Kensington Prep vs Falkner House Girls vs North London Collegiate

[Valeriepae]

Hi everyone,

Ignore the locations of the schools from the discussion. Does anyone have any opinions on any of these schools from the junior school perspective? Looking into all of these at the moment for my daughter to start next year (she is 3 years old now).

Is there any other schools I should of thought of in the London prep world?

NLCS is an all-through school. Almost every girl stays until 18 and you won't have the stress of 11+. Big difference.

From the names you've given, you might also want to look at Glendower Prep and enter your DD for the Bute House lottery.

Your right the not moving does make a big difference and less stress of exams along the way.

We tried Bute House unfortunately we were not lucky on the lottery. In regards to Glendower Prep it is totally full and there is only the chance of the waiting list which I am not sure is worth trying as I am sure we are far too late and will be right at the bottom.

Then, completely ignoring geography, I’d suggest you look at Pembridge Hall and St Christopher’s in Hampstead. You might find this page to be useful. Scroll down to the section “St Paul’s Girl’s School offers by prep school”

Thank you expat96 that link was very helpful. I have heard of Pembridge Hall so will try them. St Christopher school in Hampstead looks delightful will give them a call for a look around.

On the schools you have mentioned in your opinion what do each of them have as negatives?

Well that's a no-brainer - you'd go for a through school to 18 over a prep any day. not a huge fan of NLCS personally but avoiding the 11+ is a good thing.

Thank you Laptopdisaster. Why do you personally not like NLCS out of curiosity?

Whether to choose an all-through school or a prep requiring a transfer at 11+ depends on what you, as a parent, are after. I made the assumption from OP's (and relation's) earlier posts that they are after a senior school with very strong academic results. Not all all-through schools get those results.

Proponents of all-through schools can be correct that there is much less stress around the 11+. However, in most of the all-through schools I've looked at, particularly the more academic ones, a significant fraction of the 4+ entry doesn't continue through to year 7 and beyond. The size of that fraction may vary from school to school and certainly varies from year to year. I've never been able to get a straight answer from the only people who would truly know, i.e., the school administrators.

@Sharonpae I know more than one girl who has left between reception and year 2, either been managed out or found it too tough. You've got to be super confident, if your daughter is then it might be the right school for her. Not somewhere for a shy girl, or a fidgeter.

@Sharonpae if she's only 3, why just those schools out of interest? Have you looked at Habs, Channing, SHHS etc?

Thanks Laptopdisaster. That feedback seems to be a common thread that these top schools have a certain type of personality that goes there. This is obviously very hard to work out when a child is 3 years old. I know my little one is still young but was worried I was too late to even be considered later on as the London school market seems ridiculously competitive.

I haven't look at Channing. Is that a good school? sorry I am not familiar with it?

Channing an amazing school! My girls go/went and I'm an old girl too. So a big fan here.

Habs isn't like that. Very laid back in the juniors. Go and look at it.

I wouldn't discount Glendower waiting list (to sit the assessment). Lots of people register their daughters when they are very young but later choose not to do the assessment for various reasons - eg, they move from London. In my own case, my oldest daughter is starting at Falkner House but my younger one is still registered at Glendower although she won't do the assessment there. I just didn't get around to notifying the school. In general, I would say not to be discouraged by waiting lists in London. In response to your specific questions about these schools, I know a lot of people who considered Ken Prep and Falkner House both but you will find it difficult to get a fair opinion from someone who considered all three because of the location factor.

There are many others!
If not location tied, I'd look at:
Thomas's (whichever is nearest)
Chepstow House
Glendower
Pembridge Hall
Garden House
The GDST junior schools - South Hampstead, Putney, Wimbledon High etc.
Bute (I think you said you didn't get the ballot)
Highgate
Eaton House
Eaton Square

Ken Prep is very innovative, forward-thinking and pretty academic. Buzzy environment. A bit less 'Chelsea' feel to it and more down to earth... to a degree!
Falkner is much, much smaller. Family feel. Perhaps more nurturing if your DD would suit somewhere that everyone would know her very well. Head runs a tight ship and you need to be on board with it.
NLCS has the all-through advantage. I don't know much about it. I assume it has a similar feel to the GDST junior schools. No 11+ stress but these 'junior departments' are under pressure to ensure their girls enter the senior department on par with the new intake.

