New head at Lochinver House, Potters Bar

[sweetmelody]

We have been considering this school for our DS and will be having a look around at the open day at the end of the month. However, just perusing the website and noticed that there is going to be a new head from September. Anyone know why the old head is leaving or have any views/thoughts on this?

TIA!

[jeffthemighty]

Hi, my son used to be at LHS. We moved area though so he left quite recently.

I don't think the change is anything sinister. I always found JG a very pleasant guy, though in all honesty I think the school is run (very effectively IMO) by Mrs Laws (head of pre-prep) and Mr. Tyndale (deputy head) who have both been there for many years. I hold Mr. T especially in very high regard, very firm but fair. HTH.

[Jubato]

Our son is due to start there in September.

The new headmaster is a former Lochinver headboy. I'm happy about that. From the whisperings I heard from some current parents, the change is welcome as the current head has had his heart set on going for a while.

I just wonder what changes the new head will bring to LHS. Apparently when Mr. Gear came in, he was the one who instituted the class shuffling scheme after each year. I think it's a good idea but I hear he got quite a bit of grief for it from parents.

[Wiggipedia]

We have a son at Lochinver too. Academically the school is brilliant but there is a noticeable problem with bullying and other behaviour. Last year a child was expelled for persistently carrying a knife (why this needed to be persistent before action is beyond me, but may be explained by the same problem that we are currently experiencing).
There is a new headmaster and whether things will improve on behaviour is yet to be seen. In our son's year, Year 2, there is a child who has been subject to repeated complaints about his bullying etc - in at least one case, the victim's father gave the school a choice about moving his son to the other class or he would leave the school. Other parents are openly stating dissatisfaction with lack of action. There is a current complaint from one parent that has reached solicitors letters stage about the very same child.
In most private schools, 5 complaints about bullying would lead to expulsion, but the problem for the school is that the mother of the child concerned plays the race card every time.

[Tiffy80]

I have just read the comment about Lochinver. I have boys at Lochinver and I just wanted to say that the comments about the knife incident are factually incorrect. A boy stupidly brought some kitchen knives into school on one day only and did not threaten anyone. He is no longer at Lochinver as his family decided to move him, which was actually quite sad.

[amaraka]

Hi my son has just been offered a place at LHS and I wanted to have an idea what to expect. I can see from the blogs above that Mr Walker joint din 2011 and wanted to know over the last 5 years how the school has been, is there a problem with bulling, and do they prepare children for 11+ even though the school does run unto 13+?
Tks