Private schools in the North East

[Nyorks]

Hi, I'm just after any feedback on Teesside High, Yarm School or Cundall Manor if anyone can help?
Have tours booked of each but hoping to hear from those with experience at the schools.
It would be for both pre-prep through to secondary, DS and DD Thank you

Would look at the most recent isi report for Cundall.
Although it has a nice homely feel when you go there I personally wouldn’t send a kid somewhere where they fail to meet safeguardimg minimum standards

Did you make any decisions op?

I've had children at both schools (DC1 at Cundall from Y6 to Y11 who then went to Yarm for 6th form and DC2 who went to Yarm from Y7). Also looked at TSH but when we looked round we decided it wasn't for us, the activities seem to be listed to attract the parents rather than because that was what the children actually did, that was a few years ago though.

Cundall is very Enid Blyton, amazing grounds, small classes, very good teachers who teach individually to each child, excellent for sports and outdoor activities (whether your child is sporty or not - our wasn't but Cundall has set them up with some very good habits that have taken them into adulthood and they certainly aren't afraid to get rained on or muddy). DC1 was clever, a bit quirky and immature, and Cundall seemed to thrive on helping them to find their niche rather then trying to make them conform. The school takes a wide range of abilities but seem to be able to bring out the best in each child, get good results that reflect the ability of that child, and really build self esteem. The longer school days mean that children form good friendships that again seem to be lasting into adulthood even though they now live a long way from each other. There is an expectation of commitment from the parents so you will find yourselves collecting after the bus has left and at weekends, but that is because the children want to stay on for the activities so you are collecting happy children. The PTA is very active, lots of events and chances to join in, but no pressure if you don't want to. Not the most ethnically diverse school though. There are some army and airforce children from the nearby bases and can be a bit "country", a smattering still leave at 13 to go to major public schools but fewer now that the school has proven its ability to get decent GCSE results with a mixed ability range of children.

Yarm is a much bigger school and more structured as a result, some of the more immature children (especially boys) can struggle with the expectations of discipline. The range of activities is incredible and all children are encouraged to have a go at a few before they settle down to their favourites. Sporty children are well catered for but less sporty ones can avoid doing more than the minimum and my sense was that a child who lacked confidence in sport won't have the time to develop whereas a Cundall child does so much sport that even the less good ones will definitely be chosen for matches and be able to participate. Academics are of a good standard and lots of emphasis on learning how to learn. There is probably less spoon feeding than at Cundall which means that a lazy child can get away with more but I'd say that overall the children learn better study habits. Lots of children of medics who are expected to go into medicine or dentistry, there is probably more emphasis on those courses than Oxbridge although it does get a handful to Oxford and Cambridge every year. Music and drama are almost professional in standard, lots of chances to act or join an orchestra/choir, many children go on to music colleges or drama schools. In all if your child likes to be busy they will be at Yarm but if they want to fly under the radar they will probably be able to. There are some wealthy people whose children always have the latest designer gear but they are in a minority, most parents are making sacrifices to send their children there. Good diversity and good mixing between the different groups.

For reasons I won't go into we had a lot to do with the pastoral side of Yarm and I cannot praise them enough, they went far beyond what I would have expected. The newish head is really excellent and my sense is that the Educating for Life slogan is something that he really believes in.

FWIW both my children went to the local state school for most of their primary education and they were not at any disadvantage compared to those who went to the schools from pre-school, within a couple of weeks of starting secondary you would not know who had been where beforehand, so if you have a decent primary near you don't discount it, you could save a fortune!

Whenever I see threads about Yarm I’m always heartened to see it seems to have changed from the quite harsh environment I had experience of 15-20 years ago. The only similarity I see with allthefunathefair is that it was at the time also a much more diverse school than other local schools. Like all private schools, there was a lot of money about, but I would say at the time there was more ostentatious wealth at yarm than I saw at other northern private schools.

I would say that at the time a greater focus was put on perception of the school and overall results than nurturing individuals, and there were regular points where kids not meeting standards were asked to leave. Academic and social pressure also meant there were quite significant mental health issues - particularly eating disorders - among (mostly female) students.

Some more sensitive kids had quite a rough time - bullying was rife towards those who didn’t conform to quite narrow view of ‘normal’ (the student body was perhaps quite self selecting too and largely made up of very confident, highly achieving DC).

