Lockers Park

[Jingleybells]

any views on this school. Thanks!

....bump

New year bump...

Seems like a nice school, good reputation, beautiful grounds, boys seem very happy BUT it depends on what type of senior schools you have in mind for after, it doesn't send children to most of the 'high flying' senior schools on a regular basis if you see what I mean.

Have you visited?

Yes I have - liked it and their attitude. Although my dh went to a top tier public school we just don't know what will suit our son at the moment who seems to change moment to moment! and it seemed to be very good at trying to match school with child (as opposed to fit into a predetermined pattern.)

Have you looked at any others? Might be worth visiting some others too, also are you thinking of him joining senior school at 13 yrs or at 11yrs, if 11 then there are some more academic that end in yr 6 in surrounding localism areas. However LP is a good choice for 13+.

Lockers Park is actually excellent at getting into top flight senior schools. They are refreshingly transparent about their leavers' destinations (see their website). They are one of very few prep that regularly sends pupils through to Eton hence Eton name them as such on the Eton College website.

It's a lovely school.

DISCLAIMER: I have no connection with the school, nor do I have a child at the school but I hope to send my son there. In the not too distant future.

Barrackobana - we are looking at doing CE (so 13 +).

AlphaBravoHenryFoxtons - the transparency was one of the things which struck us. I am hoping someone will come along who has a son at the school to offer thoughts

Locker's Park sent 1 boy to Eton in 2014. Prior to that they sent 1 boy to Eton in 2011. In total, between 2005-2014 they have sent 6 boys to Eton.

Eton college list prep schools that send boys regularly OR might do in future. the list contains about 100 schools of which of course, LP is one of them. This is not by any means a 'special mention' of them as a feeder school.

The only 'top flight' in my opinion that they've sent boys to regularly is Harrow, with a total of 37 between 2005-2014, (bearing in my mind this is a boys only prep). Their second most popular senior school is Bedford school, not what I'd call top flight but a decent and nice school, followed by Berkamsted, Haileybury, Aldenham etc. all nice schools, but top flight they are not.

It is important to point this out to OP as if she is hoping her dc to go on to Westminster, Winchester , City boys etc then LP may not be the right school for her ds.

Barrack - LP is a VERY small school. They send boys to the best fit school. It would be unusual if that was more than none, one, two or three to one school in any one year given the small number of leavers.

Someone using Lockers Park is unlikely to want a day school in London such as Westminster as a senior school. As anyone using Lockers as a day school would find Westminster too long a commute and anyone using Lockers as a boarding prep is unlikely to opt for a day school in central London at senior level. Not impossible but very unlikely.

My youngest son would be at Lockers Park now if we lived closer.

Alpha I am replying to what you said, they are one of very few preps which send boys through to Eton hence Eton name them as such on Eton college website This is totally incorrect information based on Locker's Parks own website. They Do Not send boys regularly to Eton. Eton makes no such claim about them on their website, except list them as one of many prep schools for two reasons, either they send boys regularly (based on LP data they don't) or they might send some at some point. I believe Locker's will fall into that category.

You are indeed correct about commuting from Locker's to Westminster, but it again their data shows they have sent a boy there before. However my mentioning those schools was simply to emphasise that if OP is thinking of a very academic senior schools (she said her Dh went to a top public school) then perhaps Locker's may need to be considered carefully.

barrackobana - They do send boys regularly to Eton. In the last 10 years it is more common for them to send a boy to Eton in any year than not send a boy to Eton. And they are a teensy prep school. Compare this with Aldwickbury which is all boys and very very much bigger and has only sent two boys to Eton in the last 15 years. (And is not on the Eton list.)

LP is a gorgeous school, have you visited in Barrackobana.

OP as previously said, Locker's is a lovely school, it has a good reputation locally, good facilities and very nice grounds. Nevertheless, please consider the type of senior school you may prefer for your ds in future as according to Locker's park website and local knowledge they do NOT send boys to the high flying senior schools regularly. Please see their Leavers destination list for past records.

If I were thinking of sending ds to the likes of Eton, Winchester et al I would be looking at a prep school that will give him the best chance, a prep with tons of experience sending lots of boys yearly, not the odd bright spark every 2 or 3 years. Eton makes no special mention of them!

However, if you are not looking at top public schools, Lockers is more than capable of getting children into good schools but much less selective as shown on their leavers list.

The boys are very very pleasant, and very outdoorsy, their sport is also quite good, if ds is very sporty he will enjoy it. I hear their food is also 'top notch' according to reports from after matches.

barack - Which are the high-flying senior schools you're talking about? can you name them?

I know nothing about Locker's Park but as a general comment from what has been said, if it regularly gets boys into Harrow it can teach to CE level for schools like Eton etc.
Any clued-up parent can enter their DS for whatever pretests so that is not a problem, especially as these need minimal or no preparation. However senior school advice would seem rather restricted, the school will have less direct experience to offer parents about the suitability and ethos of other major (apart from Harrow) independent schools for placing the boys. It is also unlikely that it is able to teach for competitive scholarships and Winchester entrance syllabus unless a one off boy gets special treatment (rather lonely for him). However that may not be an issue for OP's DS.

Many thanks everyone. I think they do have a scholarship class. I agree on the "top" schools there is a bias towards Harrow - although a real broad range of schools which I thought was refreshing. I agree though about potential less direct experience, although I understand all boys got 1st choice school this year.

There's probably a bias towards Harrow because of the geography: Harrow is less than 10 miles away from Lockers Park.

Some families want the proximity not only to make exeat pick ups and drop offs and holiday pick ups and drop offs easier, but also so they can go and see their children play sports matches and perform in music concerts etc.

Jingley I think with any school it is important not to go in with a rose tinted view but be aware of any relative weaknesses so that they don't come as a shock or disadvantage when it is too late. That means you can compensate as needed in the future and enjoy the strengths of the school that you like. Don't forget that any of these smaller schools may push to certain favoured / local senior schools of which they have the most experience so 'first choice' stats are pretty meaningless if the parents are just following that trend.

Most prep schools report that everyone got into their '1st choice school'. this information is actually not correct. What they don't tell you is how many failed their pretests! These would have happened much earlier on.

You can only sit CE for 1 school anyway ( although I think they sometimes can send the results to a second school, but not that common) By the time they get to sitting CE they only have 1 choice left, which is the one they will end up going to. They report the same thing at our prep, we all snort a bit when the HM does his speech.

AlphaBravo - I agree re proximity and matches etc

Summerends - agree need to go in with eyes open

Gunznroses - interesting re claims from schools of 1st choice when initial pre tests failed

I know I am late to the party, but like AlphaBravoHenryFoxtons, I could not let barrackobana's comments go unchecked.

Lockers is one of the oldest purpose-built Preps in the country, has been routinely sending boys to the best senior schools for 150 years and is the only Prep in the local area recommended in the Tattler Schools Guide.

For the avoidance of doubt, LP has sent boys to Eton every year for the last three academic years (sending 6 in total).