Hampton court house

[jultomten]

I'm considering Hampton court house school for my kids (5&8) starting this July, we are moving from a French speaking country and I love that its bilingual. As we are moving "in year "state schools seem like a crazy gamble so I feel private is our only option. Does anyone know the school?
Is it good? Looks great on paper!?
Also what is it like to live near buy? East/ west molsey, Hampton, Thames ditton?
We live VERY rural at the moment and I'm ready for some life around me.. and not needing to drive everywhere as I'm a bit nervous about " driving on the wrong side" but I'm not sure what to expect...
is it safe?
Lots of traffic/ pollution?
Good public transport?
Good for families?
Or Are there other French bilingual schools in Surrey you would recommend?

[Mary21]

It's in a very nice area. Very family orientated, safe. Like most of the outskirts of London there is congestion at certain times of day. The area just around the school Hampton court would be the closest station.
Hampton is also very family orientated . Station on a slow/ stopping service to London. Bushy park is lovely. As are walks down the river.
I don't know the school personally but there are several less than complementary threads on mumsnet.

[jultomten]

Thank you Mary21! Great about area! Not so great about school...
Iv tried to search for posts about the school but nothing comes up.. maybe because I'm on my phone..?
If you've seen any posts about it could you please link them?

[Mary21]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/primary/2569528-Hampton-Court-House-School-Surrey
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/2106542-Hampton-Court-House-School
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/a1155013-Hampton-Court-School

[MT2003]

Hampton Court House is amazing. We are a French speaking family and have three children there in Lower and Middle Years. We joined in September 2015. The children have gained in independence and confidence, they love their school. The teachers are passionate and dedicated. Living in East Molesey is very nice. We walk past Hampton Coirt Palace every morning!

[user1484221578]

My two children attended Hampton Court House for many years and were very happy there. It was a very warm and nurturing environment with a very good academic level -my son is now attending Warwick University.
We were in the same situation as you, coming from a French environment and the bilingual programme was very good. The French speaking children have French lessons with CNED (from the French government). We still live near the school and it's a very nice area. I love the cafes in East Molesey!

[galmike]

My daughter has been at HCH for over 5 years - and it's been the best school! She loves it there. She is encouraged to ask questions and taught to think for herself, this is a life lesson that I think will make a huge difference to her life in the future. They excite kids about learning, they are taught to get on with everyone and that is all on top of achieving amazing exam results. When kids are enthusiastic about their learning, they go on to keep learning throughout their lives and that is what I want for my daughter. It has a very different atmosphere to most schools as they insist on no rules that aren't strictly necessary, so there is no uniform and French is spoken and used fully until year 5, which my daughter has been fine with despite having no French at home! They treat children with respect which leads to the kids having respect for their teachers and each other. There is an amazing Easter quiz designed to get the whole family involved and incredible form seven events to get parents in and learning! If you want a school which develops the talents of your child and nurtures and cares that children leave there with knowledge but also with enthusiasm - then this is a place to look at!

[sg2017]

I have two daughters, one is still at HCH and the other left after her GCSE year, she has since completed her A levels at college and when she comes to the school with me to get her sister always says that she wishes she was back there. Praise indeed from a teenager! So far we have been part of the school for 11 years. Choosing HCH for them will always be one of the best decisions I have ever made. It is nurturing and stimulating and an extremely happy place. Happy children learn !!! My eldest child had been very nervous and unsettled in her other school and the care and effort that was made by everyone to make her feel comfortable and happy was amazing. I would strongly recommend that you spend some time at the school and see for yourself.

We live in Thames DItton and love the area. It is very family orientated and an area definitely worth investigating. Good luck .

[user1484221578]

And about driving on the wrong side of the road I had to learn too :) but it's quite easy, I don't know how, the the brain adapt easily. There is traffic during rush hours but not lot of pollution (important for us as my son has asthma)

[Kasparov44]

Hampton in general is fabulous for families, really good transport links and quiet enough to have that quaint rural atmosphere we all love. Yet it's only 25 minutes from central London if you take the train from Hampton Court Station! I'd say probably one of the best areas in the whole of the South East of England!

About Hampton Court House School, there have been a few colourful posts in the past by trolls but Mumsnet seem to have dealt with those. Our DD has been at the school for the past 4 years and we are very pleased, sports were lacking before but now things have really improved, with plenty of sports clubs and activities, they really are making more out of the beautiful grounds that the building sits on.

As for academics, our DD is very bright and we were considering another selective school for the next step in her education but decided that the highly pressured environment would not suit her at all, especially after her experience here so she's staying on until sixth form. The school has been relaxed enough to encourage her creativity and academic enough to bring her up to a really high level. It has proved to be the perfect balance to let her thrive. I haven't found another French bilingual in the area but do take into account that the bilingual education is only until year 5.

Hope that helps!

