Knightsbridge School - Heard Negative Things, Opinions Please

[CLondonMumsy]

Hello,
I recently toured the Knightsbridge School junior dept and was impressed by the academic standards and teaching..... However I've been reading Mumsnet and have heard a few negative things about the school along the lines of the teachers being too young and inexperienced, plus elements of the inspection exports are not too positive either.... And the Head (Magoo Giles) seems like a rather love / hate character.

Can anyone give me some specific examples of the negative things they have heard? A lot of what I read seems very general.

I'm looking for a school for my DC which is very nurturing with a good special needs dept and which can provide a wide range of life experiences. I'm not looking for a hothouse as DC is unremarkable academically.

Thank you!

Have you looked at other schools? Its best to look at a few and feel the 'vibes'.

Hi, I've looked at a few and some I hated, some I loved and some I'm unsure about. Knightsbridge is one of the ones I did like but am not 100% sure about, however I think my DC has a reasonable chance of getting in due to Knightsbridge's relationship with DC's current school (not GH, in case you're wondering :-) ) and so it seems a bit silly not to apply given how competitive central London places are. If you've got any insider info on what the school is like it'd be really great to hear it.

Thank you!

Sorry I don't know there but have you looked at Newton? It really isn't all that far and sounds like it would suit you to a T (and their results are very good).

Hi, thanks for mentioning Newton. I've not been to see it, but everything I read made me think it looked really lovely. Unfortunately it's a real stretch location-wise, and even going as far as Knightsbridge could be a bit of a struggle for us. (We are unlikely to be living in an SW postcode!!) Perhaps I will check to see what school buses Newton have, as perhaps that would make it a possibility, although I would worry how playmate could work if we were so far away from the school.

Do you have any personal experience of Newton you could share? You can PM me if you prefer.

Thank you!

Oops, I meant playDATES!

After many visits to many schools in the area, Knightsbridge school was by far my top choice. It drew me in despite some friends advising me to go to more ‘traditional’ schools. Delighted to say my kids now go there (for the past 3 years) and we are very happy with the school. The positive atmosphere resonates throughout the school and the children get a wonderful education. Academics are very good and teachers are young, yes, but they are engaging, inspiring, enthusiastic & approachable. My kids (who have VERY different personalities) quite simply love the school. Despite some of the comments here, the school is in high demand so obviously it impresses more than a few. Parents are also allowed to be very involved via the PA which is amazing. Many of the parents come from very strong academic backgrounds themselves and are happy with the schools academics but note that KS is an ‘all round’ education so if it’s just an academic hothouse you want maybe go somewhere else. Personally I think that there is more to education and KS really is about an all round education. The school is very international and less steeped in tradition than other schools in the area which sometimes do things ‘because they have been always done that way’.

Some of the best teachers my DC have had are young and experienced, you can't judge on that. Young teachers tend to be energetic, up-to-date with knowledge, committed and often don't have a family to look after so more time. I know amazing young teachers and amazing more experienced teachers...equally I know poor young ones and poor experienced ones...
Jobs at schools like KS will be competitive so they will have the pick of a wide selection.