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Original poster

Anyone have experience of prep schools in Potters Bar area?

33 replies

suzanneme · 14/02/2005 00:26

We are trying to decide between nice local Catholic primary (I and DD and baby DS are baptised Catholics - DH is C of E and happy with us being RC!) and several prep schools in and around Potters Bar. Can't decide, particularly, whether I wouldn't prefer a mixed school for the kiddies at primary age. Hmmm.

OP posts:
rosepetal · 14/02/2005 18:55

If your state primary is a good school I would go for this. My son (in Year 6 now) may be switching to the private sector for secondary but he's spent several very happy years in his local primary. The benefits are many local friends (within half a mile), understanding and knowledge of the many different backgrounds the children come from and, perhaps as important to us parents, a local support network for those times when you can't pick up/drop off at school.

It's been tough going getting him up to the standard needed to get into the very competitive local private schools, and we don't know yet if he's made it, but whatever happens I'm sure that sending him to the local state school is the best start to growing up that he could have had.

Original poster
suzanneme · 14/02/2005 20:56

Thanks rosepetal. One of the main attractions for me with the prep schools is because we would definitely want to send the kids to independent secondary schools, and I do think it's more difficult for them to make it there if they haven't been to a prep school (and also a lot of the boy's independents start at age 13). It is all food for thought - thanks for your input, and good luck to you and your son for school admissions!

OP posts:
SecondhandRose · 14/02/2005 21:06

Stormont or Lochinvar?

Original poster
suzanneme · 14/02/2005 23:41

Hi Secondhandrose. We are going to look at Stormont and Lochinver House, but also Manor Lodge, which is a co-ed prep (kind of prefer the idea of small children being mixed together rather than never really seeing the opposite sex until adulthood!). Any experience of any of them? I know they're all pretty good, wondered if anyone here had strong opinions!

OP posts:
SecondhandRose · 15/02/2005 18:36

Well, no much experience of Lochinvar except boss' boys used to go there and only one of them passed the 11+ for Haileybury (but maybe he was just thick). But that was over 10 years ago.

Friends that have been to Stormont say it's quite pretentious with Mums dressing up to pick up their kids and looking 'made up' all the time. Nothing wrong with that if you've got the time. No other thoughts really so I'll shut up!!

Why not visit the upper school you want them to go to and ask what 'feeder' schools they have.

rosepetal · 15/02/2005 20:33

I don't know if it's the case in Potters Bar but the private schools round here say (although whether they actually do is a different matter) that they take the child's educational background into account. The universities already do this and will probably strengthen this policy over the next few years. So it may not necessarily be the case that choosing the prep school gives your child a better chance of getting into the independent senior school of your choice. Not anti private education by the way!

Original poster
suzanneme · 16/02/2005 00:04

Secondhandrose, thanks for those nuggets - just the kind of little bits I love hearing! LOL about Stormont mums....rest assured that if DD goes there I will be lowering the tone in maternal attire!

Thanks also, rosepetal, for your advice. We still haven't in any way decided what to do about schools, and are about to start visiting a few we like the ethos of (state and prep).

OP posts:
lvj73 · 08/10/2006 18:34

Hi
Just wondering what you ended up doing?
I'm looking at schools like Lochinver, Grimsdell/ Belmont and Manor Lodge. Does anyone have any views of these schools?

wanderingstar · 08/10/2006 20:08

My sil sent her 2 boys to Manor Lodge; she's a teacher herself and spoke highly of it. Both got into Habs at 11+ (and into Owens and St. Albans).

No direct experience myself though - not my catchment area.

sylvm · 09/10/2006 09:54

I see this thread actually started last year but I have to put the record straight. DD1 spent 4 very happy years at Stormont - they were fantastic to her. We are very ordinary - had never considered private schools before but she was not being stretched at her state primary so we moved her beginning of year 3. Yes a lot of the kids live in big houses and some of the Mums are a bit glamourous but she/I were never made to feel the poor relation. She is now almost 15 and is still so fond of the place she tries to get back to see the remaining staff when she can.

lvj73 · 09/10/2006 20:31

Another local school I have come across is St John's prep which we had never heard of. Anyone know it?

Also would still love to hear views of Manor Lodge.

cjmummy · 09/10/2006 21:32

hi, I live in Potters Bar and would certainly consider Manor Lodge for my ds when he is a little older. I have heard good things about the nursery and the school and know a couple of people who have been very happy with the school.

lvj73 · 10/10/2006 14:14

Thanks cjmummy!

Sounds quite positive. What other schools will you be looking at do you think?

lvj73 · 10/10/2006 14:16

Thanks cjmummy!

Sounds quite positive. What other schools will you be looking at do you think?

cjmummy · 10/10/2006 20:24

lvj73, to be honest I havent given it too much thought yet as my ds is only 19 months old and he is at nursery in Potters Bar for the foreseeable future ... I live fairly close to Manor Lodge and have always liked the look of it. Not sure whether we will be able to afford it though if we have another one! I would be interested to hear what you decide on though.

lvj73 · 10/10/2006 21:30

Hi
Don't leave it too long - my ds is a similar age (actually if they both went to ML they could be in the same class!) and some schools take applications on a first come first served basis.

