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Original poster

Saint Nicholas School Harlow

20 replies

slipperysatin · 31/03/2016 00:37

Does anyone have personal experience of this school? We have recently moved to the area and are considering it for Dd.

OP posts:
Original poster
slipperysatin · 06/04/2016 09:14

Bump

OP posts:
fgr · 07/04/2016 18:29

What year are you thinking of? I have 2 there and the school did not have a great reputation a few years ago but it has really picked up with a dynamic new deputy head plus the headmaster is retiring at the end of the yesr.

The GCSE results are now on par with the many local selectives, it has a lovely family feel with beautiful grounds and facilities, amazing catering and value for money for whats included given where it is.Very generous scholarships are offered. Some feel there is a bit of new money, chavvy element to it but that is just silly snobbery and having toured most of the schools in the area in my time the kids are some of the most well mannered I have come across. Feel free to PM

Hersetta427 · 13/11/2018 21:37

Have you looked around and met the teachers. Facilities and grounds are beautiful but we couldn't wait to get out of there- teachers left us cold and none had any social skills to the point that we wouldn't want to leave our kids with them.

Dd is now in a top state school in Bishops Stortford that gets better results.

Cj33 · 14/11/2018 07:36

Hi thanks for responding.How long ago was that? And what age were your children? Mine will be older What do you mean by no social skills?

Hersetta427 · 14/11/2018 08:46

It was last year for yr 7 entry this September just gone(so 11 yrs). Just got a really odd feeling from them (wouldn't make eye contact, didn't engage with the kids and had no conversational skills). Felt like they dragged people off the street rather than real teachers. There are so many better indies and state schools around.

Cj33 · 14/11/2018 10:37

Really? That’s the year group I’m looking at as well. Ok I am going to visit so I’ll be looking out for that.. was that on an open day or a private tour?

Hersetta427 · 14/11/2018 11:03

Open Day

Hersetta427 · 14/11/2018 11:59

Just as a side note, 3 of my daughter's year 6 class ended up going to St Nicks for year 7 when they didn't get the state school they wanted and then didn't pass the entrance test for Stortford College.

Cj33 · 14/11/2018 12:16

Stortford college for 6th form is that?

Cj33 · 14/11/2018 12:17

Do you recommend any schools in particular that you’ve looked at?

Hersetta427 · 14/11/2018 12:30

No year 7 (age 11).

Haileybury, Felsted, stortford college are your main choices I would say. Where are you moving too? Stortford has excellent state schools too.

Hersetta427 · 14/11/2018 12:34

Stortford College is Bishops Stortford College an all through 4-18 school in Bishops Stortford. Facilities are amazing but they do work them hard - and the results attest to that.

Cj33 · 14/11/2018 13:53

Ah right I understand- and how do the 3 girls that stayed there find it? Unfortunately I’m out of catchment for the state school in Stortford I want to change to and this one is conveniently located so was looking into it..

Hersetta427 · 14/11/2018 14:11

Actually it was 3 boys and don't really know as my daughter doesn't really keep in touch with the boys from primary.

There is no official catchment for Stortford schools although the decider is always distance but anyone can try for an aptitude test place although it is very competitive (my daughter got one). Are you wanting a yr 7 place for next September or to move into yr 7 now?

Cj33 · 14/11/2018 15:37

Current year 7 - he did the music aptitude & got 70% I don’t know what you needed to get this year in the end for a place but I don’t think that helps me now anyway, it’s purely done on distance I think.

Hersetta427 · 14/11/2018 15:55

Not aptitude - you could live 100 miles away and if you scored highly enough you would be offered a place. There are lots of kids who commute from london to the stortford schools and the only way they would get in is on aptitude.

Sorry do you have a girl or a boy as you said DD in your OP but refer to he in your last post.

Assuming you have a girl - did you sit for the single sex school? If so thats where my daughter goes. The last few years the cut off for a music place was around 72% so you could just miss out - if by chance you sat for the mixed school, the entry mark for music is well into the mid minety percent.

Hersetta427 · 14/11/2018 15:59

Also i would get yourself of the waiting list as things do move - i know for example there is a new girl starting at my daughters school on Monday. She is flying from LA on Saturday and starting on Monday (so the girl said on the class whats app group) so the continued interest list is always worth staying on.

Hersetta427 · 14/11/2018 16:12

Sorry - i got confused and release you are not the OP. Waiting lists are ordered on distance but it is definitely worth keeping on them. I know someone who was offered a place a day after the start of term and they were 6th on the list as everone above them turned it down.

Cj33 · 14/11/2018 16:34

Yes it’s a boy- thanks for all the input. Always good to get a variety of opinions on places. I can only try my best at the end of the day.:)

user1466518624 · 17/11/2018 20:14

Cj33 if you ant more info about St Nicks I would be happy to talk via dm

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