Claremont Fan Court school in Esher

[hellomums]

Hello, we are thinking about moving to Esher and have been looking at different schools, but there is just too much contradicting information out there...any feedback on Claremont Fan would be welcome and also Esher High school. Especially recent info...so how the schools have been the last few years...please. Thank you!!!

Hi

We're local to there. I have friends with DC at both schools. Claremont is very popular with the parents who send their DC there. It's not an academic school. Your child is very unlikely to have any academic edge through being there, over a child at Esher. But it is extremely warm, nurturing and great at developing pupils' self confidence. Friends say the school is excellent at encouraging pupils at whatever they excel in, regardless of how academic they are - so if a child is good at sport, music, art or drama, the school give sit equal status.

Esher High is highly thought of in the area. It has no 6th form which might put some parents off. Pupils go onto Esher College. The majority of its catchment is from well to do families around Esher, Hersham, Claygate etc, and results reflect that, although I've heard there's a bit of a two tier system in place. Some pupils come from a pretty rough housing estate - one of the most deprived in Britain allegedly, and are pretty hastily segregated into lower sets. So much for comprehensive education. I suspect this is a bit of an exaggeration and that there is some movement socially.

Must admit, the school has failed to make any favourable impressions on me when I've visited, but that's an unfair judgement as I know pupils and parents who are genuinely delighted with it and thrive there.

I have to say, having had a child in the senior school, Claremont left me cold. I found it stiff and lacking in soul. It really isn't as warm, nurturing and great at developing self-confidence as some seem to think. If a child struggles emotionally/psychologically, they can be incredibly patronising and unsupportive - they just don't want the hassle. If your child is bullied I'm afraid it's even worse. There's no empathy for a child in difficulty. The Christian Science influence is very much there but it isn't an overt, subtle presence. I would recommend that you research Christian Science fully before making a decision - I didn't realise how different it was from the "mainstream" Christianity that most of us are used to, eg C. of E., Catholic, Methodist. To give you an example they really do believe that prayer alone can heal illness - needless to say there are plenty of bibles in the medical rooms! My other child went to Kingston Grammar and I would highly recommend it as an alternative. It has warmth and humour, and what's more, many of the teachers actually have a personality - something I found sadly lacking at Claremont. Academically it's also much better, and if you're not feeling so good the school nurse (who seems to know every child in the school by name) gives you peppermint tea and TLC! :)