Look at Francis Holland SW1 and Hill House too
Hill House is coed throughout but taught separately from about 7.

Cameron House
Thomas’s
Do try for Glendower as others have said
Alleyns
Have you considered a good state school then 7+ application?

Ok so I viewed every single school ( well nearly every ) i have many opinions on all of the above.

• Faulkner house, all girls are cloned , the kind of girls that sit still and don’t have a huge personality, that was the impression I got. The head teacher asked me what I do for a living in her first sentence which baffled me! This is a school that looks more at your address rather than the girls academic ability.

• Glendower , this is a hard one because the head teacher has now left for NHP (bizarrely because they are so different) this school has way to much pollution for me no space what so ever and way to many stairs. It just seemed so old. The head also didn’t know the names of the girls who showed us around and they was in year 6🤷🏻‍♀️ But as it now has a new head I can’t say too much.
I heard the head only supports families of celebrities and I did get this sense when I was at the assessment. Also just a note I got my girl to still do her assessment because I was intrigued to know what would happen even though we knew what school we was choosing. My 4 year old can read, do times tables write her full name ect and she didn’t get a place at the school so it makes me wonder what are they looking for in the assessment. Unless she just sat back and watched from the corner but with her personality I highly doubt it.

• Kensington prep, amazing facilities , love love love this school but when we had to decide if we was to take the place it was just that little bit further away and it didn’t give me the same feeling as pembridge hall. But this was a close second for us.

NHP, lots of my daughters friends decided to go here and I can see why, it is a free school, not academic at all. It wasn’t the school for my daughter though as the fit was not correct for her , we need more structure and focus lead learning. But if you don’t want your child to have the private school feel then this is a perfect choice. Not sure how the new head will change it though because this school is popular for being this parent lead school.

•Norland , very English, great and traditional and doesn’t get enough notice! I would put this before All of the above ( minus Kensington prep ) great co Ed and would be my first choice for co Ed.

Chepstow, didn’t even end up viewing but parents there seem happy.

Pembridge hall, this won our vote because the girls was happy and every girl I met was so happy to be in this school, they are confident but not arrogant and the fact it is non selective with such amazing results says more about the teaching. Great performing arts and that is the most important thing for me, not like Faulkner house who when I asked they said they put on a show once every 2 years !
My daughter has been here now for only a month and she seems very happy, so far no homework ( not like all of the above ) teachers are literally amazing! The head I think is exceptional and very charismatic. I read a thread saying last year he missed the first day of school to take his own daughter to school, well I think that was the right decision! Anyone questioning that has to ask themselves how they would feel if there daughter never had there dad waving them off for there first day at reception. Also the remembering of every child’s name, well with 19/20 girls in each class and 3 classes in a year group I would be surprised if he did know my daughters name in the first year never mind few weeks. As for the mums and the kind of mums it attracts, in our class we have every kind of mum, mainly working professionals who are friendly and genuine. Also food menu is 10/10.

Whatever school you choose remember it has to fit your child and there personality and they have to be happy. That is he most important. After all they are only children once.

Hope this helps :)

In all highly selective schools, and particularly if you enter at 3/4 years old, children do get managed out in various ways or parents feel under pressure to push children using tutors from an early age.

I mention this because I know a girl who was encouraged to leave one of the very selective schools above, just in time for her place to be offered of the 7+ round. Those places are freed up as they generally don't add classes until 11+.

We all think our 3 year olds are bright but we don't know if they're dyslexic, artistic rather than academic, slower readers etc. I would recommend a well rounded, less selective school in primary and then switch for secondary if your child is destined for that type of school.

Hi

Thank you for all the detailed information. My DD has just been offered a place at Pembridge Hall I just wanted to ask now that a bit of time has passed what are your thought on PH? Thank you