Salcombe and Vita et Pax - anyone??

[mckenzie]

We are currently looking at schools for DD for Sept 09 but also for moving DS to (currently year 3) as we're not overly happy with his current state school.

Does anyone have any experience of Vita et Pax and/or Salcombe please?

TIA

Know two families with children at each. They are happy with their choices.
V et P has good SATs scores and comes up well in the Sunday Times league tables out today...for what that's worth.

It does look quite religious though.

my friend's dds both went to salcombe and said it was ultra full on and too much like hard work for small children.

Where is your ds currently ?

I have two daughters at Vita 7 and 4 years old. I have to say the school has improved leaps and bounds since Miss Gay joined last tear and has become the head teacher. Excellent school highly recommended.

Vita et pax is an amazing school. I have two children there year 6 and year 1, my daughter has thrived there and I wouldn’t of wanted her to go anywhere else. The headteacher has improved the school results to be one of the top schools in the country. And is constantly working with parents And students to improve further.
All children are prepped early on for 11+ exams by way of interview techniques and specific exam papers. My daughter really will miss her school when she leaves in July 2020.

Just revamping an old thread. We took our child out of Salcombe as we found the leadership there severely lacking, incidents of bullying, SEN kids who were not correctly supported and playing up in classrooms and basically all Cognita who run the school cares about is the money.

We moved our child to Vita et Pax (year 3) and it is night and day different, really nice school building which feels really bright and airy, massive school playground, located off a quiet road, teachers very welcoming, teaching methods are really effective, they have systems for learning words they are concentrating on for spelling each week, its put into their online system and the kids then play a number of word games to help with their spelling and make the process fun! The library at Vita is such a cosy and special room. my child loves it!

Even the other systems they use for homework, you are told each week which system that piece of homework is on or it is stuck into the maths or english books, unlike Salcombe which was a mess and we spent half our time tracking down where the homework was actually posted.

Tbh after the former head left Salcombe the new head has brought nothing to the table, she is clueless and lacks any kind of leadership. Makes a big thing of anti bullying week and then ignores any acts of bullying which the onus on the victim to prove they were bullied.

Add that the prep site which is a terrace house + some porta cabins, a tiny playground slap bang in the middle of a busy road (chase side) and the kids are breathing in lovely fumes from lorries all day while being crammed in a dining room that looks like something from a POW camp.

Lots of parents are pulling their kids out and Vita has taken on many of them, and with the new head (from Grange park prep) starting at Vita in september and the vision of the governers who actually listen to parents and care, it will go from strength to strength.

Salcombe are so desperate, they are reducing fees and bragging about their year 6 secondary placements which proves what dire straights they are in.....

Can definitely recommend vita, do a taster day and you will be blown away.

We made the decision to pull our child out due to a number of serious issues. The leadership was weak and unresponsive, bullying was a persistent problem that was never properly dealt with, and children with special educational needs were clearly not given the support they required

The school lacks morals and genuine concern for child welfare. It’s run more like a business than a place of learning, with profit clearly taking priority over student wellbeing. The religious status has been formally removed, and the school is no longer associated with the local church—despite the image it tries to project.

Frankly, Vita et Pax has fallen well below even the most basic educational and pastoral standards which is all reflected in the Independent School Inspectors report /ISI report. Many state schools offer far more in terms of structure, support, and values—without the outrageous fees. It’s deeply disappointing to see how far the school has declined.

Oh hi miss sands, nice of you to join us, chin up and you may keep your job!

Just to clarify—this isn’t an internal teacher chatting with another at Vita et Pax. I’m a parent, and my post reflects real experiences that highlight just how poor the school truly is. They don’t take any negative feedback seriously. Instead of addressing concerns, they dismiss you and move on as if nothing’s wrong.

What’s worse, they take no accountability for the distress and disruption they’ve caused to families. It’s a clear sign of how little they value the wellbeing of their community. You are trying to build a reputation but unfortunately the parents are the true people that can make an accurate review !

So how come your email address is @salcombeprep ?

[email protected]

busted.

That’s isn’t my email address, or a valid response. I’m a parent sharing a genuine review based on personal experience. My email address doesn’t change the validity of what my family went through. The focus should be on the concerns raised, not on who’s raising them. Once again deflecting the concerns of parents. Well done Vita internals trying to build a fake reputation online.
to all potential parents looking to place their children here.. beware as there are many layers to the politics and management of this school. The odd good review here and there is a sugar coating.

Thank you for sharing your concerns so openly. I’m Mrs Lynch, the current Headteacher at Vita et Pax, and while I understand that your experience was disappointing, I’d like to provide some clarity for the benefit of others reading this.

