Hello. Another TGS parent here contributing to the discussion. I have been following this thread with interest and some worry, as it has evolved and taken on a life of its own since the original post seeking feedback about the School.
I completely agree with silverandgold about the pros and cons.
I read a comment on one of these threads along the lines that no-one gets particularly enthused about the Gower.
I dont actually think thats correct. I think the School has some very lovely features. Top of the list for us is that it is a very happy place for our child. It provides a very safe, nurturing environment to which a lot of thought has been given in order to make it child-centred, to give one example the adapted kitchen so that the children can be involved in their own food preparation.
The children are encouraged to be independent, to take responsibility for themselves and their environment. Peer relationships seem very good and the children are very supportive of their peers. There are good leadership opportunities for the children, for example everyone gets a turn at being a House Captain. The older children are buddied up with the younger ones. The year groups mix, particularly during the extended day and holiday provision, which is very good and was a real selling point for us. There is a strong emphasis on oral language and public speaking skills, with even the youngest children doing a presentation to their class. When they are older, you are invited to attend and it is lovely to see the interest with which the other children listen and ask questions and give feedback. There are other speaking opportunities such as poetry recitals and an active theatre club. We have seen our childs confidence grow a lot here.
The staff are lovely and warm, and our childs key teacher has regularly gone that extra mile. The children have lots of opportunities for enrichment with trips and concerts and people coming in to speak.
The Montessori approach means that the children get exposed to a very broad curriculum and have the opportunity to follow their interests and develop their basic skills by doing something that is interesting for them. Developing independent research skills is encouraged from an early age. We have been delighted to see our child making a very natural transition to becoming an independent worker following this learning style.
But and it is a big but it has become clear that there are some very real underlying issues. I really do hope that the Principal can turn things around and I am sure that the great majority of the parents will give her every support. The School seems able to recruit some absolutely excellent teachers but is then unable to keep them. The current high staff turnover, as many have said, is not feasible. Whether it is terms and conditions and / or an environment or atmosphere that grinds staff down, things clearly need to change. It is not a good thought that the staff teaching your child may be miserable in their job and, however happy the children appear to be on the surface, it must have an impact on their well-being and learning at some point. It certainly has an impact on the state of mind of parents!
There also seems to be a one way traffic of children out as you go through the school, although this may be contributed to by moves out of London and is something of a fact of life in a school a few minutes from Kings Cross. However, it has the effect that some of the year groups are getting very small, even lower down the School.
There are other things, more niggles e.g. the terms are action-packed but short one full month off at Christmas and pretty much another at Easter, as well as the long summer break and usual half-terms.
The governance arrangements, as discussed extensively above, means that there is no forum for discussing parental concerns of this nature. Gower is a proprietor-owned and run school. The Principal definitely has a very clear vision for the School and good ideas to improve the facilities and curriculum year on year (the Gower is still quite a new school). This of course is good. However, I do agree with the comments above about the lack of facility for the parent voice to be heard, especially when there are underlying concerns. The continuance of this thread seems a manifestation of that. You do sometimes get the impression that any questions from parents are viewed as an annoyance or potential interference to the good running of the School; however, if the school management read this I hope that they will reflect on the comments by parents that they just want to support what the School does very well. Surely that is better than, as has been said, parents deciding to look at other options and voting with their feet - as people clearly seem to be thinking about doing.
The current situation is clearly unhappy, particularly in a School where parents are asked to contribute much not only financially, as has been said, but by supporting the Montessori way of learning in practical life at home, which all takes effort and time. Even school reports seem invariably to be sent out on the last day of term or after term has finished, so any opportunity to discuss the contents has to wait.
Concluding, however, I would like to say that, despite these issues, the Gower has to date been a very happy place for our child and we are very grateful for the nurture and care the School and its staff have put in.