Berkhamsted schools - help please!

[teetering]

We are moving to the Berkhamsted area and wonder if anyone can give any further insights to: Berkhamsted Collegiate Prep School, Westbrook Hay Prep School and The Beacon School in Chesham Bois? It's hard to get an inside view when all you can do is read a review and do a quick tour etc.

If there are any other schools (state or private) that anyone can recommend, please do share!

Thanks!

Ashridge is lovely. There are lots of "off-the-beaten-track" places to park, where you can just wander off (you'd stand a better chance of seeing the muntjak deer that way), but there are more 'civilised' areas too. Best bet for a first trip is to head for the Bridgewater Monument. (see a map. You can get to it via Northchurch and turn North up the hill.) There are loads of places to park and there's a tearoom and ice-cream van usually, although unlikely in February. The pathways are less muddy than elsewhere, too.

Fab, thanks for the walking tips Clam.

Haribo - great feedback on Collegiate. Can you tell me any more about the 'assessment'. They are asking to assess DS1 for his 4+ entry (he is now 3.5 yrs).
Also, how many children are in the classes of your DSD??

Ta.

teetering - The assessments are really informal and friendly.

The kids do them at any point a child enters the school and then when they pass from the Prep to the Senior school. DSD2 has just taken her Senior school assessment, but (she is moving from the Prep school) she has a guaranteed place in the senior school, it's more about streaming.

For entry into the Prep (which includes Stepping Stones), the assessments are very age appropriate, and much more focussed on play and interaction. There is a £50 non refundable deposit to pay to go on the waiting list to join the school and the assessment is taken around 6 months before the child would start at the school, so those timings you mention sound correct.

The school is goal / results oriented and there are lots of extra curricular activities... the opportunities are really super. There is a fully eqipped gym which is open to families as well for extremely competitive rates.

Class sizes are small and personal.. I'd say there are 14 kids in DSD2s class and between 17-20 in DSD1 (not 100% sure exactly)

THere is a new principal there now and he's changing the name from Berkhamsted Collegiate to BERKHAMSTED (I think it's supposed to make it sound a bit like Eton!!!) and he's going to standardise the uniforms so that the girls will wear white and blue too (instead of red and green)...

Have you been to look around? DO you live in Berkhamsted?

Hi All we had a great trip to Berko today. Even managed a Valentine's meal in Cafe Rouge with the kids in tow

We looked at a place in Priory Gardens to rent but was not quite right, so we will keep looking. I've called loads of childminders, which is a hard exercise when we don't have an exact address yet! If anyone can recommend any childcare (nanny, childminder, day nursery etc) please share! I'd need to be able to drop the kids off and get to the station fairly easily.

Thanks Haribo for the Collegiate info. Good to know. How do you find the atmosphere with some fo the students boarders, and this option to 'flexi-board'??! Surely they would lvoe to try it out and decide they want to board more and more?! Have you ever used the boarding facilities (I am amused that they even market them as 'Parents may take holidays in term-time without disrupting their children's education'!!)

Clam we parked at the pay and display near Waitrose and the kids enjoyed the park and the walk over the canal. Seems really pretty.

it IS really pretty here - and there are some great places to eat too!

We've never had an issue with the boarders... We use day boarding facilities but haven't used the flexible boarding options - primarily because DH and his ex both live here (as do I, and I'm a SAHM at the mo) so there is always some one about to look after the kids, and get them to school. I did think my DSD1 would be itching to stay but it's not come up yet.

Hope you get somewhere sorted to rent (sorry, I missed the first part of this thread!) - My only advice would be to steer clear of anywhere too close to the railway line... it's busy and VERY noisy... We live about 1/2 mile away from the line, maybe a little more, and up a BIG hill, so we don't hear it, but I don't know how people who live next to the line cope with the sheer volume of trains travelling at high speed!!

I recommend Marlin Montessori Nursery (next to station) the staff there are wonderful. They do offer day care and have a minimum age of 2 years.

Calling all you reluctant Hemel-ites - do you know what Leverstock Green is like on the very outskirts of Hemel? Check out this amazing house that is on the market!

resources.knightfrank.com/GetResource.ashx?id=a5336ce3-c664-403c-8812-1c6785929ddc&type=1

Forever and Haribo - thanks for the tips re station noise and Marlin. Will do more research...

My friend has details on that house. She said it is a lovely house but didn't really like the area.

Leverstock Green is one of the better areas of Hemel Hempstead but it is still Hemel hence the price. My friend said that the house wasn't quite in Leverstock Green so it might be worth a look. It does look lovely.

I think this house was on the market last year. You may want to check on all the new building that MAY be going to happen in LG. According to the local paper the tennis club was one of the places identified for new housing but I do not think anything has been decided on yet.

Wow - impressive local knowledge! Yes, you are right: the agent said they had a buyer last year but took it off the market when the sale fell through. It's being sold by the son of the late owner. Apparently it's quite near the M1 so we will make a decision based on that, and general feel of the village. I've kind of got my heart set on Berko so it will have to be an amazing house to swing me!!

Multimap tells me it takes 15 mins to drive from Leverstock Gn to Westbrook Hay school. Would you agree and would the route be horrendous through/round Hemel in rush hour??

