Reviews of New Hall School Chelmsford

@Giacamo3 The bright dc go to the grammars there. My friends used it for primary and although it’s a through school, they moved. This won’t be possible for all so I hope you get someone who knows it well along soon.

Hi. Both my children attend NH and I would say it's a very good environment for bright children and they are really encouraged to excel. The extra curriculum, even beyond sport, is wonderful and my two have thrived. Happy to answer any specific questions you may have. Despite the size, it has a real community feel. We've been there since pre-reception but had friends that went off to the grammar schools and they really missed the sport, music and dance on offer.

Don’t bigger schools have better competitive sports and music? They certainly do here.

I have a friend whose daughter was educated there from pre-school through to GCSE.

She was someone who suffered extreme exam nerves, but studied diligently.

My friend was shocked that when her DD GCSE results arrived and were lower grades than predicted, New Hall advised my friend that they didn’t consider themselves the right sixth form location for her DD

My friend appealed but the school were adamant they wouldn’t offer a sixth form place.

There followed a desperate last minute rush to find somewhere that would take her DD for A Level studies. Eventually she was offered a place at a local sixth form college. Where she did well, gaining 3 A Levels and eventually perusing a professional career.

This was approx 10 years ago, but my friend still believes that New Hall were more concerned about their Grade stats than they were about the impact on her DD’s wellbeing.

My advice, on the back of this situation, is that if you consider the school, do investigate the continuity aspect of their offering. Moving a child at 16, in a last minute unplanned scenario, just because their GCSE results were lower than predicted, seems totally unacceptable to me.

We aren't catholic and it's actually quite nice as the school's gospel values do come through in all that they do. I would say the percentage of practicing catholic families is relatively small.

To be fair, the school are exceptionally clear from the off that Sixth Form is selective and entrance dependent entirely on grades achieved at GCSE. I absolutely understand the upset for your friend's daughter but it is made very clear in both written and verbal communications that this is the case.

@Giacamo3 Interesting that you think private schools treat everyone equally? Of course they don’t. My dc have been to 3 private schools and there’s a clear bias towards rich parents who actively put money into the school. It’s most evident at prize giving. Yes the brightest get prizes but the optional ones go to the favoured dc. Every time. It becomes clear very early on.

This is 100% true.