Reviews on Hampton High School

[EmmaKR]

Hello mums,
I am new to this forum and have been encouraged to join looking at your thoughtful replies to questions.
We have recently moved into St. Margaret's and live right next to Orleans Park school. However today we got to know that Orleans has waitlisted my daughter (Year 9) and we have received a school offer from Hampton High School.
Does anyone have any feedback about this school? Since my daughter is new to the UK we are conscious that she may have some catching up to do.
Also does appealing to the school (Orleans park)based on the proximity criteria work?
Thanks in advance for your responses.

[grinbin]

If Orleans Pk have waitlisted you it'll be because they don't have a space. You can ask for your position on the waiting list. If you're at the top then there's a good chance a place will come up before too long - people move in and out of the area all the time. You could appeal, but you'd be asking them to go over numbers and they'll probably be able to give robust reasons why that's not possible. Hampton High is a good school but a bit of a trek from St Margarets. You could accept that place for the time being, and try it out, but stay on the Orleans Pk list too. Or you could home-school for a while and wait for a closer place to come up. Richmond Upon Thames School is close by, and good. Also Twickenham School is close-ish and has a much better reputation now than it used to have.

[EmmaKR]

Thank you for taking the time to respond. We have an offer from Teddington school as well. The Ofsted rating is not very encouraging, though the commute from our home is shorter than the one to Hampton High. Any views is welcome.
Also does anyone have feedback on St. Catherine's for senior years (grade 9). We could explore that as an option considering the schools we have been offered.
Any views will be helpful

[Varjakpaw]

Personally, I would accept the place at Hampton High and ask to stay on the waitlist at Orleans if that is possible. You might find when she starts there she likes it and would prefer to stay. It is a long walk, but only 35 minutes or so on the bus, and practically door to door.

Have you had a look round Teddington? Friends who have DC there have been mainly happy despite the school being in a bit of a dip for a couple of years.

I have only heard positive things about St Catherines, but have no direct experience. Have you also looked at Radnor House, which is just opposite St Catherines?

[grinbin]

I'd do the opposite and accept the Teddington place. That Ofsted report was a long time ago and they have completely new leadership now, which people seem to be a lot happier with. There's always a lag between a school improving and Ofsted catching up to give them a new rating, especially at the moment with the Covid situation. Maybe ask on the Richmond local thread for some recent views from parents.

[EmmaKR]

Thank you @grinbin and @varjakpaw
This is helpful. We are waitlisted at 7 at Orleans so we are hopeful. We are ruling out Twichenham School completely. Hope to come to some decision soon.
Regards

[EmmaKR]

Can anyone share any feedback on Christ Church Of England School, Richmond. Can it be rated higher than Hampton and Teddington for the senior years? There is a place come up there as well

[grickle]

Christs has a good reputation too ... you really can't go wrong with any of those schools. I'd be happy to send my kid to any of them. If size matters, Christs is smallest, then Hampton High. Teddington is very big. Some people don't like big, but bigger schools can sometimes have more facilities and opportunities for extra-curricular. Christs is a church school but with at least 50% non-faith admissions, so caters for all.

[grickle]

In case it helps, you can use this website to compare things like latest exam results and population statistics (such as gender balance or percentage of children with English as a second language or with special educational needs) ... www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/compare-schools

[EmmaKR]

@grickle thank you

[daisybank2]

I would advise to take Teddington place. Much improved since old Ofsted. Very comparable to Orleans.