Kingswood School, Bath - thoughts?

[BearBirdBaboon]

Hello! We're thinking about moving to the Bath/Bristol area and Kingswood looks like a good option for us. If you've got children there, I'd love to hear your thoughts. We have two DSs, both of whom are very academic and musical. We're not from the area, so this would involve moving house and so we want to try and make sure we choose the right school before deciding to move house!

I live in one of the villages mentioned above & have children at KES. It takes 15-20 minutes to get in and about 35- 40 to get back, worse at the moment because of Cleveland Bridge being shut. It’s better at 5/6 than 4. Kingswood isn’t much quicker as can queue for ages to get out at Tog Hill.

@Madcats

All the schools in Bath are good. It is just a question of finding the school that works for you. A bright, enthusiastic child will thrive in any of them

This is categorically not true. I speak as a mother who had 2 children in a Bath Indie (not Kingswood or KES) and had an utterly disastrous experience. The schools are unique within themselves. One at least refuses to meet academic need of more than averagely able children and is focused on meeting the needs of children with additional educational and /or social / medical needs. It has no desire to meet the needs of academically able children. But it doesn’t tell you that when you tell them from the get go that you gave one child who is significantly above average and will need to be pushed….they’ll just happily take your cash.

@EisforEmergency to be fair I think we implied that about Monkton up post.

I'm not sure that Monkton has ever claimed to be for an academic child, has it?

Anybody I know with kids there chose it for its gentler pace beyond year 5/6.

DD's friends are happy there (though not massively impressed at having to do CCF).

OP, if Westonbirt is a non-starter, and you want to base yourselves some distance north from Bath, have you considered/ruled out Cheltenham schools?

@Chocalata I’m not sure the pp was sufficiently explicit……especially if you are targeting London parents (us). ‘Less academic’ in London circles = not an academic hothouse. Most Bath schools are below par when compared to London academic schools (even KES), Monkton was academically 2 years behind our London ‘not academic’ school. So behind our DC didn’t even tread water, but went backwards. And their ‘crawl back under your stone’ attitude just made it worse. Kids with additional needs or wealthy parents who want to have the next sports Centre named after them can however happily sign on the dotted line….

@EisforEmergency
Ah I see what you mean re London. I have lived round here all my life and Monkton has always been for those who need nurture rather than push. Shame they didn’t let you know that.
OP has children that sound motivated and all round achievers so I suggested Kingswood.

@Madcats
Good idea re Cheltenham. Pates if they have what it takes, or Dean Close as a good second.

Kingswood doesn't have saturday school as in lessons. There are sports fixtures though but if your child doesn't want to do them they don't have too.

I have been a Kingswood parent for 15 years. I have many friends with children in all the Bath private schools and there are the same issues in all the schools in my opinion in terms of too many staff kids and the problems that causes.

If your children are clever and hard working they will do well at Kingswood but it certainly does not have the number or oxbridge entrants as bigger public schools if that is an issue for you.

The advantage Monkton has is that it prepares children for common entrance if that is a factor for you.

@stillavid they scrapped preparing for common entrance last year….so they don’t even do that now….presumably in an attempt to keep pupils.

Oh interesting. They have just acquired All Hallows which is ummm interesting.

Although I don't know how key CE is anymore. One of my DC is moving for yr 9 to a larger boarding school and wasn't required to do CE.

@stillavid . They have just acquired All Hallows which is ummm interesting

Very interesting. All Hallows’ is where they send the children they can’t manage

@Madcats
We have thought about Cheltenham schools. No space for Y9 day pupil 2023 entry at Cheltenham College and I'm slightly worried about the areas that were not met in the Dean Close ISI reports. Also, I'm not sure what you get "extra" for for "extra thousands" they charge per term compared to the Bath schools.

@stillavid
Thank you for your thoughts and good to know that there's nothing extra in addition to fixtures on a Saturday at Kingswood.

Can I ask what the parents think the problems the staff kids cause? Is it that they get to attend the school regardless of whether they have passed the entrance criteria?

@Soundofshuna
Thank you the timings - that's so useful! Do your children get school transport? If so, is it any quicker than driving in yourself (because of bus lanes)?

No there isn’t any from this side of Bath to KES the traffic really isn’t that bad compared to other cities! I just want to defend Bath schools from the comments by London parents above, I went to a highly academic girls school & my siblings are all educating their children in London- my children are doing just as well & having as many fantastic opportunities as we / siblings children have.

