Looking for cosy and non pressured London prep school

[freddiemercury]

Is there such a thing as a more relaxed London day school?
My son is six and already feeling under pressure with endless tests and assessments at his current prep. He's bright and a perfectionist. However much I reassure him that his results don't matter ... he can't seem to help himself but worry.
I would love a school that fosters a love of learning... rather than the focus being on results.
I'm based in west London.. a very easy drive to chelsea/kensington/notting hill/paddington/marylebone.
I just want a school my son will enjoy attending rather than being in a state of constant anxiety...

Hmm I got the feeling Papplewick was more hothousey than Lambrook @VivianSmith so interested to read your post on that. I'm only looking around at the moment as mine still in pre prep, so no direct experience, but from leavers' destinations etc I definitely thought Papplewick more academic....
I had a family member at Kew Green Prep and would definitely not call it academically relaxed. Lots of tutoring and kumon!
How about Feltonfleet?

I would second looking at Fulham prep. I used to work in the pre prep many years ago, and it was a lovely school.

If you can cope with the commute to N London consider The Academy School in Hampstead, Heathside, King Alfreds or maybe even Trevor Roberts.

Er, state primary somewhere like LB Richmond with excellent primaries where they will have a relaxed homework free childhood till Year 5 when you can start tutoring for entrance exams to private secondaries if that is what you want. They don't need to go to a private primary to go to a private selective secondary even if that is your aim.

Please look at The harrodian school. It looks much less pressured. They say on the website Our ambition is to make the Harrodian Pre-Prep a school where children can learn and grow in an informal, stimulating and friendly setting. We want it to be a place that children enjoy coming to and where every day can be a joyful, positive and creative experience. Harrodian Prep teachers take great pride in knowing all of the pupils in their charge and in getting the best out of them, whatever their strengths and abilities - academic, sporting, cultural or leadership.We are committed to enabling students to realise their maximum potential whatever direction their inclinations and talents may take them in. The Senior and Sixth Form is a stimulating, dynamic and nurturing learning environment for pupils aged 13-18 with all the qualities required to make good this promise. Our teaching expertise extends all the way from ‘creative’ subjects such as 3-D Design and Media Studies to the rigours of Philosophy. They also can do activities like animation and coding and have space to run around in. Jack whitehall went from there to marlborough so it can support boarding. I know a lot of people send their kids to boarding schools to get away from the hothouse london environment but there are schools out there like the harrodian which is less pressured but does get good results and it could keep your kids in the love of the family home and thriving at school, the best of both worlds. The harrodian also has initiatives like a community tea where grandparents are invited and they sing and talk to them and do a show and tell thing. They also have a harvest festival where they collect fruit and vegetables that goes to those in needs.

Why don't you check out the st thomas' schools. I know from what they say in the media at prince georges school the first school rule is to be kind and they do lots of art and ballet and things like that.
I know when wetherby prep opened they said it was less competitive than westminster under and st pauls juniors but don't know if that is the case.
I know someone who is very happy at westminster school. It offers a very liberal education, the school chapel is westminster abbey and there is a great acting scene there and they do charity work where they teach in struggling primary schools to gain wordly experience. There is a co ed sixth form and weekly boarding too. If its not your thing than there are more down to earth london schools. You just have to search. The harrodian and st thomas' kensington and battersea would be worth a visit and schools in berkshire like lambrook, caldicott and windlesham offer the day option and there are buses in.

for senior school if you don't want the day option wellington college offers the day option where they go home monday to friday at around 5 and it supports the opportunity of day as well as boarding. The day house talbot is by a lake and a tennis court and they have an arts festival at wellington too.

One of the issues in most London prep schools is that the majority of parents are paying for the school to get their child into a top Independent secondary. Having had my DS at one of the preps mentioned here, I can tell you that this causes stress for everyone.

I suspect that choosing a school like the Harrodian may help if you plan to leave them there for primary and secondary.

"Is there such a thing as a more relaxed London day school? "
Short answer is no, not any more.
The march of the international jet set to London has destroyed this unfortunately.
We're in the era of super nannies and exorbitant fess for tutoring.
Good luck London!

^"Is there such a thing as a more relaxed London day school? "
Short answer is no, not any more^

that's not quite correct. There is no such thing as a relaxed N London prep school because of the 11+. Many of the through schools that go to 18 are very laid back in the juniors because they don't have the artificial stress of the 11+.

The school itself might be laid back, but unfortunately it's not just the school, it's the parents. I talk from bitter experience. We opred for a more relaxed 3-18 school but the ast majority of children and parents were uber competitive and it caused never ending stress especially for the girls.

Dd2 suffered the brunt of it, couldn't breathe without someone pointing out 'I am better at it' and the parents very similar. Moved her out now but ora hard to tell until you actually attend or know people who have a similar ethos and can be honest with you..

Have a look at Northcote Lodge. This was the route chosen by friends of mine who had similar aims. Isn’t you think he may Baird you want him at a school lots of others will be too, which knocks out a lot of the other suggestions. Northcote pitches itself as a country prep in London - most notably they do their homework at school so it gets that all aspect of aggro out of the home and cuts down on the escalation that can come from parents helping with prep. It isn’t a good choice for those targeting paul’s and westminster so this bit of the ability curve is probably thinly populated but you aren’t aiming for that, so not a problem. They run buses from chelsea etc

It also keeps itself out of the 8+ fray by assessing and requiring commitment in november, or at least did a few years ago when I sat looked at it.

Well worth a look

Disagree - The Academy School is genuinely more relaxed and I believe Heathside is too. King Alfred's is known for it (perhaps a little too relaxed but as a lot of the pupils have multi millionaire celeb parents they don't seem too bothered )

Disagreeing with dietcokemegafan btw

@sleepwhenidie

King Alfred goes to 18 and I think heathside to 14 now so that kind of makes my point, neither end in the 11+.

Isn't the academy very international so lots leave before the 11+?

No not very international. Most do 11+, a few wait for 13+ entrance exams and most boys stay until end of y8. Classes are v small.

Fair enough, it may be the exception.

I honestly think it might be. And if kids are up to it they do get to great secondaries, St Pauls, Westminster etc - but there is a good spread of destination schools, no one is pushed for the sake of the school's appearance!

My three nephews are all very happy at Finton House in Wandsworth. Worth a look.

They are now in Years 6 and 4, so rumours of an exodus of boys at 7+ 8+ seems to have gone away in recent years.

Just wanted to pop on to thank everyone so much for their suggestions. Hugely appreciated and will be looking at them all.

Radcliffe in Refcliffe Gardens SW10? Co-Ed all the way up to yr 6 now.

The harrodian and st thomas' kensington and battersea would be worth a visit and schools in berkshire like lambrook, caldicott and windlesham offer the day option and there are buses in.

I don’t think you get that type of school in London or even in commutable distance. All the London schools my DS was down for did the 4+ and seemed insanely focused on results. One school had no playing fields and the reception class was in a cellar. Was charging £5,000+ per term for the pleasure and still parents were falling over themselves to send their DC there .

Met up with a friend last weekend whose 6 and 9 year olds had just finished tutoring; they are at an expensive prep in Hertfordshire. They say everyone does it.

We moved far out of London and DS (year 1) comes home gloriously happy, exhausted and covered in mud every day. He will be behind his London peers, but we think it’s the best decision we’ve ever made.

Windlesham House is not in Berkshire it's in West Sussex.

There is a village in Berks called Windlesham and that's where Woodcote House is. Perhaps that's where your confusion lies Dolphin50.