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!

Oh yes, my friend went to one yesterday and said it was great... Or maybe it was Sat???

Withdrawn person was advertising some cr*p schools website - she/ he had posted on a zillion different threads.

How odd!!!

The weather is LOVELY here today. Ds and I have been out in the garden all morning enjoying the sunshine!! Berkhamsted is lovely, but especially so when the sun shines!!

Any developments?

I went to school at Greenway in Berkahamsted and LOVED it, it was fantastic!!! My Mum is still a teacher there, and the school does really well.

I had friends at collegiate, and they did ok, but when I was there Asjhlyns used to do just as well in GCSE results!!!

Middle school was an issue, I wen tto Bridgewater and loathed it, far too pushy, but the state alternative, Thomas Corum, is too relaxed!

Ashlyns seems to vary year on year.

If you are paying I would suggest Collegiate over Edgerton, I won't say why for fear of offending anyone!

As for shopping...avoid Hemel and Watford if at all possible! St Albans is fab and I love it, worth a few more minutes in a car!

I don't live in Berkhamsted anymore, but I do feel privaledged to have grown up there (Far better than Tring!!!) .

Hmm, all my typo's are maybe NOT giving a good impression of Berkhamsted state schools!!!

(But I got in to Exeter University...honest!)

Clam thanks for asking. Last week was some form of torture with our buyer playing every game in the book. Buying and selling houses is ugly when it brings out the worst in people! Anyway, sounds like it was just their solicitor not passing on our messages to them! So, we'll see how this week goes as we're to exchange any minute!

Manatee (most exotic name on mumsnet?!) thanks for that info.

Still hoping that we can move and secure the rental property we like. Another house has just come up for sale which looks good. It's good to know there are houses which are A) in budget and B) we would be happy to live in! It is in the Hall Park area I think

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-21586045.html?locationIdentifier=OUTCODE%5E1095&maxDa ysSinceAdded=3&pageNumber=1&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DOU TCODE%255E1095%26maxDaysSinceAdded%3D3

Looks a very nice house! I hope it works out for you!

My horse's farrier thinks I should change my rl name to Manatee, I trhink that would be crazy...but as a screen name I like to be different!

Hall Park area is nice. But quite a hike into town on foot, though. And would it not be a pain unloading shopping/stuff from the car up those steps? Drive quite a way from the front door..... But fabulous views and it looks like it has a lovely 'family' feel to it.

Teetering!!

I went to see that house. It has FABBY views and is a really nice space.

Downsides (IMO) are the garage (ugly flat roofed thing) and the steps up to the door (but hard to avoid in Berko)

Nice area and (IMHO) the house is open to offers. Was up for AGES last year at £650K with no takers!!!

HM

OMG it's a major newsflash!

WE EXCHANGED!!!!!!

Berko here we come!

We are viewing 2 houses on Sat. It's quite nuts having two young kids yet no actual home to go to just yet! But I'm not panicking

FOREVEROPT are you out there?? I called Greenway school today. The Head will call me back but the woman who took the call said that places were just being finalised but that there might still be some Reception spots left?! Must be the low birthrate you referred to!

Ooh, good luck getting into Greenway, I really don't think you would get more if you were paying, than you would get at Greenway.

And good luck with all the general moving stuff!!!

Congratulations Teetering!!

Let us know when you are sorted - be lovely to meet up for coffee somewhere when you have time!!!!

Good luck with the move!!

Oh dear - please help - those of you with experience of the 'assessment' at Berko Prep School. DS1 has his next week for Stepping Stones 1. Apparently it is very low key and play based, but the appointment is from 1pm - 2.45pm which seems MEGA long for a 3 year old, to me??!

DS1 is also normally asleep at that time (they could not do a morning and I have to get this done this term while we are in our normal routine rather than once we've moved to Berko and he's feeling unsettled).

Can anyone tell me what to expect?! I will of course ask them directly, but any inside tips would be fab!

TIA.

That seems about right....

The entrance exam for the senior school is 8:45 until 12:30!!!!! and (I'm not being rude, just truthful!) my DSD2 isn't the most academic of children and she didn't find it too stressful...

I think there is a lot of time devoted to settling the kids and not expecting them to perform on demand, IYKWIM.

It's likely (though I'm not 100% sure) that there will be a few different types of assessment so the school will have to allow time to move from one activity to another.

I think, as long as you tell them about his sleeping patterns, they will take that into account. My DSD1 was almost an hour late for her assessment into the prep school (That's a long story - DH's EX had to get her there!! GRRR) and they took that into account.

I have heard that about a silly time for the asssessment for the little ones. I'm sure many turn up grumpy wanting a nap, I don't know what actually happens though...

Good luck!

Thanks.

I've a silly question about Ashridge walks. We've yet to go there, but just trying to work out whether to hold onto or sell a virtually unused hardcore offroad pushchair.

What kit would you use on those walks? DS1 can walk but DS2 is not quite 2, so could go in a backpack, or pushchair. I can't visualise the terrain. Thanks!

Personally, I'd recommend a backpack.

I walk my dog up there pretty much everyday and it's not that pushchair friendly (there are some OK tracks, but you are limited to where (and how far!) you can go.

Plus, it's working farmland, so there are lots of styles (SP? You know what I mean) and gates to stop animals wandering and they can be a nightmare with pushchairs....

I have a Karrimor backpack for DS and he loves it in that. I use it far more than I use the pushchair (which I only use for going into town)

Up at the monument there are some established walks, and we've managed those with fairly normal pushchairs and also one of those sit-in cars with a long handle at the back. But the best parts of Ashridge are "off-piste," in which case any sort of pushchair would be useless. A back-pack would be preferable, I would say.

Fab - thanks for lcal wisdom! Can't wait to go trekking!

Are there other areas for walks that you'd recommend? Also, any idea about mountain bike trails?! A certain someone I know is a bit of a fan of the crazy sport!

Hockeridge woods are ok, and you can walk to them from Berkhamsted. There is also a nice Bridlepath that goes along the side of the bypass by Hockeridge to start, I remember there was a little ruined church in a really sweet meadow at the end of that track!

And the obvious-canal and Castle moat walks

There are loads of walks around Berkhamsted, that is something I really miss (well the bridlepaths really!). It is far better for walking and horseriding there, than where I am now in Devon.

Or you could go to Wendover Woods - cycle trails, walks, BBQ and picnic areas and a 'Go Ape' course (although will be a while before your DSs are up for that!)
Ivinghoe Beacon. Windy, however!
Or Whipsnade Zoo. Worth getting a family annual pass. We did that for a good few years and it was great to go just for a couple of hours on wintry afternoons when the place was almost deserted. The more you go, the cheaper it is, if you see what I mean.

Wendover woods are great - def. where I'd recommend with bikes.

The canal is lovely, but it's narrow and can be busy.. but you can cycle to Tring station (or Hemel the other way) and then get the train back which is always quite exciting for kids!!

Also, agree with Clam about Whipsnade. I've just bought one for us.. Surprising good value!!

Wow, we've reached 200 posts!

Thanks for the walk/ride tips.

We've secured a house and are definitely moving I can't quite believe it!

So, let's just hope the Stepping Stones assessment goes OK