private boys/coed school in ealing

[thereisastar]

hello all, i know there are plenty of threads on this topic but iwanted more insight . looking for a private school for my son who will start reception next year. we have been to orchard house,chiswick(merging with bedford house) , harvington school( bad ) and durston house ( it was great but not as orchard house ). harvington was disappointing but durston house is taking over .so things will change .
anyone been to these schools for a visit. would love to hear feedback from current parents of these schools. is St benedict very strict about faith studies?

love

Hi There. We have a 3 YO daughter, who is starting pre-reception in Durston this September. We certainly felt spoilt for choice, as we were also impressed by St Augustine's (great facilities) and St Benedicts. Whilst we are starting in pre-reception, we also had the transition into reception in mind. Ultimately, we are extremely impressed by the direction Durston House is going, guided by their relatively new Head, who seems to have put together a really good team. It's always been a strong academic school but there is now clear focus on pastoral care which has been really good to see. Both the head, and the new head of pre-school were extremely honest and open in their conversations with us, and we sensed a very clear vision/direction. The only hesitation in our mind is how they integrate girls into the school. We will see how that goes.

We had visited Harvington prep a year ago for the nursery, and totally ruled it out. However, it's becoming clear that the "new" combined school is certainly going to have strong Durston Ethos from September. The turnaround is very clear to see. The changes they have made to the pre-reception is clear to see. I hope the Harvington girls are able to integrate smoothly.

To answer your question - St Benedicts is clearly a faith school, but it's not overpowering in any way. It feels like a very inclusive school. However, it certainly has a boys school feel to it