*Chandlings School - thoughts?*

[inthedirge]

I am thinking about sending our three children (DD 8, DS 6, DS 6) to Chandlings this autumn. I would love to hear any thoughts/ and or experiences of this school, particularly if anyone has a DC there at the moment.
Thanks.

Phoenix-have PM'd you!

Just wondering whether anyone had any more recent thoughts on Chandlings? I hear that Mrs A-J has moved and see there is an acting head but I'd be very interested in hearing any views on how it has changed/what is happening!

moving from london, saw chandlings last week. was introduced to the headmaster, who said he had been there since 1985 but seems he is not the head. all v confusing. does anyone know whats going on? also i was really concerned about how small the classrooms were, i know there are only 12 in a class but how often do they get out of that 'box' room in reality? has the use of the outside learning facilities and woods improved? im concerned as my son hates his london school cos of lack of space and time outside!

They have now appointed a new head, who will start in September - she sounds like another young go-getting character, so I expect more change is on it's way. I've got a daughter in year 1 and a son in nursery, and their outside clothes are always getting covered in mud, which I reckon is half the point of being a child. The classrooms are small (Cosy?) but the children are in and out all the time - not only for playtime, PE, science, cooking, library, art etc, but also because they are put into ability groups very early on for phonics and maths, which involves moving classrooms. One of the things I like about the school, apart from the facilities and great teachers, is that there are always noisy children clattering around, who nevertheless stop and open the door for adults. The biggest complaints I can muster are that kit does indeed seem to go AWOL more than necessary (though it generally finds it's way home if labelled) and I don't understand why sport is segregated by gender at such a young age.

My daughter joined Chandlings in Sep 2014 when we relocated to the area. She was previously at an independent school in Cheshire known for its academic record and she seemed happy there. She is academic and sporty and it wasn't until she moved to Chandlings that we saw her really blossom. She is now a relaxed, happy and confident child who enjoys a great all round school life - the previous school environment was high pressure and victorian. I have 2 older children who attended 2 different independent academic schools in Cheshire, one an academic hothouse (GPST) the other less of an academic hot house and more balanced with sport /music/drama, though both children went on to Cambridge university and enjoyed their chosen paths. Comparing all of the above, my vote is firmly with Chandlings. Great atmosphere, with emphasis on the right values (for us).

Moved here from London a few years ago. Been very happy with this school which mixes a relatively relaxed academic offering with a full on, interesting and varied extra curricular offering. Having said academics are relaxed they get results that are very impressive; each year a good batch of offers and scholarships to the top Oxford schools (check out the website for details) New head due to start in Sept 15 and coming from SW London. Expect she will perhaps look to inject a bit more ambition to 'top end 'teaching which isn't quite there in some departments. But a happy, vibrant school, with a can-do attitude and very, very thorough pastoral care from a top notch management team. Ignore some comments above which are I think very out of date. Academic results have risen in recent years, with very positive feedback on Chandling's candidates from school heads across the board.
Also, there is a relaxed mix of parental backgrounds. I found it refreshing and generally down to earth after inner London preps. Would recommend unless you want hot-housing in which case look to North Oxford by all accounts.

Just thought I would give this thread a bump to see if there are any more up-to-date perspectives on Chandlings. We visited today and were impressed by the setting, staff, students, and the range of activities that appear to be on offer to the children. The previous comments in this thread were pretty polarised but what is the gossip at the school these days?

I don't have direct experience of the school (save that we were thinking about it a couple of years ago as you can see from this thread) but I know a lot of people who do. I would say that their views are just as polarised as this thread if not more so! I have friends who are extremely happy and say similar things to abdabs. I also know quite a number of people who have removed their unhappy children, including several over the past year. Roughly speaking I would say that the people who are happy have very active, sporty, younger boys. The unhappy people generally have older, un-sporty, girls - there may be specific issues here as the girls tend to be from the same year group. That is just a small snapshot but I hope it is useful.

I have a son in Chandlings in Year 2, who is not yet terribly sporty and reasonably academic. He loves the school and we love it too. It is open and welcoming and the pastoral care is very solid. The backgrounds of the parents are mixed and that makes for well-rounded exposure in a relaxed environment. The children spend a lot of time outdoors and thrive for it. The school grounds are expansive and there is a wide range of co-curricular activities on offer. About a third of the student body is girls and so there is perhaps not the approximately 50:50 mix people might hope for with a co-ed school, but the kids mix around quite a bit so that is not too much of a problem. The before- and after-school care is great, which is important to me as a working parent. With regard to polarised comments, I echo the sentiments of the previous posters. Most people who bother with reviews are either very happy or very unhappy. Go with your gut, and I'd be happy to answer any specific questions.

I know that this is an old thread.... but in case anyone is currently thinking of Chandlings, the current Head of Junior School at Cokethorpe is moving there next term (presumably as the new Head). Mrs Cook is superb, she has created a wonderful supportive, creative, dynamic environment at Cokethorpe - I assume she will do the same at Chandlings.