Hybrid school starting in London

Anyone else planning their exit now that the fabulous ms baig is leaving….?!? She sold the hybrid school to us and is the sole reason we have stayed but now she is going so are we.

My DC were at PPS.

I don’t recommend it at all and definitely not for a social experience.

A lot of the students were very rich and privileged and cliquey. It took some kids a while to be accepted and that’s with going in every day. Would be very hard if only going in a few days a week.

There was bullying.

Huge drug culture.

Lots of vaping in the toilets.

Some of the teaching was really low quality. Lots of complaints from parents about the maths department.

Pastoral care was very lacking at times.

I am a decade on from taking DD to sports fixtures and meeting parents from other school. PPS has always had a reputation for doing well with children with different needs. A girl who was really struggling socially at a state school and for whom PPS had been a huge step forward. A very bright non neurotypypical boy who was not coping at boarding school and who had to leave at short notice. As well as newly landed expat kids. (Brooklyn Beckham!) The are not too many London private schools that reach out to children with specific and different needs.

I assume PPS know there is demand for hybrid education. They are probably right. It would be a good way of bringing a school refuser back into education.

I am a teacher and I see lots of school refusers, children with anxiety, children who don't necessarily thrive in a classroom environment and think, going forward, more schools should operate like this. I guess the issues are the need for parents to work and therefore be out of the house and the costs of such schools.

I've always thought there should be some form of distance schooling for children who don't fit the system, or live remotely, or who have medical issues.

I used to think it would be based on the Australian School of the Air. Which is still called that even though it is now on the internet.

I would consider this as an alternative to home schooling.

Unfortunately, this is true. Their 6th form shut down 2 years ago which is a massive shame. I would definitely have sent my child there.

I’m placemarking. Can see this really suiting my dc in years to come.

Is it true there is no 6th form?

I actually think it's a great option to have for kids who struggle in ordinary schools and for parents who have the time to stay at home with their kids. But it definitely depends on the kid and the set-up at home.

My daughter absolutely hated online school during lockdown so it's definitely not for us. She would laze around all day on the sofa and would never be motivated enough to do school work if given the opportunity to do it at home. During lockdown she (and most of her classmates) would log into Teams meetings, turn their cameras off and play games whilst in class. I'm impressed that PP's have clearly very self-disciplined and motivated kids who work well on their own. She was also tired and unmotivated to spend all day in front of her computer screen. My daughter was super happy when schools returned to normality.

I can see how it can be a good option for certain kids though.

It is interesting to hear about. My dd is autistic and really struggles with mainstream school. But we don’t live near London and I couldn’t afford the fees!

Thanks for being transparent about how so many parents came here.

Ive never had a job or friendship group out of school that was all my age
this

I wish there was more of this option as it would suit my DD down to the ground!

I wish there was more of this option as it would suit my DD down to the ground!

All of this!…
… school really isn’t the only place to socialise and forced socialisation with other people who are your age isn’t really what the “real world” is like.
Ive never had a job or friendship group out of school that was all my age.

My child attends this school. I am interjecting as I feel that although there are lots of opinions, the name calling is unnecessary especially from current parents, it doesn’t show us in a good light.

Yes the school sent an email yesterday saying our school had made its way onto mumsnet and asking if we could share our experiences. The direct link was shared in the email which is how I am here. I’ve not used mumsnet before so this is my first post.

I did research the school before choosing it and for anyone interested, there’s mixed opinions in other groups and social media also for the school if you search.

I will share our experience, however worthwhile it is but nothing will be as informative as actually visiting the school in person as each family is looking for different qualities.

Firstly, the hybrid head is different. She has a clear goal for both this school and her students and she sincerely cares for them. In all my years in education I’ve never come across an educator like her. She is not patronising and is very personable and her pastoral care is great.

Secondly, yes there are some very wealthy families at this school, none of these people are using this school as a way to holiday around education. This is a ludicrous assumption! Personally speaking, as an ex-state education worker myself, who worked 35-40 hours a week and didn’t even clear 1K a month, I am not one of these wealthy parents.
I have made serious life changes to enable my child to attend this school. We do exist, this is not just a school for the wealthy but yes there is wealth there.

Every family I have met has chose this school for both different and personal reasons. Some children have anxiety, some were bullied elsewhere, some like the freedom it gives to pursue other interests and some trialled this way of learning during covid and found it just works better for them and they prefer it.

There are few distractions in lessons and the children are still sociable if they chose to be. There’s never a day when my child isn’t in touch with friends.

Directly answering the OP question, very high percentage of ND children here so it’s definitely an option for you.

