Private secondary schools in Wokingham area

I have 3 children at Reddam House. 1 in the ELS, 1 in junior and 1 in Senior. I have only positive things to say. They have kept to their promise in all areas. Love the small classes the vibrant decor and the passionate teaching. My children can not wait to go to school each day. That's what a parent wants. The ELS has just received " outstanding" in all areas just after 6 months of taking over. They create a very warm and inviting atmosphere and each room has a teacher and assistant teachers so the children are learning rather than been babysat. I cannot say enough about the staff especially in the younger rooms.

Beggars, the test that Reddam House use cannot do and does not need extra time because it adapts to the child, you can also sit it in your own prep school so it is less stressful, I am surprised they did not explain that to you? There is a website on it somewhere called ISEB pre-test, quite a lot of schools use it.
IMO if you need extra time to just 'pass' a test instead of needing it to do your best (for a scholarship or getting into the right set or something) then you need a less selective school which you have clearly found and are happy with. Mind you, since he did not sit the test you'll never know if he would have passed or not.My DC needed something a bit more of a challenge, so that's what we were looking for. I always think the best thing about going independent is that you can shop around and find somewhere that matches your requirements whatever they are you are not just stuck with the local secondary.
Good luck for September I hope your ds enjoys his new secondary school!

Thanks Colander. will give it a go. Thanks also Volva, I have posted on a local site as I realised this was secondary after I posted. i just did a search because this nursery is close to my house and this was the one that came up. i am looking forward to getting started too, thank you and see you around!

I wasn't singling out any posters. It is just so very noticeable when threads become colonised in a certain way.

Of course, new joiners have to start somewhere, so I look forward to seeing you round the place, maybe parenting, WOH or preschool education topics (because the more general enquiry about settling at that age will almost certainly be overlooked in a thread with a title about private secondary schools in a specific area). Or of course just in 'chat', or anywhere else.

You can report your own post. I realised I had put info that might identify me. Also, I was talking about the senior isi report, not the junior.

Are you taking about me? That is a bit mean! Where is the list of MN lingo we are supposed to use anyway? i didn't see it here.
Colander How did you get your post off? i have posted mine twice!

www.reddamhouse.org.uk/userfiles/files/Reddam%20House%20Berkshire%20final%2016%2002%2016.pdf

Oh look.

Another one of those threads which are colonised by posters who have no posting record on MN aside from this. And who don't use the MN lingo, but who do sound like exempts from PR scripts.

Definitely baby brain, did not realise I was on a second page! Never mind about getting into your jeans, when do you get your brain back?

Anyway, thanks to Balanced opinion who told me to look for the report on the Independent School Inspectorate.

Son currently at Waverely House Prep school and loves it, have got plenty of friends with children at Redham House, but in the main they have all been lured there with up to 100% discount on school fees. The buildings are grand but very old and a lot rooms are in disrepair, although I know that a lot of money has been spent. I had a look round and agree with some of the other comments that it was soulless, there was no life in the buildings, there seem to be void of warmth! and the swimming pool and sports hall were very lacking, there is no dispensation for children with Dyslexia taking the entrance exam either.
We looked at Luckley, Holme Grange, Hurst Lodge (Ascot) Sherfield House in Loddon and Redham, out of all the schools I disliked Redham the most even though most of my sons friends are there! We have been now offered a place a Luckley House and their friendly Christian ethos of developing the child, coupled with extremely friendly staff, was definitely a winner for us. They are happy to give children an extra 25% time to do the entrance exam if they have a learning difficulty (which the head at Redham flatly refused when asked) and this was all that was needed for our son to pass the exam. We have now paid our deposit and I have one very excited son, who literally can't wait until Sept 2016. Would recommend Waverley House for up to 11 and Luckley for after that!

