Anyone know anything about the Harrodian school in Barnes (London)?

[artichokes]

I was just wondering whether any mumsnetters have children at the Harrodian? Or are you a teacher with knowledge of the school? If so how do you rate it? What are your good and bad experiences?

DH and I are considering it as an option for DD and we were impressed by the tour but I feel I need to know alot more before making any decisions.

A friend of a friend has children there and they like it very much.

I was very impressed when I looked around too but don't know much about how they cope with the different abilities within the school.

look at this thread which also links to another thread
The Harrodian seems to come up here a lot. fwiw I am vaguely considering it for my dd but I hear it's very unacademic and quite showbizzy. General consensus has been is you think your dc might be academic go elsewhere if you think they wouldn't be happy at one of the more hothouse private schools then it could be for you. Parents I know with dcs there say it is a bit ostentatious, has a lot of celeb's dcs. Their children are happy there though.

I've heard that too, nowirehangers (re: how academic your child is).

It has a new Head This year, doesn't it?

TBH I think DD will be quite academic (although it is too early to really know). However, I do not want to hot-house her. The environment and attitude at places like St Paul's girls scares me. Several girls I know from there have ended up quite ill and stressed. I would love DD to have a more rounded education where she can flourish acaedmically but in a more creative and laid-back environment. I would also much favour the co-ed appraoch.

It may well be that the Harrodian is not the right but I had heard good things about its approach and community feel.

Thanks for the link to the other thread. It is rather off-putting . Does anyone care to save its reputation or should I continue my search elsewhere?

How is your dd?

She could, of course, go to Harrodian from reception and then do entrance exams elsewhere if you feel her needs are not being met.

My ds has just gone into yr2 at his school so will be sitting 7+ at the end of this term/early next. I have seen a few schools and listened to what others have said as well as trying to make my own impression. It's very hard!

DD is only 3 so a little longer for her yet.

What has really put me off is that people who wanted to move their dcs at either 7plus or 11plus as desperate suggests have apparently ended up paying for extra tuition to get them in to the schools of their choice.
If you're paying Harrodian fees to pay more for tuition shouldn't be necessary, it seems mad to me. I'd say if in doubt send your dc to another school until 7 and then send them to the Harrodian if you think it's right for them or try for somewhere more academic if that seems a better option.
BTW I think the St Pauls churns out mad girls thing is a bit out of date, from what I hear they are very careful about all the pastoral stuff now. I'd be more anxious about the Harrodian churnning out wealth/status obsessed dcs.
Sorry to not save the reputation as required, this is all just hearsay but I live very close and so hear a lot

thanks for all these comments - they are very helpful. Having heard your opinions, read the other threads and done some more research I am beginning to feel the Harrodian is not for us.

Godolphin and Latymer is another school we have been interested in but of course it does not take kids until they are 11 which is a long way off for DD. Does anyone know what its main feeder Prep schools are? We heard Ravenscourt prep was good but they practically laughed in my face when they realised I was not trying to register a child over the age of one...

artichokes, they literally laughed at me. So rude!
How old is your dd?
Is a state school an option? If you have an OK one nearby then send your dd there, save a lot of money and if necessary pay for some tutoring for the 11plus exam to whatever senior school you are interested in.
Otherwise whereabouts are you. A lot of schools feed G and L, I'd chose the nearest OK prep to you.

I know. How rude can you get? They are a business after all and we are potential customers so they should behave better.

Ravenscourt is out closest prep and TBH I am not sure what other good ones are nearby. Luckily our state primaries are pretty good and that is the option we may well follow, I just want to a private back-up in case the state options change or DD does not thrive there.

I am in roughly the same area. I would agree re Harrodian's reputation being showbizzy and not particularly academic, although that is largely hearsay.

We have DC at a local'ish school (sort of depends on which side of Barnes you are on) which we are extremely happy with - happy to discuss off board if you wanted. It is independent, mixed and goes through to 11.

Well, if you are close to Ravenscourt, you are not far from chiswick and bedford park, orchard house, Bute house and falcon's for girls.