In the end, we decided it wasn’t suitable for our family and left. Not to say that the school didn’t produce very accomplished young people, but if DC needed a bit of extra nurturing it was not the right choice.

It sounds like the new head has come in with a new ethos that has made changes for the better. I’m not saying Yarm was a bad school before - it was definitely right for lots of its students - but it serve a certain type of student.

Hi all, sorry I hadn't seen your replies! (Life gor a little more hectic - somehow!) Big response sorry -

@JaffavsCookie thank you for this. It is certainly a concern! Ill go through it again alongside Yarm.

@allthefunatthefair thank you for such an excellent breakdown and explanation of your experiences of both schools.
Our quiet but able child flying under the radar anywhere is one of our main concerns, along with bullying or being cast out for being a bit quirky and sensitive.
Cundall has such a fantastic feel to it. Really caring and the children seem lovely and really happy. I'm hopeful that they would be able to help DS succeed to the best of his abilities and build some confidence and resilience.
We visited both Yarm and Cundall (actually visited Barnard Castle too but decided its about 10 minutes too far away at 45 minutes. Really disappointed as that seemed to be exactly what we are looking for!)
Cundall seems to have the sports/pastoral/smaller size/lovely grounds/close to home but concerned that the infrastructure is in serious need of attention - very tired portakabins with single glazed or blown windows and bar heaters, rotten wood etc. There also didn't seem to be much in the way of science/technology provision until senior years which would be disappointing for DS.

Yarm was very impressive. Very shiny. Amazing facilities and clearly a lot of investment is continuously put into the school. Dedicated science labs, technology labs and ict suites from y3 were something I know would really suit DS. I, for some reason, cannot shake the feeling that our quiet and sensitive boy will find it all quite overwhelming and will be lost in a class of 22 kids/year group of 66 kids. I think he will try to do the bare minimum where it is easy to do so.

Right now I feel that Cundall suits his personality and will help him become more confident and find a love of learning and that Yarm, on paper, is academically and facility-wise unbeatable. (Easy to quantify something when facts and figures like exam results come into it - not so easy when you are talking about confidence/happiness/resilience!)

We have now had the discussion with DS to explain things and he is really excited about the idea. He is booked on for a taster day at Cundall (less overwhelming for him than Yarm and he can't wait) and a tour of Yarm prep in the new year.

The school he is at is a lovely school, but it really doesn't seem to be the right fit for him. With issues of ongoing physical incidents and lack of academic challenge for him we are sure there has to be a better fit for him. We are just so torn between the two schools as they are so very different and both bring completely different things to the table.

The identified safeguarding issues are a concern.

I'll update when we know more. Until the next steps I'll be constantly scouring the Internet for anything that might help us

*We appreciate what a fortunate position we are in to be in this predicament and have considered our local state alternatives

My partner and I have been torn between sending our son to Teesside High or Yarm since he was 6 months old. We’ve attended the open days of both schools on several occasions. As many people have said, both schools seem like really wonderful options.

We were originally won over by Yarm’s grandeur. The facilities are really state of the art and everything seems to be at the top of its game, including the staff and children, who were so kind and polite. We saw examples of the pupils’ work and there are clearly some very intelligent children in the school!

However, we’ve ultimately decided on Teesside High. Unlike Yarm, the buildings and facilities don’t really stand out as any different to a typical state school. What really makes the difference is the sense of community. Everything seems much more personal. Some classes in Teesside High Prep had no more than 8 children, whereas at Yarm we were told that most classes have around 20-22 pupils.

With the fees for private education being so high, we simply cannot justify paying so much money for our son to be taught in a class of 22 children. By sending him to Teesside High we’re hoping he’ll flourish in smaller classes, where he’ll receive more attention from his teachers and have the chance to really get to know his fewer classmates. Again, Yarm School looks like a brilliant school, but we feel our son will be happier at Teesside High, which is the most important factor when all is said and done!

I would add a couple of cautions to that @MFLdad27

1. The size of Teeside high is now so small i would be seriously concerned about them going under. I have known a couple of schools do this, and it is usually without any warning at all, eg last week of spring term, sorry but we are closing for good at the end of the term!
2. Any teacher worth their salt can easily look after and get to know 22 kids in a class ( I regularly teach 30/31)

Does Yarm/ Teeside have TAs in their classes? The private school we sent our kids to had 18 kids in reception, then moving up to 20/22 y3 onwards, but in the reception class there was a full time TA, which actually increased the ratio to greater than another local school that boasted no classes bigger than16.

