Halliford

Does anyone have an experience with the girls starting in 6th form please?

thank you

@Alligator23 thanks for your reply. we will contact them next week. from experience with my DD there can be movement until the summer with other schools, not sure about Halliford though. we have a school for September which isn’t a first choice, and not the right fit for our DS.

Really pleased for you @TheVineyardMum - I think it’s really brave not to be tempted by such prestigious offers and to trust your gut instinct as to what is right for your son. I’m sure he will thrive at Haliford. Good luck!

Thank you and I did end up speaking with them about it. They were very happy to oblige and will run the bursary numbers now to see if I may qualify at that point to let me know before I put in the deposit. They will let me know by Monday and have stretched the deadline for us until then to accept and put the deposit down. I had a tour last week and fell in love with the school. My son has offers from Westminster and Hampton and on a reserve list on St Paul’s but they don’t have what Halliford has! They also don’t do the bursary process until 2025 so I can’t just blindly accept those offers. People are telling me I am crazy for not going for these schools but after much reflection I can’t deny my gut feeling about Halliford. It feels like Halliford will treasure and value my son and he will not be turned into a grades churning machine. I hope I’m not wrong about this 😬 Let’s see what Halliford says on Monday!

My son was also placed on the Halliford waiting list. Despite letting them know that we are very very keen, we haven’t heard. Does this mean that no offer will be made? We are on tenterhooks.

@Seriouslyisitbedtimeyet we weren't told. I can't remember if I asked or not but I don't think they would tell you. So we sent a hand written letter to the head and Mrs Clatworthy. I may have got in touch once after that but then left it.

@Whatsblueandflies that’s really insightful, thank you. Emerging from the 11+ a broken woman I am keep to hand over the reins now….DS very capable and I want him to go somewhere he will flourish not coast. Thank you too @sallydoodlecat - I was so sure of our choice for DD but this time around it feels a more difficult decision.

Sorry to jump on the thread but do you know if in previous years the boys were given any idea where they were on the waiting list, or is it simply a case of waiting?
I’m mindful I want to let them know we are keen but don’t want to bother them too much as I’m sure they are super busy.

we wanted a small school for DS as he is a genius at going under the radar and doing just enough not to get noticed - not getting away with it at Halliford! Teachers know exactly what he is capable of and are pushing him to achieve it (done gently ) and he is becoming much more confident in his own abilities . There are still approx 80 in a year by year 9 so big enough for him to find his group of friends but small enough to allow the pastoral care the school does so well

Good luck with your decision! It's a tough time. But I'm sure whichever school you choose will be the right one

@sallydoodlecat yes it was a huge draw for us too and I can see it will offer DS a very personalised experience. Waiting to hear from a couple more and then we’ll see. The schools we’ve applied seem to draw mixed opinion (on here and in RL) but I’ve only ever heard hugely positive things about Halliford. Thank you!

I love thé fact it's small. It's not overwhelming for the boys. They can get to know each other better. Still so much choice of things to do. Personally it was a selling point for me.

@Whatsblueandflies did you have any reservations about it being a small school or anything else? How have you found it so far?😊

Don’t lose heart if you are on the waitlist. Lots of boys in my sons year were on waitlist but got places quickly as boys with offers chose other schools. Halliford is (wrongly) seen as the banker for bright boys so they will be accepting places at reeds, Epsom etc instead.
I agree with PP, one of my friends emailed to make it clear that Halliford was their first choice and they would accept a place immediately. She also rang every other day - be visible to them and you will hopefully get an offer. Keeness really does work with wait list places - good luck!

@TheVineyardMum congratulations! 😊
They must have had parents with this predicament before, hopefully the bursar can give you some guidance?

We’ve just received an offer with a lovely detailed letter that made me feel warm and fuzzy (for 13+ in 2026). The only tricky bit is that we applied for a bursary which they refused to assess until 2025 - which makes sense but puts us in a sticky position. If we accept it and don’t get a bursary, DS can’t go. Really confused…

Yeh no parking. But when I pick up from clubs or events I always park in Wadham Close. It sometimes gets busy but never usually a problem. The late bus goes to Walton train station. We've never used this so can't comment on it.

We were waitlisted too. I'd suggest you write to the school telling them it's your first choice and why. Halliford can sometimes be seen as a back up to other schools (wrongly so in my view!) and there is movement once other offers are accepted. Good luck

Hi, well done for being offered a place. We’ve been waitlisted with a very lovely letter too. Not sure what the likelihood we’ll be offered a place is but will keep fingers crossed. I did get a lovely vibe and was DS first choice.

Another parent here. Lovely school, amazing pastoral support for those that need it. Most parents pick up when they do after school sports and I’ve never struggled to get a space either on the side road or the cricket grounds car park . Not sure what your other school options are but it’s a great choice! - feel free to PM if you want to

There isn't a school car park for parents, but you can park at Church Road car park and walk down. Speak to Bursary and see if they can add a bus drop in, always worth asking?

@TW17Mum @sallydoodlecat may I ask, is parking difficult at Halliford? The only draw back for us is that there’s no late bus (that goes our way) so that’ll mean pick ups several times a week. Is the car park available to parents?

Congratulations on your offer. I am a Halliford mum, and my son is thriving there. I couldn't be happier with the school. The teachers are amazing, and he has the most supportive tutor. There are so many different clubs and activities on offer and due to its size, it always has the most warm and welcoming feel.