One school we were looking at, Highgate, closed applications when our ds was 12months for his year for 3+ entry!

Realistically for ML and Lochinver you probably have a year to get the applications in so that is quite a long time.

lvj73 · 10/10/2006 21:31

Hi
Don't leave it too long - my ds is a similar age (actually if they both went to ML they could be in the same class!) and some schools take applications on a first come first served basis.

One school we were looking at, Highgate, closed applications when our ds was 12months for his year for 3+ entry!

Realistically for ML and Lochinver you probably have a year to get the applications in so that is quite a long time.

cjmummy · 10/10/2006 21:43

wow that is quite scary .. maybe I should start looking into it all a bit more seriously then! thanks for the heads up. so have you got it narrowed down to manor lodge and lochinver? I would love my ds to go privately which would be possible if he remains an only child but I am not so sure it would be feasible if we have a second and have to pay for full time nursery and a private school ... dilemmas dilemmas. At least the state schools in potters bar seem to have a pretty good reputation! Do you live in potters bar? I havent heard of anyone else on mumsnet around this area!

Greensleeves · 10/10/2006 21:48

Don't know anything about prep schools, but if you're looking at independent secondary schools, I used to work at Queenswood and it's a hellhole.

sylvm · 11/10/2006 13:47

I lived in Potters Bar until last May so I'm an ex Potters Bar ite.

Why do you say Queenswood is a hellhole Greensleeves - I've known girls who go there and there parents are well satisfied with it. It's also very expensive but does get good results.

Greensleeves · 11/10/2006 13:50

Yes, it does get good results. The teaching is of a very high standard and there is immense pressure on the girls to achieve. But it's a very cliquey, snobby place with a cold unfriendly atmosphere and a high proportion of very unhappy pupils. That was my impression while I was working there. I wouldn't let my children anywhere near it.

lvj73 · 11/10/2006 15:02

That sounds like it would have been my worst nightmare as a teenager!

Incidentally, I know someone whose daughter just started at St Martha's in Hadley Wood (independent all girls' senior sch) and the girls are really supportive to each other.

Cjm - I actually live in Whetstone but there aren't many private schools nearer here. Only Lyonsdown which is small and only takes boys til age 7, and Belmont at Mill Hill. I am happy to drive to Potters Bar if the school is right for my ds and if you take the back roads it's not too bad a journey.

I haven't really managed to narrow it down at all - I'm too confused!! I guess the options are: Lochinver, St John's, Manor Lodge, Belmont, Habs. My dh went to Habs but it's a bit of a trek and we prefer co-ed now we've thought about it. So that would knock Lochinver off too.

It is an issue if you have another child as I don't think it'd be great to send one child to private school and not the other obviously! Actually this happened in my dh's family - he went to Habs on a scholarship and assisted place (but they still had to pay some fees and money was tight) and his brothers went to comprehensives. It hasn't caused any resentment between them but I think it has affected them in terms of the jobs they do and their interests.

Having said that my dad had step brothers who went private and he went to a sec modern and he STILL has a chip on his shoulder about it decades on!!

Don't let the application thing worry you - there's still ages but it might be worth starting to get prospectuses and thinking about it all.

cjmummy · 11/10/2006 19:35

my colleague's son has just started at belmont .. he was at state primary school in highgate and they were worried about the schools in the catchment area so they decided to send him privately. They weren't convinced he was bright enough to get in to many of the private secondary schools so decided to try and get him in a year early so he would feed into the senior school automatically. Seems to be working! He is happy with Belmont but the travelling is apparently ridiculous .. it is taking them hours every day to get through the traffic. I think I agree with you about the co-ed approach - I went to single sex private schools until the age of 15 and it was a real shock to the system to be suddenly put in with boys! A friend of mine lives in Whetstone and it only takes about 10-15 mins maximum to get to Potters Bar so Manor Lodge may be a good solution for you! I am relatively new to this area so dont know much about some of the others you mentioned. Are there any other co-ed schools around the Hadley Wood area?

lvj73 · 11/10/2006 19:48

Hadley Wood primary (state school) has really good results but I imagine the catchment area is tiny so wouldn't be an option.

The only other co-ed school in PB is St John's. They have lovely looking buildings and a smart prosepctus. Results in SATS are good but I don't know anyone who has heard of it which I find strange!

If you search on St John's Prep and Senior School on google it will come up. It's on the Ridgeway in PB.

It makes sense that your colleague's son would get into Belmont even if not so bright....Mill Hill especially has a reputation for being a really good all-round school, great for extra curricular activities but not academic.
That's not to say there aren't some bright kids there of course. All the adults I know who went there are really nice people and have good jobs etc but one of the girls is erm how can I put it politely, really dense! Sorry that sounds harsh - she's a lovely girl.

cjmummy · 11/10/2006 20:08

Your comments on Belmont really make sense! I thought as much though was obviously very polite and suitably impressed when he got in! I havent heard of St John's but will have a look at their web site - have you checked any of the ofsted reports on the schools you mentioned?