Please dont be soley seduced by small class size - whereas i have no knowledge of the schools mentioned in this thread - small class sizes can severely limit friendship opportunitues and can be somewhat claustraphobic if, say, your DD is the only non sporty girl in the class. It can make life quite hard for what should be carefree schooldays.

My son went to Bearwood and loved his teacher. However the management of the school changed and Reddam is involved in disputes that are ongoing from H1 2015. I also checked the discussions between individuals with the Independent Schools Inspectorate also (search their website). The internal communication by new management sadly left a number of parents and teachers unimpressed.
I had two other children at Crosfields before Leighton Park and had nothing but positive experiences.
Reddam is a business, Crosfields is a school imho

My dd has been at the school since September 2015 and I have not found it soulless. I am not in there often as she is in the senior school and tends to get on with it by herself but she comes home with happy stories regularly and is getting on very well with most subjects. I went to see the dance show 'The Nutcracker' and if this is an example of the teaching and organisation, then 'soulless' would be the absolutely last descriptive word that I would use. The show was so well organised and unlike any school show that I have seen before. The only criticism my daughter has really had so far has been the school dinners, as they cannot take packed lunch but she is pretty fussy so that does not surprise me at all. I have found communications with the school good but obviously everyone has their own experiences .

We were really happy with Bearwood and love the changes since Reddam. It was too small but we are glad we stuck with it Dd has more girls friends and is doing really well. I am not sure I would describe it as soulless, butI am a bit surprised at how bare the classrooms are. We have also had some problems with communications but I am sure it hasn't been any worse for us than any other school and dd tutor is brilliant, dd has a great relationship and I think he knows how she ticks. If your ds is happy then maybe you could give them another go? Why not go to see the form tutor? Or the Headmaster? See what they have to say, has to be worth a try.

DS went to Bearwood for 2 years before it became Reddam House and loved it to bits. Our only concern was the class size. He is academically gifted and was not getting the push needed. So, we moved out to Holme Grange which was a mistake because the school is good overall but cannot cater to academically gifted children and I had to take personal initiative to get things done. Even when it came selecting secondary school, we did not get any proper advises. DS sat for Westminster and Eton exams and was offered conditional places from both the school. We decided to move to a good prep school as HG does not have any history of sending children to good public school which did not go down very well with the school. The school has upgraded to GCSE now but is not proven and trying to fill places. Reading Blue Coat is a good secondary school. Other schools in the areas which are good are Crossfield, Lambrook, St Pirans, Papplewick

Oh dear! That does sound frustrating. We have regular contact with the tutor and seem to be communicating fine. Hope it improves for the start of the next term.

Hi Tiredbutstillwithapulse - pleased you're happy with the school - ref 'do they know your concerns' - when ds started at the school I received a staff list with contact details for his form teacher and was advised this was the first point of contact - after 2 unsuccessful attempts to make contact I was advised by the receptionist that this person was no longer at the school (& although irrelevant i didn't quite understand the convoluted explanation given for this) but was given the new form teachers contact details - on contacting this form teacher I had an immediate response to say he wasn't the form teacher anymore but it was now a mr x who would email me to introduce himself shortly - i'm still waiting 2 months later - small issue but one of many

I wouldn't agree with you, smebruce, about Reddam House being soulless or a business first. That's not our experience at all. In fact, quite the opposite! Do they know of your concerns?

ds is at reddam house - we moved him from a local prep to start in sep 2015 due to a generous scholarship offer - biggest mistake ever - this is a business first and a school second - the marketing is excellent but the school soulless - reluctant to put ds through the upheaval of another move but currently looking at good state schools

Hi Happyland, Parents at the school have told me that their child is dyslexic and are very happy with the support. I asked one of my friends at school about her experience for her daughter before I posted this reply and she said that the Study Support team are very good, with specialists in dyslexia support throughout the ages of the school. She was also complimentary of the class teaching team, saying that "they just got the challenges dyslexia brings". She's planning to go all the way through the school with her children as they're doing well and are happy. Hope your visit goes well.