Yes, it is true that the school did not meet expectations in the November 2023 ISI inspection. Since then, however, we have worked diligently to address every area of concern. Under my leadership, the school has since undergone two further inspections—both of which we passed successfully. These reports are publicly available on our website and reflect the significant progress made across all areas of school life, including leadership, safeguarding, and SEN provision.

We now have a dedicated and highly experienced SENCo, in post for nearly a year, who has led a complete transformation of our support structures for children with additional needs. Bullying is not tolerated at Vita et Pax, and clear policies are in place to ensure any concerns are dealt with swiftly and effectively.

We also maintain a very positive and active relationship with our local community, including the local church. While our formal religious status may have changed, we do not pretend to be anything we are not. We are fully transparent about our ethos, and we remain deeply committed to nurturing values such as kindness, respect, and integrity.

In September, we will also be welcoming Mr May, a highly experienced and respected Headteacher, which will further strengthen the leadership and direction of our school.

Vita et Pax is committed to placing children’s wellbeing and learning at the heart of everything we do. While we regret that your experience did not meet your expectations, it’s important to highlight that many families are extremely happy here, and the school is moving in a very positive direction.

If anyone would like to speak to me directly, I welcome open and respectful dialogue, and would be more than happy to talk.

Warm regards,
Mrs Lynch
Headteacher, Vita et Pax School

An internal feed, then? How transparent. Perhaps it would be better to let parents make their own decisions by relying on reviews from other parents, rather than internal school input. Give the parents some credit no need to bring the “head teacher in”. Lol

Slightly biased ! Just a bit

So how long ago was your child in vita? The timing is relevant.

The head is entitled to respond. At least she took the time to, unlike an official from Salcombe.

any parents reading this just visit both schools, i am confident you will choose vita.

I don’t enjoy silly games and this will be my last response to this matter. I was actually alerted to your post by a parent who had given a genuine review about our school. Have a good day.

Ms Lynch -
Thank you for your response, but it only confirms what many of us have experienced firsthand — a lack of accountability and an unwillingness to listen to genuine concerns. Dismissing valid feedback as “silly games” is not only unprofessional but deeply disrespectful to parents who have entrusted your school with their children’s education and well-being.

It’s telling that rather than addressing the substance of the reviews, the focus seems to be on silencing criticism. I was alerted to the original post by another parent who, like me, simply wanted to share an honest account in hopes of encouraging improvement.

This will be my final response as well, but I hope one day this school will choose to listen rather than deflect. Until then, I’ll continue to advocate for better standards and transparency — not just for my child, but for every child who deserves more.

Have a good day yourself

Thank you for your message.

At Vita et Pax, we believe every parent has the right to raise concerns—and we always welcome direct, constructive dialogue. However, we also believe public forums should be used responsibly, especially when anonymous claims can unfairly damage the reputation of a school community, its staff, and its children.

While it’s disappointing to see repeated commentary from individuals with no current connection to the school, we remain focused on what matters most: the wellbeing and education of our pupils.

We stand by the progress the school has made in the last 12 months, including overwhelmingly positive feedback from current parents, excellent early years outcomes, and strong admissions growth.

For anyone genuinely interested in our ethos and approach, we encourage a visit or conversation—rather than anonymous speculation.

We won’t be responding further on this thread, but we thank all parents who continue to support constructive, fact-based discussion.

It’s disappointing to see our feedback repeatedly dismissed as “non-factual.” As the saying goes, there’s no smoke without fire. The continued refusal to even consider the possibility of a negative experience is, frankly, hard to believe. There appears to be a lack of accountability or willingness to engage constructively with criticism. Ignoring concerns won’t make them go away—and families have every right to share their honest, unbiased experiences.

A strong reputation is earned, not requested — if the school deserved one, it would already be in place. Fortunately North London mums are already clued up about Vita.

Vita et Pax is an amazing school in every way and really brings out the best in every child, no matter their academic ability. It’s a very nurturing environment where children are genuinely known and cared for, and the behaviour is excellent—calm, respectful, and supportive.

There’s a strong sense of community, and you can feel it the moment you walk through the door. Educational standards are high, and their 11+ programme is outstanding—tailored, supportive, and effective.

The SEN support has also been brilliant in our experience. I’ve seen first-hand how well the school supports all children, and I honestly don’t recognise the negative comments made by the so-called “Salcombe insider”—they just don’t match the reality of what we’ve experienced.

All I can say is: go and see it for yourself. You won’t be disappointed. Vita is a hidden gem and we couldn’t be happier.