Online can be for one or two days or none at all. Your choice. Practical subjects (art/PE/DT) take place on in-school days.

The year groups were mixed previously, I am unsure if that is still the case through the whole hybrid school, as far as I am aware they are now all separate, but the pupils are definitely not working a year ahead as standard, the taught syllabus is the UK age guided curriculum. KS3 is taught in years 7-9, GCSE in years 10 and 11.

I’m not sure I agree with the poster above as I personally know of four children who are in a year group that is academically lower than their age/standard year group. I have knowledge of one child who has been moved to the year group above. Certainly not 2 years above. To be clear this means that for example a child who is 12 turning 13 would usually be working on the UK KS3 curriculum and in year 8, but in Portland might have been placed in year 7 so one academic year lower.
Or a child who is 16 turning 17 and would have finished GCSEs and be in year 12 or college, but at Portland would be in year 11. Obviously there is no shame in this and it’s wonderful that the school is able to cater for these needs. I have heard of this at other independent schools so this is not rare.

For us, the school is not as academic as my child’s previous school, but they do market themselves as a green house and not a hot house.

There may be different parent chat groups but there certainly isn’t one for all the hybrid parents. Perhaps small groups but not one large group. Even though the hybrid school is still relatively small.

There is a fair amount of movement within the hybrid school and many leave for full time school whether it is at Portland or elsewhere. The positive of this is that new students pop up frequently.

I hope any prospective parents visit the school themselves, or at least give them a call to find out more info. Some comments I have read here come across a bit rude to be honest and I hope it doesn’t tarnish the school. It’s absolutely not for everyone, but it’s great it’s an option.

disgusting behavior I am glad I don't have to be a parent at school with you. My friend is at the school she has child who is one year below, you just don't know. I hope she doesn't have to deal with you

No, she said her child was already behind - from year 1 - not that her child was being taught at a lower level. As I said, that is simply untrue. You have no friend in the school as all of us are delighted and know our children are exceeding. And as my child is in the school and yours isn’t I should know. Obviously your intentions are to spread falsehoods about the school but I want everyone on this group to ignore the trolls and go and see the school for yourself.

This is lie. My friend child is academically one year behind. Also poster already said their child is below you can read in this post

This is simply untrue. No one’s child is academically behind a year in this school and none of us would ever say this. We are all in a parent group chat together and are delighted with the school.

How bizarre. Why would you doubt parents whose children actually attend and use hearsay as evidence instead? All the children there are ahead academically. Year 6 are put until Year 7 classes. Y8 with Y9. There are students who have taken GCSE Physics in Y8. It’s simply untrue that the children are not stretched or academically behind. We were notified by the school of this thread and thought as parents in the school right now, we can help by giving genuine advice. What possible motivation could we have to make things up? Total mystery how people think! Anyway, the Hybrid School is a miracle for us. Our child is flourishing. Pastoral care is probably the best in the country. Go and see it for yourself!

Let’s not knock the positive vibe please.

ok the school has asked parents to comment if they wish.

by the same token anyone who is equally disenfranchised with the school will come along here soon to comment to say don’t bother.

it’s interesting to hear positive comments.

if your child has sen issues they could well be behind. It could also be the reason hybrid school works for them.

I’m not a parent but I do have kids with sen issues and have been considering this school.

50% of kids will probably cope Ok at school, wherever they go.

but there’s a surprisingly large amount of kids (and adults) who suffer from mental health problems (especially anxiety, especially post covid) and may also have experienced bullying which seems to be ever present at all schools. Not to mention the number of suicides among young people since the rise of social media.

schools which offer something else are to be commended.

lets not straight jacket everyone into the same old practices just because that’s what we’ve always known.

thank you PP parents for commenting. Your stories are useful to me at least.

I'm not even sure kids at St Pauls are working 2 years ahead. 😃 This hybrid school must be magical.

I to find this strange so I rang my friend with child at school to ask her. She say the school ask parents for reviews here. I did look at school with my son earlier this year but chose another instead. I don't want to say boy or girl as it not my place but her child is one year behind academically and she say lots are also in right age class or one year behind. She know no-one who is academically ahead so that sound suspicious to me to say 2 year ahead! She say that most teachers friendly but its not academic school and they not push children.

I'm astonished that a school owned by Alpha plus which is 1 of the largest private school groups in the U.K. has to use MN for its marketing!

We were alerted of the thread and I felt it was important to respond as should any other parent and child have struggled at a school, I would want them to know that there is another option out there. Someone was kind enough to alert us, and for that, we are very grateful. I can assure you my review is completely genuine and my daughters experience has been incredibly positive. I rarely post… only when I feel very strongly about something