St Edmunds Hindhead

[jfando]

I'm looking at schools for my daughters to attend when they're a bit older. We'll probably put them in to the local village school for R - Yr2 and then are thinking about applying for St Edmunds in Hindhead at 7+ ( to go into year 3). Does anyone have any experience of this? Is there much availability at 7+ (and how difficult is the assessment?). Thanks!

It is not particularly selective simply because there are so many other prep schools in the area - many more academic and population around there is ageing. It is good for the all-round experience and a real prep school BUT as it has expanded to 16 I'd be VERY weary. They will not prep in the true sense anymore for the high quality senior schools such as Guildford High, Tormead, Churchers, St Cats (however much they say they do!) because they will be trying to keep you. Their senior school in reality is tiny and full of kids who can't get in elsewhere.
The intake of kids to the local senior school I work at (private) has shown that St Eds pupils aren't well prepared for seniors at all, even less so than the average pupil from a state school.
It depends if you are going for the country prep school feel or want the academics too. Is co-ed important?
There are far higher quality preps around. Amesbury or HIghfield has a good reputation or many commute from the hindhead/haslemere area to Guildford. This tends to mean avoiding 11+ if you get them in at 8+. I'd look at St Catherines, GHS, Tormead, Churchers Prep (not Guildford), Cranleigh Prep.

I hear that it's great for some not for others and although it's been co-ed a while I still hear stronger for boys than girls. I would check out other local options, depending on where you are there are plenty in a short drive. As per pp info I think you need to think about where you are going next as this will determine where you prep. Royal school starts at nursery and takes children all the way to sixth form as does churchers (juniors in Liphook and seniors in petersfield), but in my opinion neither felt like true prep schools (probably as pp said they are trying to keep you throughout school career). I would suggest looking at amesbury and highfield as to me they felt more like a true prep. If you are Hindhead direction Worth having a look at edgeborough and frenhsham heights.

I disagree. I have looked at St. Ed's and visited it and found their message genuine. They are still preparing their children for Common Entrance both as they are firmly NOT wishing to be a through school and also because their Senior School is not trying to be like every other senior institution in the area. And most importantly, they have to have children leaving at the end of Form 8 otherwise their senior model would be over subsribed. Their prep offering is second to none, both academically and co-curricular, I have never seen such happy children at a school and for them to talk so much about the amount of opportunities they have there. To say that the senior school is full of children who don't have anywhere else to go is extremely harsh and the person who said that should be ashamed of themselves. St. Ed's have filled that missing niche of offering a senior private education but in a small environment with classes only being a maximum of 15, allowing those children who would drown in a larger environment, become big fishes in a small pond therefore boosting their confidence and allowing them to excel in their school life. I wish other schools were human enough to recognise this as a strong feature to offer. Their initial GCSE results this summer were incredibly good, as were their Common Entrance with 100% of their candidates getting into their first choice of school. I would highly recommend St. Ed's, way and above the other prep schools in the area. St. Ed's suits real life hard working families who want their children to enjoy their education. Totally different to the Amesbury's and Highfield's who I felt were shallow, pitching too hard and fitted into the category of what I would call Surrey Mums, a category of mum I like to steer clear of. I couldn't speak higher of St. Ed's - go and see for yourself.

I couldn't recommend St Ed's more. My son is in Year 1 and is flying along. His teacher gives him additional spelling and reading challenges and I hear so much about the science and music he is learning.
I work in a state school so I'm familiar with the curriculum and feel 100% confident that he is receiving excellent teaching.

Any up to date thoughts on the senior offering here?