urgent help: moving to sevenoaks, Sevenoaks prep or Granville?

[mathskate]

Hi, I plan to move to Sevenoaks soon and would really appreciate your thoughts and tips on prep schools? I'm considering Sevenoaks Prep and Granville for my daughter. I read ISI reports for both. It looks like Granville has excellent rating for each criterion but Sevenoaks Prep only good rating. But if you check 2014 result, Sevenoaks prep seems got more scholarships in 2014, of course, it might because the class size is bigger in Sevenoaks Prep. Can some one who have experience of these two schools gave some suggestions. I hope my daughter could finally go to Sevenoaks School.

Another question is Sevenoaks prep preparing year 6 and year 8 exams but Granville only prep for year 6 exam. Does it mean my daughter will have second chance in Sevenoaks Prep if she failed year 6 exam to Sevenoaks School, or you can only attend one of these two exams(year 6 or year 8).

Thanks.

Granville is a superior school in comparison to the prep. It is hard now to see how many students are being offered places at Sevenoaks School from the prep as they fudge the results, but it is actually around two students at the most, for the whole year which is approaching 35 children. Sevenoaks Prep is not an academic or serious school in my view and If I could choose, definitely Granville would be my first choice. I think your DD is likely to end up at wally hall or similar otherwise.

Hello Mathskate,

Firstly, welcome to Sevenoaks . Nice choice btw!

Please forgive me, it is extremely late and I am typing on my iPhone - apparently Heartofgold thinks us mums from SP are a bunch of new money wino lushes ! Actually, I have just come back from A&E with myelderly mum, tearing it up with a collapsed disc and partial paralysis - mum, not me ... But shhh, don't tell anyone, I wouldn't want to be robbed of my hard partying reputation, nor my Partners-In-Crime ...

I would just like to point out that the ofsted report on SP (Sevenoaks Prep) was made in 2009. The ISI report on Granville was made in 2011 and the SP report in 2013. I can't find Granville's Ofsted report FYI.

SP has been through a great deal of change, there is no denying it. However, the school - from my experience - has been nothing but positive. They are much more nurturing plus they are co-ed. Do you want your girl to be educated with boys? Note: Granville is partnered with New Beacon so lots of Granville have siblings at New Beacon, although I believe, they don't mix.

Sevenoaks Prep is a proper outdoor 'back to nature' school. The grounds are amazing - it backs on to Knole Park - and they use Sevenoaks School for swimming (amazing facilities!). I think, if you are coming from London, you will be blown away - but then you will with St Michaels as well, another beautiful and high achieving school.

Granville is from 3-11. SP is from approx 3-13.

We really did exceptionally well on grammar results in 2014. Nothing fixed/nothing fluked. Just shear hard determination and work from the students and excellent tutoring from teachers who really are an inspiration.

Mathskate, you didn't say how old your daughter is? My two are young - still in pre-prep - but the teachers are working them hard but within their boundaries - each child is treated as an individual and we are supported as parents to help. Doors are always open.

I don't want robots for children. I want then to be well balanced and stress-free individuals who can think and rationalise for themselves, happy to socialise with the opposite sex without thinking they are from another planet.

Please feel free to pm me with questions or thoughts. Happy to meet up for a coffee or a tankard of wine (got to keep the rumours doing the rounds ;))

Good luck and again, welcome to Sevenoaks.

Hi Pollski

Thanks very much for your kindly reply. It is really helpful. My only question is that when I visited Sevenoaks prep school 3 weeks ago and asked for a detailed leaver destination, the head of education lady seems not willing to give us one. Do you know the percentage pupils who got offers from Sevenoaks school in their 11+ exam? Thanks

Hi - I can't comment on the schools specifically as my children are at one of the excellent state schools in Sevenoaks (though I know parents who are very happy with both SP and Granville). I do know though that unless things have changed recently it is possible to have more than one go at getting into Sevenoaks School - I know someone who failed to get in at 11, went to Wally for 2 years then got in to Sevenoaks at 13 (and was very successful there).

Have they got space for your dc? I ask as I enquired at both of these schools and space for my dc who is starting school in September. This was I'd say at least a year ago, both were on wait list only.

We moved out of London a year and a half ago and were able to get our two year old son and 4 month old daughter into Granville and New Beacon. We looked at SP but felt Granville & New Beacon will give them a better chance of getting into Sevenoaks.

For anyone that finds this old thread on Granville school in Sevenoaks. My brother has a daughter there. There is a new Head who has put the class sizes up to 24 girls. Sevenoaks Prep, Wally and other privates have much smaller class sizes. Very little attention per girl and parents trying to top up after school as concerns about quality of teaching. There is lots of space in most years now as parents going elsewhere. Hope this helps someone.

Agree with previous post, although it's 2 years past, more parents are leaving Granville. The new head has little experience in dealing with any special situation. For example, the school has offered bare minimum in the recent lock down, only slightly better than state schools. She tells parents to leave if they are not happy. Hope it helps.

Hello to the above post - I would love to connect with you to ask a few questions re Granville following your post! We are currently looking at Granville…and can’t decide!

Hi, we are also considering granville for our daughter and would be great to connect..

Hi, I’m also considering Granville for September 2022. I would love to connect to discuss before committing. St Michaels is another option, any tips and advice most welcome. Many thanks in advance.

Avoid SP at all costs - toxic culture amongst staff and children caused ultimately by poor leadership. Staff leaving in droves and unhappy, poorly behaved children. Quality of teaching and value for money in terms of variety of experiences also abysmal. You’d be better off at state! Granville has a much better reputation

How is teaching quality at SP? Do school help prepare students for 11+ exam if they wish to try?

No they do not. Avoid this school. It is not recommended.

I am also considering the Granville and would like to know more about this school . Does school provide good assistance for students to prepare 11+ exam and etc?

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/3F1qxi6cwvRr91um/

I hope this refutes the ridiculous claim that Sevenoaks Prep has poor teaching.