Lewes old grammar school

[Miningbee]

Please could anyone advise. Trying to move from London and find a school for our 3 children. Our eldest is currently in year 2 of a local authority school and whilst he is hitting expected standards, he is most definitely not thriving. He is a bit quirky and creative (mild SEn) and would do better with a wider curriculum than the prescribed national c.

Looking to find a nurturing, un pressurised prep school with a broad curriculum. Have read a few slightly less than glowing phrases on the inspection reports for lewes old grammar but v interested to hear from anyone with experience of the school.

Also, is the senior school as good as the prep?

Also, could anyone also comment on the current commute to London? Is it still horrendous with loads of trains being cancelled? Is it due to improve in the near future?

It's okay. The junior school is very small, particularly at KS1 and they are quite nurturing. Class sizes are favourable. They rely on the children behaving, and when they don't they have little in place to actually deal with it; disruptive kids continue to disrupt in a low level way and they are ill equipped to handle it.

The senior school is fine. Some good teachers, some coasting ones. Class sizes again are small which for some is a plus- there are a lot more boys then girls throughout the juniors and seniors. Whilst they value nurturing and caring (and rightly so) they don't do a great job of preparing students for the next step in the greater world out there.

The whole place is certainly creative and flexible if that's what you're after.

Both my children have had a great time at LOGS - JS and SS. Small classes and good teaching overall. Huge range of extra-curricular stuff. Junior school has an inspiring new Head who is doing fab things and has achieved great things in a short time.

SS also pretty good. Lots new subjects at GCSE and A level. DD has chosen BTec PE and BTec Computing and Digital Design. Thinking about it at higher level in sixth form too. Nice to have some less academic choices. School focusses on individuals not league tables.

My DDs both quirky too, but have blossomed. DD2 has moderate SEN but teachers are just as interested in her as swotty DD1.

Agree that some teachers in senior school have been coasters, but they seem to be dwindling in number. Understand (from DDs) new blood is very good. Very dynamic "cool" physics teacher I am told! Recent inspection (March 2019) is reassuringly good.

Southern/Thameslink trains to London have been a lot better recently. The odd hiccup but nowhere near as bad as 2 years ago. No need to live in Lewes. School has extensive bus network covers Brighton, Eastbourne and Haywards Heath/East Grinstead.

Worth a look around if nothing else.

It's non selective and pupil focussed with great pastoral care. Academically it performs well below other private schools nearby, but that is because it is non-selective so not surprising.

The recent ISI report was interesting. A bit luke-warm about some aspects of the senior school teaching.

I looked around the school and thought it had a nice feel, but I have academic kids and didn't feel it was the best place for them.

My DD went to the LOGS Nursery, which was truly excellent. We then moved her mid-way through JS as she was becoming very bored. I understand that the SS is good for non-academic kids but not great for the mid/higher achievers. See Sussex School league tables.
There are quite a number of other schools around that nearly all offer school bus service that you could look at - Bedes/Burgess Hill Girls/Brighton College/Hurst/BHHS - just some examples. Different schools suit different children - good luck!

My son is very academic and has been at the junior school and is now at the senior , many of his friends are also very academic- so we find the senior school caters for all kinds of children- it is not a hot house but they are pushed to achieve what they are capable of. The isi report was curious as it didn’t really reflect our experience of the school, but I guess you get that with inspections ,it is impossibly to gauge from a couple of days and logs is not a polished product, it doesn’t pretend to be, which really is its charm.