1. And related to 1, ask about staff stability. When numbers decrease below what is generally considered viable the decent staff tend to leave, leaving only those who want a quiet life or might struggle to get a new job.

@MFLdad27 sorry I had replied but must not have hit post!
I think I've recently replied to one of your threads. I'm happy you have made a decision! I agree with what you said about the larger class sizes and share the concern. I also totally understand what @JaffavsCookie has said about the risks surrounding smaller class sizes. From what Yarm said, there is a TA per year group so prep would have 1 TA per 3 classes of 20 or so kids and 1 TA per 2 classes in preprep. I can't remember what TSH had unfortunately but the size of the classes did feel right.
It is something I need to look further into at the other school we are considering. I feel like I have made a decision but won't be sure until our son has some taster days in the new year.
Thank you @jaffa and @MFL for your comments. Both have been very helpful!

My son is at Yarm. He has moved there a few terms ago. He is so happy there. We were concerned as he moved from a really small school with a family feel but Yarm is a really friendly school. The teachers know all the pupils and have gone out of their way to help my son settle in. Academically I think they are way ahead of the other private school he was at. I really can’t praise it enough. Please feel free to pm if you want.

And we have had significant issues with our son refusing school, having panic attacks and general anxiety. Since being at Yarm he really is a happy, confident child.

@Newuser82 that sounds really good. I'll message if that's OK? Our son is in a tiny school now so very concerned about it being a bit overwhelming for him

I came on this thread to recommend Barney School, but I see it's a bit too far away from you. Worth bearing in mind for later though - lots of school buses, and a lot of the older children flexiboard a few nights during the week to reduce the commute time. Its a fabulous school, great sense of community.

[quote Nyorks]@Newuser82 that sounds really good. I'll message if that's OK? Our son is in a tiny school now so very concerned about it being a bit overwhelming for him[/quote]
Ah I felt the same way!! My son is super sensitive so it really was a worry. Feel free to message

@OhMrDarcy we actually went to see Barney and we loved it! It seemed to be a perfect combination of everything we are looking for but is about 10 minutes too far from our house. I think if he was a bit older it wouldn't be too big of a thing. We are considering it for senior

Sorry to slightly highjack the thread OP, but does anyone have any comments on the support provided for children with SEN at the Senior School for THS or Yarm School?

OhMrDarcy this is great, we have a Yr 5 in state primary and have put her name down for Barney. It really sells the pastoral side so it is good to hear what you have said.

Bump re. my question on experience of support for SaeN pupils at either TSH or Yarm. TIA.

SEN not SaEN. Apologies.

So pleased to hear you have made a decision. It’s so hard to choose a school. I hope your son will be very happy at Teesside High. It’s a wonderful school which from my experience really gives children the very best of education. The staff are truly amazing and the nursery is a magical place for children to start their educational journey. Not only do the staff care for the children they also care for you as parents too which is so important and often overlooked. Do update us all on how your son settles.

A bit of an update...

In short- we chose Yarm and both DS and DD have settled really well. DS is a completely different child and the school has been amazing so far.

@ANMumChores it might be a bit too late as it has been a while since I posted, but we decided on Yarm and so far have been extremely impressed. While our DS isn't SEN (as far as we are aware), the school has been very supportive and have been completely on the ball with everything and I don't doubt they would be with that too. Because they knew our DS had come from a difficult situation at his old school they have done everything to help reassure him and make the transition smooth and communication has been brilliant.

We haven't been at the school long, but the change we have seen in our DS is quite overwhelming really. Seeing him so happy, no longer anxious and looking forward to school every day has really reassured us that we have made the right decision.

We still liked Cundall. The taster day went well, though it would seeing as DS did sports all afternoon 😂(which is amazing) but we didn't hear back for weeks afterwards - getting any information at all from them was just impossible and as mentioned by others in the thread the safeguarding issues were certainly in the back of our minds.

Ultimately our DS much preferred Yarm and we were very impressed by them, so we followed his lead and signed him up. Class sizes aren't as big as I was expecting and him being in a larger class than his previous size of 13 actually seems to be a huge positive in that there are so many different personalities he is finding peers who are similar to him.

Thank you all so much for your advice and help. The relief to have made the decision and finally move is immense.