[Kasparov44]

I would second the post above, definitely worth spending some time there and seeing it for yourself.

[jultomten]

Great to hear some good experiences! I do like the sound of it on paper the ethos is great, now trying to find a time we could go visit now in February! Are the sports better now? As Iv seen some criticism on that. My oldest is very sporty, but having no experience of the English school system it's difficult to know what to expect. Are the classes smaller than in state schools? Will they be helpful in getting the kids up to the right levels of English?

[gary1066]

As it has been mentioned sports are much improved, some British independents are very focused on sports and others not so much so there is no general rule on sports. Classes are much smaller here, I think around 15 is the norm which is half of what you’d see in the state sector. If English is an issue I’ve seen a child in my daughter’s class come in with limited English (only French) and at the end of the academic year she had an amazing command of the language.

[Xavibelle]

Know the school really well. Son is still in the school and now bilingual with an excellent French accent (we are not French but for my children you wouldn't tell they are not when they speak). The school is able to cater for mixed abilities including both my children who are very strong academically.
School is good size with small classes, great pastoral care and teachers that really care. Great school for building children's confidence in themselves and their abilities.
This school is not like most I know, no uniforms allowing for individuality, first name terms with teachers enabling children to be respectful and feel confident communicating with all age groups, parents evenings which last longer than ten minutes allowing for a proper amount of time to understand your child's progress and a magnificent building in beautiful surroundings with the sound of kids laughter all day long.

As you can see I love it and my family have thrived in it

[jultomten]

My husband visited the school last week, loved it and we have decided to apply. So next step is an assessment day/ interview...?
What should we expect? Do I need to prepare the children in any way for this assessment?

[Xavibelle]

No need to prepare other than encourage your child to enjoy the day. The more relaxed they are the more they will enjoy themselves and the more likely they are to shine and show off their learning ability and personality.

I've always gone in with the view that it's as much about the child seeing if they like the school as the school assessing them.

Honestly do not stress about it

[jultomten]

Great! Thanks

[LisaRiley]

Just wondering if you've applied to HCH school at the end? We've received an offer for our 3 year old to start in September and we're very excited :)

[user1495555626]

We have visited the HCH and we loved it. I am considering it for my son who is in year 5 now. After a central London 'typical' independent school, HCH seems like a breath of fresh air.
Anybody knows if there are children who travel from central London? Is it doable? If most kids are from the area, then for those who live further afield, it'll be problematic to have 'playdates' (or whatever teenagers have). Any thoughts?

[gary1066]

We go from Chelsea to HCH, parties etc not a problem. If you go by car a typical journey is 30 - 35 minutes. My DD tends to have sleep overs with her friends at weekends which is normal at that age rather than short playdates. I believe most of her classmates tend to live around the vicinity of the school; Hampton, Kingston, Surbiton, Richmond, Wimbledon with most living towards West London rather than away from It.

On the train its actually faster, around 30 minutes from Waterloo / Vauxhall so certainly doable. One huge benefit for me was the natural environment of the school which is literally a breath of fresh air!

[user1495555626]

thank you for your reply, gary1066! If you could help me with another concern I have, I'd be very grateful: do kids tend to stay till the end or leave after 11+ or 13+? I wouldn't want my son to join the school and then see his new friends leave in a year.. and how academic (in a good way ) the school is?

[gary1066]

Hi! My DD is in Year 6 so I'm not sure if most children stay on but my impression is that they do. You'd have to ask the school to be honest. As for academics it is good, definitely not a hothouse. My daughter is very academic and their methods of teaching have suited her very well.

[After8itsgrownuptime]

I know this is an old thread but hoping that someone can help me. My DD has been offered a place for year 5 and I just wanted some honest feedback. It’s so different to what we know so are trying to get our heads round it all.

[Pickleparent]

Hey @After8itsgrownuptime - DD joining in September year five and very excited for her to begin. I got goose pimples walking around last year and realising it’s exactly what suits our shy, quirky little one. Hopefully you are still joining?

[MariaLisa]

We have two boys there, reception and year 2. Love the school. Caring, challenging, kind. Exactly what I want for my kids.

[Thisonesfortheroad]

Hi, I’ve been hoping to visit the school, but with lockdowns etc it’s not been possible.

Having read/ seen what I can online, feel the school would have been exactly my kind of place but my DC is different to me and so appreciate some advice please as I feel I may not be objective as we make the decision to apply for secondary school.

Would HCH be a good fit for an apparently confident child who preferred oratory/ visual learning to the usual text book, who finds co-ordination and executive skills challenging (ie self-organisation, arts, crafts, sports, handwriting) but has high interest in music, acting and language?

DC can suffer from anxiety and receives support at current state primary for the same and therefore, I feel may be better in a supportive environment rather than an overly competitive one. However, due to lack of executive skills etc does need a school that expects, encourages and develops these skills and true academic potential?