districts so it is quite inconvenient for students to go outside such as supermarket.  It takes two hours train journey from London followed by 30 minutes taxi to Wym.

The school has excellent communication with overseas parents and the house master is strict, disciplined, caring and responding quickly to parent's enquiries.

Owing to large boarding population and large school campus, I think it is not so boring to students comparing to those boarding schools with about 60 boarding students.  My elder son felt extremely boring when he previously studied in a state school with just 60 boarding students.

Last year, Wym's entrance interview took place in AA.  Student was interviewed individually by ex-principal Mr Melvyn Roffe together with a Wym student for about 10 mins.  After student's interview, parents are invited to talk to Mr Roffe.  In order to show your interest, I think both parents should be present in the interview instead of the mother only.

Mr Roffe asked the following questions to my son:

1. Why do you want to study in Wym?
2. What is your favourite subject and why?   
3. If you do not like this subject, how do you improve it?
4. Which book do you like and can you tell me something about its content?
5. Tell me something about your family.
6. How do you cope with not seeing your parents and friends for a long time?
7. What is your favourite hobby? Which UK football team do you like most? why?

Wymondham seems to place strong emphasis on the suitability of boarding needs of students as inferred from its Candidate Reference Form:

1. Evidence of student's resilience form home
2. Evidence of student's adaptability to communal living and self reliance
3. Evidence of student's desire to board and having considered its implication.
4. Boarding need.

I think your kid should take it easy when interviewing with Mr Jonathan Taylor this month.            

hinhinmami

回覆 CPU1995 的帖子

CPU1995,Your information is so detailed and helps us a lot in preparing for the interview. Million thanks!

CPU1995

I think studying in a state boarding school is super value for money.  

Both Wymondham and Sir Roger Manwood are very good schools.  As regards Adam and Old Swinford, I don't know anyone studying here.   

needaplan

知唔知現在才申請Wymondam還趕得切今月interview? 收了要交幾錢訂金？

Tommy

CPU 講得太好了，我沒有什麼補充。我兩個仔當年面試時被問及的問題都是大同小異。

我下星期會飛去Wymondham探仔和參加一個家長會，如大家有甚麼想知，我會盡量幫手。

hinhinmami

Thanks Tommy! Hope that my boy can be schoolmates with your sons.

CPU1995

"creme de la creme" of state sector:

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/n ... s_readers_1_3174388

needaplan

原帖由 Tommy 於 14-08-29 發表
1. 我們對學校的評價是正面的，各方的支援非常足夠，活動和設施都足夠。唯一不足是學校不會強迫學生參加課 ...

想問下Wymondham College學生升番Grade 12要什麽IGCSE成績？

Tommy

原帖由 needaplan 於 14-10-11 發表
想問下Wymondham College學生升番Grade 12要什麽IGCSE成績？

其實要求好低，一般3B4C就可以了，另個別選修科目會有特定要求，例如選修歷史, 經濟，英文要B。

這要求對香港學生無難度，但看他們的A Level 成績, 我覺得有很高增值。