Lockers Park ISI report and recent experience

[HeadoverheelsPP]

Currently looking around the Herts/bucks area for a prep school for DS. Have seen mainly positive feedback about lockers Park online but its ISI inspection report in 2017 seemed to be concerning especially on the teaching/academic side? Whilst most schools in the area eg the Beacon get excellent in many aspects, for lockers Park it was ‘good’ across the board. How much should one read into this? To which extent do they stretch the more able boys? Are the class sizes (10-12) too small? Any current or recent experience would be really helpful xx

@headoverheelspp

DS has recently left Lockers.

Educationally - it’s a mixed bag. Individually, (most) teachers are great. Leadership, I’m not so sure.

Saturday school has now become optional. I think they are using them for extension/catch up and entrance exam prep - which might not be a bad thing.

It’s not a hot house - which is to its credit. However, it is playing catch up to the competitive fuck up that is the senior schools admission process.

There is a lot of time devoted to activities, which you won’t find in more pressured preps. Plenty of playing in ‘the shrubs’, on stage activities (building confidence) and the compelling weirdness of Lockers Got Talent.

Have a look, see where they send boys (but schools do go in/out of fashion, year by year with parents). No school is perfect but a best fit.

Thanks for sharing your experience @misssteak. Did you find the head/school helpful in your DS’s choice of senior school and if their recommendation is in line with your expectations? Hope you don’t mind me asking!

The number of leavers in 2019 seems very low? Did parents jump ship in 2017? Are parents that want Berkhamsted starting in their prep? That would make sense.

my son was singled out a number of times due to other kid’s previously from rough state schools transferring their state school habits into this school

found this school to not be far of state school standard
And

State school habits?
I'm a private school parent and all the state school children I know have perfectly good habits. A few rascals, but just as many of them in DS's prep, infact any prep.
Its parents like this that give private school parents a bad name.
Ignorant snob!