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Original poster

Hampstead Hill School or Mulberry House School

32 replies

ThamH · 22/11/2022 16:34

Hi,

Trying to select a pre-prep/nursery for my daughter.

We're hoping to get a place at either MHS or HHS.

We're currently on the waiting list.

Does anybody have a preference or recommendation between these 2 schools?

Thank you!

OP posts:
preppingforlife · 22/11/2022 19:50

Both good schools with good results. Depends what you're looking for and location preference

SomeonesMum123 · 23/11/2022 15:31

Depends on if you want a 4+ exit or a 7+. HHS will not prepare for 4+, MHS will.

underneaththeash · 23/11/2022 16:02

They're both very hot housey - is that what you're looking for?

teomama · 18/12/2022 21:14

OP, we were looking at these two nurseries for my daughters and went with MHS. We're hoping for 4+ exit and as other users have advised, HH doesn't prepare for them.

Original poster
ThamH · 21/12/2022 03:02

Thanks P4L.

HHS is closer to us, walkable whereas MHS isn't but the preparation for exit could be quite a key consideration.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThamH · 21/12/2022 03:04

Thanks @teomama

That is really useful to know.

How are you and your daughter finding MHS?

OP posts:
Original poster
ThamH · 21/12/2022 03:08

@SomeonesMum123

7+ seems like it would possibly be better for my daughter, 4+ might be easier for us as parents to have her into her next school for most of her schooling life!

Did you send your children to one of these schools?

OP posts:
SomeonesMum123 · 21/12/2022 09:03

My kids went to MHS.

I would consider where you want her to go to school. Nlcs and habs barely have a 7+ but shhs has 23 at 4+ with 300 applicants and another 20 odd at 7 with only 100 applicants (these numbers came from the jr school head). Schools like City Jrs only starts at 7+ so would be ruled out at 4.

dont overlook the fact that you can walk to HHS. They also do have children that leave for amazing schools at 4, they just don’t prep for it in the traditional way. Hhs also has less holidays, mulberry closes for a month in the summer and 2 weeks over Xmas which can be a pain for working parents

teomama · 21/12/2022 09:34

Not sure yet as they start next year 😄 plus daughters are born in January and HH has cut offs - so not willing to accept them until they’re 3.

Pjo · 28/02/2023 21:38

Hampstead Nursery help !

hello any mums that can help me decide between Hampstead hill or heathside for my son? He is only two.

later we are looking for high gate or ucs.

we can’t decide the nursery so any help/feedback is appreciated

teomama · 01/03/2023 06:36

Hampstead hill will do a better job at preparing him

BubsysMum123 · 18/04/2023 15:31

My son attends mulberry house. It’s a good school with nice teachers. If your heart is set in getting him into a private school in the area it is not a bad choice. My son likes the school. It is a highly Asian feeder school for nlcs ( girls).. and possibly better for girls. I personally regret sending him there as it is not convenient ( for me) and the other parents are mainly tiger mums. We all want our children to thrive and reach their potential but disagree with being so overtly pushy . Just be aware of the mileu he will be in before choosing the school! It wasn’t that hard to get into .. we applied in nov got offer in feb. I had wanted a bilingual French school for him or to stay in the happy convenient local nursery he was in but got influenced by friends…

teomama · 18/04/2023 19:10

Hey - what do you mean by highly Asian? We’re happy to meet Asian friends but would like ethnically diverse school.

SomeonesMum123 · 18/04/2023 22:10

I tend to disagree that it’s a “highly Asian feeder for nlcs”. This years 4+ class, 6 girls are going to NLCS but clowns actually has 9 so if anything, that is more of a feeder. Last year 10 kids went to Highgate pre-prep from MHS, even split of boys and girls.

Also, the school is much more diverse than what you’re implying. Yes there are Asian families there, but this is NW London. It’s the same at HHS or any other hot house prep in this area.

BubsysMum123 · 18/04/2023 23:31

It gets good results to go into north London private schools. It seems a lot go to nlcs..
for boys most people would like ucs at 4 plus ( though maybe that’s just my preference.. I think a lot keen on highgate too) but less seem to get in. Good results at 7 plus too.

I don’t know the statistics but I would not call it particularly ethnically diverse .. it feels about 70 percent Asian . This is probably like a lot of successful academic institutions nowadays .. as the culture is to study very hard and do well.( I have been told this by friends with older kids that that in highly academic places eg QE grammar school there is an asian majority). The teachers are nice and not too pushy … I feel the other parents are very pushy .. which I am not keen on.

my son is very happy there. The teachers are nice and children are lovely and it gets good results .

SomeonesMum123 · 19/04/2023 09:14

In my sons current class there are 8 “asian” children out of 22. It was similar for my daughter as well. That is definitely not 70%.

there are a number of boys going to UCS in this years 4+ and 7+ cohorts however this years 7+ cohort may be slightly skewed as boys joined from Lyndhurst when it closed so they only spent a year at mulberry and they hadn’t been preparing for the 7+

BubsysMum123 · 19/04/2023 11:04

Ok so counted in my sons new class and it’s 14/30 .. ( as in Indian Asian… not counting Chinese )… so just under half Indian. In his previous class felt like more .

Teacher4 · 13/07/2023 21:28

Avoid HHS at all costs. Having worked there previously and seen bullying in the workplace, undertrained staff, children being force-fed and intimidated by senior members of the school, I would say you are setting up your child for a lifetime of self-esteem issues. A waste of money and a great concern. You see it all for what it is when you work there. I’ve worked at several other outstanding schools that deserve that grade and I seriously don’t know how HHS has ever been awarded that!

Teacher4 · 13/07/2023 21:29

Disagree. Terrible treatment of children at this school and they have been reported.

Teacher4 · 13/07/2023 21:30

Avoid HHS.

MEPOP12 · 25/09/2023 10:46

I am perturbed to read about HHS as moving my little one there from mulberry (where we are not happy with the quality of care and the non- responsive,
defensive principal who doesn’t bother to engage with parents and in fact tells people they are free to leave if not happy). But wondering if it’s any better at HHS. Also agree with comments about mostly Asian crowd at mulberry and very competitive and pushy parents. Another reason for wanting to leave. We don’t fit in as we are not and don’t want to be pushy with our kids.

Anyone with more information about hhs please?

Tiredmumofthreekids · 25/09/2023 15:00

Both schools will have so-called "pushy" parents as these are 7+ prep entry schools, the schools' ethnical makeup will be more or less similar in all co-ed preps in the nw3/nw6 area (i.e., very mixed: a significant number of expat families, some Asians, some European families, a large number of mixed families, but indeed very few Brits). I wouldn't personally change the school unless you are unhappy with 7+ prep at Mulberry House/location doesn't suit. Generally, both schools will prepare for 7+, have decent exit results and good connections with all "through" schools.

WhatapityWapiti · 25/09/2023 15:05

Just a point of detail- you don’t need to send your child to an expensive feeder hot house nursery to get into Highgate at 4+. We didn’t, and we did.

WhatapityWapiti · 25/09/2023 15:07

And we’re not the only ones in the year with that experience.

WhatapityWapiti · 25/09/2023 15:09

I didn’t even know that such places existed until I met some other parents.