LVS Ascot

[Mummyto3x]

Hello! New on here but moving to Virginia water in a few months and looking at LVS Ascot for my 3 children - Boy/Girl twins age 9 and DD age 5 wanting to keep them together through to 6th form without having to change school and have the option of boarding so this school seems ideal for our needs- would love to know any up to date opinions or any other options similar in the area please. TIA!!

My daughter is there. Loves it. Really diverse student body. The London pub kids from its past are still there, plus Gurkha and other army kids, Russians, Chinese, Europeans of all nations.

It’s a bit rougher round the edges than other Ascot schools, but it’s 2/3 boys and £7.5k cheaper than Heathfield and St George’s. Results are well above average, and their intake is pretty average academically.

Staff are variable but what school doesn’t have the occasional wild card. School seems good at moving the ones who don’t cut the mustard on though. Better than the HMC school I went to, who had a multitude of dreadful teachers, masked by a selective intake.

Clearly there are people who have axes to grind about any school. My daughter has loved every minute of being there and is on for 7s and above in all subjects. I don’t regret sending her there. She’s a quiet and bookish girl. I’d heard the rumours about behaviour but she hasn’t experienced the bullying that goes on at other schools. I’m very pleased with the school, as are the other parents I know.

The ISI report is spot on. My son is very good at a particular subject and took his GCSE's at LVS in the summer. A few weeks before the exams, he and three other pupils were told that as they would almost certainly pass, they would now 'self study' so that the teacher could concentrate on the other pupils in the class! The teacher confirmed this to me. It was necessary for us to employ a private tutor to help him get the best results he could. This should have been the school's responsibility. The ISI inspectors rightly point out that the 'gifted and talented' students are not supported by the school.

The million dollar question is why on earth didn’t you complain?

The whole “gifted and talented” thing gets my goat. My dd is bright but I certainly don’t expect her to be treated differently. I pay the same fees as others, why should I expect her to get preferential treatment?

Of course I complained! They said they'd look into it, but with the GCSE's only a few weeks away we didn't have the luxury of waiting for the outcome, which was just as well as the response was very slow and unhelpful when it did arrive. The point is, whether you think they should have 'gifted and talented' or not, they do. It begs the question 'why?' if the pupils are not supported to achieve their full potential. That is the point the ISI inspectors made.

I’m really sorry that your child and you had such a bad experience at the school. My dd’s has been positive, hopefully our paths don’t cross that teacher

Has anyone here used LVS just for pre prep and then gone on somewhere else at 7/8? I'm considering that for my boys as it's close to us. But then from comments here I'm wondering if we'd be better at Hall Grove - or just using a state infant school. Decisions.....

Hall Grove is a decent prep that produces nice kids who get into v g senior schools and there are several vg state primaries in the area. Also other nice pre preps and preps like Woodcote and lambrook. In fairness to LVS, I know nowt about its pre prep equivalent, only its senior reputation, locally.

My daughter attends LVS and takes her GCSE’s next year. She enjoys the school as she is sporty, but academically it’s not great.
Last year she had 5 different teachers for the same subject, so as she was falling behind, we arranged for her to have private tuition at home. We thought she was exaggerating when she told us how many of her friends were also having private tuition, so I raised it with one of her teachers.
They told me that they are aware that many parents (including members of staff) employ private tutors for their children. They accept that this is not ideal but ironically the improved results appear to reflect well on the school.
Given my time over again I would have done just as well getting her into a good state school and saving the fees.

That's the local rep 're the senior school, TBH -.better to save your money and stay in the state sector!

I have to say that’s not the experience of my dd or the parents of friends. We are all very pleased.

My cousin's daughter is in sixth form at LVS having got an array of grade 8s and 9s and is aiming for Oxbridge. No tutor in sight!! They have been delighted with their experience. Their older daughter not so academic but still got an impressive bunch of results. I think you have to make your own mind up.All I hear is what an amazing, supportive but normal environment it is.

Of course you do, and it sounds like they've done very well. However, five different teachers in a year for one subject is ridiculous (see below), and could not provide the student with the quality of education she was entitled to. For the fees it shouldn't be hit and miss. There seems to be a high turnover of teachers , which is usually a symptom of a bigger problem which may account for the inconsistencies. Happy staff don't leave.

As a parent, it is good to see that the school has now passed the ISI inspection.
It is though, slightly surprising that, having identified failures by the Management in the original report, there’s been no apparent changes here - something which would have happened in most other businesses.
Nonetheless, although this has been an unsettling experience for all concerned, it has shown that the inspection process works.

Any current parents :- is anything being said to the SMT by the parent body? Are parents generally watching and waiting for specific improvements?

Unfortunately all schools are hit and miss, regardless of whether you pay fees or not. Five teachers in one year does sound awful. What subject was it?

There was a bit of movement staff wise last year but a lot went abroad and a number were seeking promotion. There seems to be a number of staff in their forties and fifties in the middle management there so I guess it’s dead mans shoes as far as promotion goes so the younger staff have to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Parents should read the follow up ISI ‘short visit’ report 2019:
www.isi.net/school/lvs-ascot-7140
The school failed the original inspection on ‘compliance’ because the Chair of Trustees and Principal had failed to maintain the ‘central register’. This meant that staff who had not been adequately security checked were working at the school.
As they are both still in post, what confidence can parents have that it won’t happen again?
Surely someone must be held accountable?

You would think so, but it appears not. We asked the same questions after the recent GCSE,s which (despite the schools’ ‘spin’ !) were disappointing.
There have been no changes to the management at LVS for several years and complacency has set in - as recent events have shown.
As a parent this is unacceptable.
For confidence in the school to be restored there needs to be wholesale changes

The Govt produced the latest school league tables yesterday (link attached)
If you put 'Ascot' in the relevant search box, it compares the 6 local schools in the area.

news.sky.com/story/school-league-tables-how-did-your-school-perform-11927627

If you look at Eton and Harrow, nearly 3x LVS fees, they’re also “average”.

Fortunately we are spoilt for choice for schools in this area, and there is no need to settle for ‘average’ or even pay school fees.
Our friends’ son attends 6th Form at a local state school (rated ‘Outstanding’) which would have cost about £40,000 at a fee paying school.
It’s certainly worth looking around.

Charters are closed on Fridays with no idea of impact on outcomes yet. Other local schools have A level classes of up to 27 (my “outstanding “ state school). State schools are stretched to the limit with the austerity cuts year on year. You’re right that you don’t need to pay, but I can say that my the resources and experiences that my dd gets at LVS are better than I’ve seen in 20 years of teaching in state schools, 11 in outstanding schools,

£40,000 is a boarding school fee if you are talking per annum. I think state schools can provide an excellent education but looking LVS and outstanding state schools and comparing them to, say, Harrow or Rugby, is simply ridiculous. They are very different and you can see what you are paying for. It is not just exam results at top schools.

Charters are closed at 1.30 on a Fridays so miss one lesson. Not closed all day 😂😂.

Oops, typo. They’re still closed part of the day though.

One hour. Although they are still open this week all the time 🥴