Good private primary school near Kentish Town

[Anxiousmoves]

Just that. DS is struggling in the local state primary. About to go into year 3. He has great friends there & lots we love about it but wondering if we need to move him because his school has had a lot of issues (endless supply teachers, no individual attention, very disruptive classroom, violent incidents in class, bullying etc). He’s quite behind academically (only just “got” reading & is still reluctant) & school just keeps suggesting we do more to help rather than helping themselves. The other state primaries are all oversubscribed. If we were to go private where could we try? UCS feels v academic? King Alfred possibly not academic enough? Anywhere else anyone would recommend?

There are lots of private primary schools in the Belsize Park area.

Do you know any specific names of good ones?

My first thoughts are you need a tutor for him and a decent tutor can tell you how he is doing.

Bit of a shame to suggest one school is not academic enough when your son is in your words ' quite behind academically (only just “got” reading & is still reluctant) '

However you are so lucky to be living in London as there is an abundance of Independent schools.

how long will you be sending him private ? just for a year or so, for the whole of primary or into and for the whole of secondary ?

Can you afford it ?

\Why wasn't he sent to an Independent in the first place ?

Are there any siblings, will you be sending them too ?

I’m surprised to hear that any inner London primary schools are oversubscribed atm.

When you say the school keeps suggesting you do more to help what do you mean? Are you reading to him every day? Is he reading, both to you and himself, every day? Is he choosing his own books at the library?

Ok a lot of questions….i really just would love to hear names of good schools. But if this is helpful…
He has a tutor. The tutor agrees he is behind.
I am not suggesting King Alfred’s is not academic enough, just asking if anyone knows as I have heard that but it may be wrong.
I imagine if we move him he would stay for the rest of primary and we can afford it. No siblings.
Didn’t originally go private as we wanted everything state schools offer & to keep him with friends.
Re: oversubscribed schools we have friends who have been on waiting lists for the three nearby good ones for 2 years. So not much point us trying.
School just says “read to him, read with him.” I do both (a lot) and more. Theatre trips, library visits, winter and summer reading schemes, a magazine subscription, a tutor, etc etc.

North Bridge house, harewood house, st Antony's, the hall, sussex house, Hampstead hill school.

Sorry your son is struggling, but you do seem a bit confused. A school like UCS won’t have any places for Year 3 now- you needed to be getting him ready to do the 7+ exam last year. And they will only offer occasional places in Year 4 too. But he would not have made the grade for UCS or Highgate anyway. You should be looking for somewhere that is not academically selective, which narrows things down a lot. Most schools will be positioned as preps for the academically selective senior schools.

King Alfred may well be your best bet. There is also the Gower school in Islington, I think that’s Montessori and non selective. Best thing is to pay for the Times Good Schools Guide. Or would you consider moving into catchment of a better state school? Crouch End schools are good.

Thanks, that’s why I asked if UCS might be too academic for him. I was assuming we’d go for an occasional place rather than do the 7 plus because we have obviously missed that as we were trying to keep him with his friends and at the school we chose and not have the upheaval of a school move.
I will look into the Gower but had been told they were very academic & not great for kids who are struggling.
I’d happily move him to another state school but have been told there are no places at any better ones near here & another friend who moved to Crouch End with that in mind has found they can’t get into the ones they wanted there either. A lot of schools have closed due to falling rolls and that has meant the good ones are oversubscribed.

If he falls behind, I'd move him to private this September (provided you can afford it). Even an oversubscribed sought-after primary school won't provide the necessary support (children perform well in middle-class type of schools almost solely thanks to the parents' support). You have a range of prep schools in Belsize Park/ further in Hampstead. If he is behind academically, id go with the prep with a small class size (around 15 children) so he can get more individual attention. Do you want co-ed or boys only? fi co-ed id go for Devonshire House, i had a DC at this school and it suited them perfectly, there are usually a few children transitioning from state to private and joining DH at Y3. For boys, St Anthony's has a decent reputation.
Id generally avoid very small prep schools
Highgate and UCS are good schools but (very) hard to get in, you can register for the occasional place just in case. places do come up regularly in those schools but quite a few children (including siblings) will be sitting.
The Hall is Belsize Park is another to consider a few places come up there its also not as selective as it used to be so will be easier to get in (than UCS and Highgate).

Thank you. I hadn’t heard of Devonshire House. This is really helpful.

Northbridge House would be worth trying. Getting into KIng Alfred’s (if you decided it was a good choice) is a very very long shot.

Look at the Academy in Hampstead. Quirky. Small classes, excellent teaching, a bit bonkers but if it’s right for the child in question it is great.

Thank you. Really helpful.