Does anyone know Holland Park School???

[tonyee]

DH wants to take our children out of their current (Private London) school which they love and put them in Holland Park Comprehensive school to save a few coins. I hear the crowd is fairly rough and I read on a forum 'make sure you tell your children to stay away from the 'bad kids' who may make them do 'bad stuff'. Hmm. That was a parent with kids there. HELP!!! They are so happy where they are and are quiet gentle souls, I can't see them enjoying or being able to deal with any type of hoodie or 'bad kids encouraging them to do bad stuff'. I really don't want to move them. Does anyone have children there or know people with children there?

Have you looked it up on www.ratemyteacher.com

Try the good Schools guide,they include both state and independent

Actually having read the GSG reveiw it rates it very highly apparently 1000 apply for 240 places so your DH may be lucky to get your dds in

A thousand apply because it is the only community school in RBKC (all the others are church) and also people are trying to avoid even worse schools like Phoenix or Burlington in LBHF. Also parents are urged to include it on the CAF "just in case" even if applying for independents.
My daughter has just got a place in the secondary allocations and we are not happy but trying to put a brave face on it even though she is in the top band.
I would suggest your DH takes a walk down Notting Hill Gate or a 52 bus ride (north) at around 3.30pm and see if he still thinks that way.
I do one kid who started last year in the top band and seems to quite like it -they really pile the work on though. For example another of my children who goes to a super selective grammar has less than half the amount of homework.
Despite the good write up and the clever way the figures are presented. It doesn't alter the fact that only 25% are below average on entry but less than 68% get 5 GCSEs including maths and English. The school itself seems more like a high security prison and they will be in portakabins over the next couple of years as half the site has been sold off and the money used to rebuild.
I have also heard from various people that if your child is placed in a low band it is almost impossible to move up. Also that it is very difficult to actually communicate with the school - even for dentist appointments etc.
There are also 60% boys and 40% girls in the school as a whole, which is not a good mix. I found on a tour last year that there were very few girls in the top maths set for example.
I visited the school last year hoping to be pleasantly surprised but unfortunately wasn't! Please think hard before causing your kids a lot of unnecessary misery. I wish I could afford to go independent.
Sorry if this offends anyone and I really hope that I am proved wrong and parents post positive experiences but that is my feeling so far.

Nou, Thank you so much for your honest feedback, this is really helpful, I have sent this to DH. He seems to think it is the answer, Mr. Armchair Educator. He thinks he knows so much about these schools but has never visited a single school, leaves it up to me! I also talk to tons of other Mums with experience- like you and people I know. I don't think Dads sit around comparing schools that much and getting the real dirt! I really appreciate your taking the time to write this!