Chiswick and Bedford Park have a ballot so it's not just a case of putting their names doen just after their umbilical cord is cut(!), the other 2 aer though, I think.

However, there is always movement on the lists as lots of people move or hold more than one place.

There are also more in Ealing and Kew if you are interested.

Ah, yes, you are too far, I think. There are a lot of children from Barnes in DC's school, but you do need to be at the other end, not Castelnau.

Feel free to cat me if you want some more info. Ds attends one of the schools I listed and know friends at some others. If that is any help...

Bute House is by ballot as well. Orchard House, you need to have DD's name down by about 18 months (ours was at 20 months and didn't get a place).

A few of the kids from DD's nursery went on to Harrodian this year, quite a mix, too. Some loaded, some less so.

trying to decide between Hampton and Latymer Upper for ds. Any thoughts. would prefer co-ed which ticks latymer box but hampton has a nicer feel.

Several close friends have kids in Harrodian. Lovely school, not a hot house but...there is a butt (rather pert and in your face). To feel good about yourself and enjoy the community feel one needs to be beautiful, fit/slim (have you seen the school run?) and do have a life style that sparkles/shines....otherwise there are other schools on offer.

Several close friends have kids in Harrodian. Lovely school, not a hot house but...there is a butt (rather pert and in your face). To feel good about yourself and enjoy the community feel one needs to be beautiful, fit/slim (have you seen the school run?) and do have a life style that sparkles/shines....otherwise there are other schools on offer.

I am looking at schools for 8+ boys, so lots of chat at the school gate about this sort of thing. My chum who is looking to move her 8 yr old boy and 10 year old girl there is doing so for reasons that sound much like your motivations, artichoke ie doesn't want to push her daughter, particularly, to full pressure, rather to have a warmer and more rounded atmosphere, whilst still maintaining decent performance. She loved Harrodian on her various tours and research. A couple of other families at our school (small 4-11, Chelsea) also have older children there and are very happy. The new head is aiming to raise academic standards, which have been a little slack in the past, and the upper school I suspect has more work to do there that then lower - it takes time for things to feed through. I wouldn't see it as particularly glitzy - the families I know there are pretty standard for the area.

My son took the 11+ exam for Harrodian, we had our heart set on it, we both absolutely loved it when we did the tour. I was also told by his current school that he should be able to get in. But I just received the letter today and he didn't even get an interview...I am gutted. I have talked to five other parents whose children had applied and they all had the same letter :(
Is there anything whatsoever that I can do?

Did you apply for any other schools? Is your child coming from state? My son does have an interview for the Harrodian, but spent a whole week being gutted that he didn't get an interview for another school he tried for, and still waiting to hear from his first choice. You could always try again at 13+ if your heart is really set on it. I know what you're going through though. It's awful.

Thanks Katryn. My son is at a private school..co-ed, there are only 4 boys in the class and so far none of them have places any where or interviews lined up. Not sure what we paid all the money for!! Am kicking myself for not having him tutored but the school told us not to. Congrats on the interview..is harrodian your second choice? I was actually panicking today that he might not get in anywhere :( we have applied to two other schools, one is more academic than harrodian, so not holding out much hope for it, and the other less so. I'm going to start looking at prep schools with a view to the 13+ but I don't think it's going to be easy to find him a place at this stage of the game..

Sorry for the bad news - my son is also sitting 11+, although we didn't apply to Harrodian (we are in west London though). I understand there were a lot of applications for very few places. It is unlikely to make any difference to the outcome, but you could phone the school for any feedback on why he didn't get an interview (or his current school could). It's too early to panic - I've known children get into a more academic school but not into their fall-back one (again, not talking about Harrodian), so it's certainly not all over yet. BTW my nephew joined a prep school in year 7 and did 13+ / common entrance succesfully; if needed, it's worth speaking to Kings House or Falcons if convenient to you. Hopefully your head teacher would also be able to advise and put in a good word. It is a very stressful time, but I'm clinging onto the hope that it all sorts itself out in the end.