Kew Green Prep

[mum010]

Hi! Need urgent response. Any mums out there with kids in Kew Green Prep whom I can connect with or anyone who can share reviews about KGP? DC is currently in a state school and has been offered place in KGP.

Depends on your reason for moving DC. It's not particularly academic so if you are looking at it as a stepping stone for a selective senior school, there may be better options, however, if you are looking for private education straight through to 18, then most/many KGP pupils go straight to Kew House at 11. It's also quite expensive compared with other local private schools. However, we see a lot of KGP children and they seem happy and confident.

Thanks Gingerbreadbaker. We are looking for a school that is good academically to prepare for selective schools as well for DCs overall development. The problem with other prep schools is they require an assessment and DC is too shy and avg. academically so it's difficult to get her into such a private prep school. We are confused whether to go for KGP as not sure how it will help her academically/with overcoming her shyness and like you said it is quite expensive as well, but at the same time concerned if DC is not able to get through a selective secondary or grammar school. Not sure how good are the state secondary schools.

Not sure how old your child is but what about some one to one tutoring to build confidence.
Going to a private prep is no guarantee to a place at a selective secondary. However probably is a guarantee at a less selective school as head will help and a school like Kew green has a senior department.
Many children do move from state to selective secondary. Most though now all will have had tutoring for at least a year. The numbers moving from state to selective secondary is frequently more a reflection of the affluence of the area and the merits of the local state school than the ability of the children at the primary. However do bear in mind state primaries do not prepare for indie or Grammar exams.

Have you had a look at where KGP pupils go to at 11+. Do these destinations match your aspirations for your daughter and more importantly, her abilities? KGP is not known in Kew as an academic school and there is nothing wrong with that, but it sounds like you really need to consider what you expect from the school and where you would like your child to go at 11. No assessment of any kind would raise a few red flags for me.

Hi twick 13! DC is 7yr old and getting into Y3 this Sept. Yes that is one of the attractions for KGP that it might help with less selective schools.

Thanks for the advise gingerbreadbaker. Thinking on those lines and that is were the dilemma is i.e. a right balance between our aspirations and her future abilities current and future.

Twice makes a good point about one-to-one tutoring. You could get a lot of tutoring for the price of a year's fees and doing better academically may boost your daughter's confidence.

Sorry - pressed too soon. You are lucky having a girl as there are more options for less academically demanding schools. Have you looked at St James school, Surbiton (excellent) and St Benedicts in Ealing is co-ed and easier to get into than say Ibstock or Kingston Grammar. There is a lot of nonsense talked on MN about St James school (google it) but I know several girls who have been and thrived. They do particularly well with quieter and less confident girls and it is a very kind and nurturing school.

Hi, my daughters just finished reception at kew green prep and is also extremely shy. I believe she does much better in a class with less children. The school is very good at building confident children.
It doesn't seem to be as pushy as other schools, we've only had reading as homework this entire year and their philosophy is that time at home should be family time. I'm sure sure the homework will increase but compared to other schools where the homework is already crazy. I think they still get the results but with possibly happier kids who aren't tutored continuously. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have

True! Twice makes a valid, exploring that option as well.

Blah16 and Lillipilly good to hear some positive reviews. Thanks for your valueable inputs.

Lillipilly is it possible to talk to you? Just to get some more insight on this subject.

Gingerbreadman I had not explored those schools you suggested but shall do

I have a child in the lower school. Excellent teachers and is academic but not in a pushy way. The school is a very happy place to be. We couldn't be happier with it

Hello.... is anyone on this thread a current KGPS parent please?
I’m thinking of moving my two son’s (reception & Yr 3) from a state school & would like some insight / reviews of the current KGPS situation - worryingly somebody on another post advised me to ask why so many people were leaving!! 😬😳 tia xx

Hi mums, my Year 2 son has been offered a place in KGPS and in Broomfield House school. He is in a state school now but does very well from academic point of view, just that I want for him more than just math and literacy. The state school pushes very hard which is very good, but only on this two subjects. Any feedback on this two school? Pros and cons? We liked very much KGPS just that looks like their academic approach is not that strong as the other one? But maybe I ma wrong? Thank you

Ask both school where last year's Year 6 went. Compare the two. Broomfield is much more academic than KGPS, I don't think anyone on this board would say otherwise. The question for you is - what do you want for your child? Only you know the answer.

I think KGPS are capable of producing good results and I know of at least one girl from Y6 last year going to SPGS. Having said that the results look more patchy (for whatever reason, it should not be a reflection of how good the school is as you do not know with what they started). Three things I recall got me a bit suspicious versus other options (including Queens): 1) when they give you the leavers results for past years, it is all given in different formats so you cannot compare year on year what they achieved. Like one year they give you only destinations and for another year only offers, etc.. You would think someone could spend a couple of hours to compile and present this information properly, but no. Compare this with Broomfield or Kew College or Queens, where the information is more clear and also available on the website. 2) KGPS is a marmite school, and the school leadership style is very different from Broomfield or KC. The interaction that we had with the leadership (the HM and the two heads) was a bit off. Too much talking about the Y6 ski school trip and how happy the children are, and not so much about what is underlying the work they do or the school ethos, the message was more "as long as the children are happy we are doing well" and I do not agree 100% with that, it is a minimum requirement but necessary as a base for much more learning. It also felt very corporate and I saw too much marketing but it may be my style. Perhaps some parents there can comment why the rumours about unhappy parents leaving? Conversely you find a lot of parents posting supportive comments, so a bit of a puzzle. 3) the cost!
You should also consider Kew College which is an excellent school but you said you want focus on overall development too and although they are very good at that, they are the school who will focus the most on core English and Maths and exam preparation.
As someone said above, it all depends on what you want for your child!

My daughter went to KG and has just started at the senior school - but it was not a guaranteed place and is no way an automatic feed.
KG is an academic school - but I do agree, it is just more on the relaxed side. My daughters friends went to top senior schools after leaving KG so I think it just depends on the child and what school is best for them. KG was a happy experience for us anyway.

Hi wondered if any of mums on this thread considering KG few years ago actually decided on it in the end? I am now in similar position and considering both KC and KG. Wanting to know more about the "reputation of KG not being very academic" . Trying to understand this a bit more as leavers destinations seem similar. Looking for a school that will challenge and support academically ++ but equally looking for a happy environment. Any updates/experiences would be gratefully received.

I was wondering if you could tell me a little about kgps ?? Im thinking of sending my DS there. But im quite worried about some of the comments.