At Junior school level, i did wonder whether some of the staff kids were given readings/drama parts/sports team places because there was a reasonable certainty that the staff member would make sure they practised/looked smart/turned up. It wasn't something that my school parent friends ranted about.

I know a few teachers at KES; a few don't send their kids. Of the ones that do, I am not sure they receive any favouritism (probably the reverse). Parents tend to have minimal involvement in that child's year (and wouldn't teach them).

Maybe it is a behaviour thing at some schools?

I have no idea how schools set their fees, but I think that Kingswood used to offer sibling discount, but KES argued it was already cheaper when DD's cohort were moving to secondary.

Cheltenham College has lots of Steinway pianos and a nice pool in historic grounds. KES is more like a grammar school with decent playing fields and use of Uni sports facilities up the road. I think it only has one Steinway (but their collaboration with Bath Phil and their visiting soloists has been great this year). KIngswood is smaller, in historic buildings that have needed a lot of TLC recently after minimal maintenance. They have a nice theatre, but I know nothing about their music provision.

Did you rule out QEH/BGS and Clifton College in Bristol? They probably have better school bus provision from South Gloucs?

Current Kingswood parent here, living near Westonbirt. DS is in year 10 having gone to excellent state primary in neighbouring village. Plenty of kids take that route to Kingswood prep and possibly find the transition easier (although obviously fewer opportunities for art, music or sport than Kingswood prep). I would endorse the idea that the Bath schools are all good but for different children. We have got exactly what we expected from Kingswood following open days etc and are very happy, so I think you will know what works for yours. DS is academic, non sporty, lots of interests but not necessarily main stream. He is able to be himself and follow his interests. And there are good school bus services morning and evening to this northern region and it takes me half an hour each way to drive (and there are ways of avoiding Tog Hill …)! I would not have contemplated KES for DS but definitely not for the traffic!

Oh and the Bristol schools have dreadful bus provision from this area (or did when we were looking a few years ago). Possibly something from Yate and there is also a station in Yate.

@Sonotkylie
Thanks for your thoughts. It's difficult to know which school would suit my DC just looking at their websites, but I'm going to visit them soon, so I should have a better idea then. It's great to hear that your DS feels like he can be himself at Kingswood - that's so important. Can I ask why you didn't go for KES?

You can but for anyone else out there, please bear in mind these are my personal views and if you have a different experience, then I am happy for you but do not wish to be shot down. My brother and family members have been at KES since 1980s and I also have anecdotes from friends. As a result, I see KES as conventionally high achieving in every way, with quite a pressured environment. If you fit this pattern, you will fly. DS would not have done. That said, there are plenty of children who would thrive at either and there is movement between the 2 schools every year. Both schools have excellent teachers and facilities. It is down to culture/ ethos/ whatever. When you visit, you will make up your own mind based on your own children (and I really hope that you don’t conclude 1 is better for one and the other for the other, because that commute is not a runner unless you live in the city itself and ideally 1 of them can walk!). Good luck!

My DS had offers from both KES and Kingswood- very impressed with KES outstanding academic results but we opted for Kingswood as it was more rounded so I would fully agree with @Cisforcamel on:

"KES is fantastic if you are very academic. It’s main aim is good results. It’s not a great all rounder."

Indeed I know of pupils who switched from KES to Kingswood either because they couldn't hack the academic pace or wanted more sport etc. Also the academic pressure at KES is largely driven by the pupils with no one wanting to look academically weaker.

Transport to school if you are located just north of the M4 is easily 30 mins. Plus there is a bus pick up at the Cross Hands pub. I mean the bus starts in Tetbury which is way way further north and even from there it only takes 50 minutes to Kingswood school.

As for living in Yate, I guess the main reason you are considering it is because you've never visited it 😀!
But seriously there are some lovely villages just north, south and east of the A46 / M4 Bath junction.

Lastly Cheltenham College is a very good school if you choose to live further north. Similar to Kingswood but a little bit more country/ slightly "posher" / traditional. "Hands up all of you that has a pony / horse at home"

Might also be worth looking at Kings school in Gloucester, we were impressed by it, but decided eventually the fees were a bit too much of a stretch. Having said that our 'top of the list' is pastoral, not academic.

You'd likely get more house for your money living in Gloucestershire than around Bath.

My husband and I are thinking the same thing! I have a musically inclined but very academic son who is an avid tennis player. KES doesn’t have space for him for 6th year and recommended the prior park school but another board recommended Kingswood.

coming from the US we are looking for an academically challenging school for him but are very confused about where to. We are visiting 3 of them when we come back in June. Just know that you’re not alone in this. There is someone across the country going through the same thing.