I am sure another local can give you more and better info but I think that you would have to negotiate the magic roundabout - which may be busy. There might be away around the town but I do not think that LG to Westbrook is an ideal journey.You would however be going in the opposite direction to the industrial area ( but not when you are trying to get home!) Come and live in Boxmoor, we are minutes from Westbrook!

I agree. If you are looking at Westbrook Hay school, look at Boxmoor, Felden, Bovingdon / Bovingdon Green and Chipperfield (assuming you don't want to live in Berkhamsted)

They are on the 'right' side of town for the school. The traffic IS busy around there and it can take a while to get through the lights coming up from Hemel.

Personally, I'd recommend Berkhamsted town - it's got everything you could need... We are half way between the town and open countryside and it's just lovely - but still within walking distance of the town and mainline station.

How old are your kids, teetering? I'm guessing quite young, as you are looking at Nursery /prep schools....

There is a nursery between Chipperfield and Bovingdon called Old Macdonalds Farm which I would recommend. it's lovely.

Should you decide on LG have a look at Abbot's Hill School. It takes boys from 3 to 5 and I have heard that it is lovely. Many of the boys go on to Lockers while their sisters stay at Abbots. Have you looked at Haresfoot ? That is quite popular I think. As has been said, Berko is lovely and with that part of Herts (Berko, Boxmoor etc) you have the Bucks grammers on your doorstep.

Thanks 'guys'.

Haribo - they are quite small! DS1 is 3.5 yrs and DS2 is 22 mths.

What is the deal with the grammars? Do they prioritise state students? Are there catchment issues?

What are your plans, everyone, for secondary for your own DCs?

Honest opinions please! What does Chesham have/not have going for it?! Property seems slightly cheaper there.

My DS is starting Westbrook Hay in September. It's smaller than the collegiate and has just got new lower school facilities. I was very impressed with it. He'll go to Berkhamsted Collegiate when he's older.

Locker's Park is a Catholic school. Don't know if you are Catholic....

Some lovely roads on the outskirts of Chesham, check out how nice Chartridge is - a friend's house is on the market here:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-11720415.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E6085&sortBy PriceDescending=false&pageNumber=1&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FsearchType%3DSAL E%26locationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E6085%26radius%3D0.0%26displayPropertyType%3D%26minBedrooms%3D%26 maxBedrooms%3D%26minPrice%3D%26maxPrice%3D%26maxDaysSinceAdded%3D%26_includeSSTC%3Don%26sortByPriceD escending%3Dfalse%26primaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26secondaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26oldDisplayProp ertyType%3D%26oldPrimaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26oldSecondaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26newHome%3D%26r etirement%3D%26auction%3Dfalse%26partBuyPartRent%3Dfalse%26x%3D90%26y%3D18

schools are good - Chesham prep good, Dr Challoner's good.

Chesham was yuk ten years ago, now it has a perfectly ok town centre - the outlying areas are lovely

It's not as nice as Berkhamsted but youet more house for your cash and you are only ten minutes from Berko

Thanks Winky for that. Yes, their website looks very busy and fun, and the new facilities seem amazing. We're going to the Open Day in March and I am desperately hoping I like it! Is your DS in the Swallows bit at the moment? They said that DS2 could start in Sept 2010, after DS1 has been in Reception for a year.

I am leaning away from Lockers Park. We're not Catholic (but that would not put me off in an 'inclusive' Catholic school). My concern is the potential for a divide between boarders and day boys. A friend with experience of a similar school said that the boarders were seen as the 'cool' kids, which struck me as a bit sad, really

LaurieCupid thanks for that on Chesham. That is a really cracking house! Thanks for the link - I am sorry it's out of budget!

Just to say, Lockers is not a Catholic school and honestly there is no 'divide'( but I understand how/why you may feel that there is.) I am sure you will make the choice that 'feels' right and that you will be very happy.
Chesham is good, easy to get to lots of places from there.

The 11+ pass mark for Bucks is 121, if you live in Chesham you would be OK for Challoners, single sex, or Chesham High, co-ed. Challoners very popular, you can find their catchment on Bucks CC website. Chesham High always takes a few from Boxmoor, Bovingdon and Berko. The High has a new Head who is intent on making the school a co-ed alternative to Challoners as opposed to the school that you go to when you do not get into Challoners. (I won't say where it is said that you go when you fail the 11+!)

My mistake about Lockers. I was told it was Catholic. Soz for misinfo.

What school, NK1, do you go to if you fail the 11+?

I really want to know that too

I'm afraid to say, I'd steer clear of Chesham. I don't like the town centre at all, there is nothing there. the outlying areas are OK, but only if you drive.

Chesham High is good, but only if you pass the 11+. If you fail (and you live in Berko) you'll go to Ashlyns. To be fair, I know loads of people who think it's an OK school, but I don't. I don't know about Chesham though.

DS will follow DSDs to Collegiate.

If you are thinking of state schools, then Victoria First school in Berko is good, as is St Pauls in Chipperfield - I suppose the usual rules apply - smaller comunities are better for small, happy schools.