Broomfield waiting list

[Cardey]

Newbie parental here...

Am pretty lost with the school system. does anyone know if the Broomfield waiting list for Kindergarten moves along quickly or are we being unrealistic and should we focus on other schools?
If the latter, which ones are recommended j. Kew?
Thank you!

Are you looking for a pre Kindergarten or a Kindergarten (ie Reception) place starting this September? I heard the are full for Pre K starting this September, and they have 21 places. Goes up to 24 for K, but they may be full too at this point. So if this is what you are looking for, I would hedge my bets. Have you phone Kew College? Different ethos, but very good school still. Depends on your child too (but who knows at such a young age?) Unicorn are likely to be full too. Then there is Kew Green but they only start at Reception.

oh the other option is also Kew Montessori (for pre K) but with the Studio Montessori closing down by end of this term, they are very likely to be full.

We’re after a Sept 2019 Kindergarten place... I called Kew College and was almost laughed at. I was told we should have signed up at birth and that unless they joined at pre-k there was nothing to do. We looked at Unicorns but decided it wasn’t for us (not that we could get in if it were!)
I am trying not to stress... but this is hard. We moved to London from US recently and it is very frustrating to keep being told we should have signed up 3 years ago....

Kew Green
Falcon Boys if you have a boy.
State schools Queens and Kew Riverside are both good schools. Depends where you are in Kew.Applications should open Sept 2018 and close in Jan2019.
There is also ISL in Gunnersbury

Strange response from Kew College because they were and probably still are not full for pre K this year. And with two intakes normally they have some places available at Reception. This may have changed now that the Studio Montessori closed. You may also have gathered that KC ethos are on the stricter / more structured side so they really want to promote this belief that you have to join in Nursery, as then they minimise the job of aligning the new children in Reception. They also want very committed parents so perhaps you should try and call again, to show interest. I just heard today of one mum considering changing school because her boy cannot "sit still" and conform as they would like him to. But it is a great school with great results for the right child and you will have a few years to figure it out. Are they not running a waiting list? Have you asked them about waiting list for places at nursery starting this September? Can you join in nursery?
I would not rule out Unicorn, they are a good choice especially in the early years and would prefer them to Kew Green (and not only because of the difference in cost). They have a great community and all the children I know are happy, confident and doing as well as they could academically. You can assess later on if you need to switch.
Agree with Mary19 that Queens and Kew Riverside are good options too!

I understand your stress! The private school system can be very confusing for anyone first time around. The Pre-Kindergarten lists at most of the Kew private schools move quickly because many parents register for several schools and then make up their minds at the last minute. If you are keen on Broomfield (I was), then call up and ask them how the list is going. They are much more likely to give you a place if you make it clear that if you are offered, you will definitely accept as Broomfield is your top choice. It's the same for any school really, they have to juggle numbers and places and it really helps to know which parents are really serious, and which aren't. Broomfield also owns Kew Montessori and Sunflower Montessori in St Margarets there may be a possibility of starting there and moving across to kindergarten? Worth asking.....

Hi Cardey. I am a parent of a 5 year old who is already at reception. Personal experience proved that many children's names are put down on several waiting lists at birth! By the time the state school admissions are announced there is a lot of movement. The registrar at KC has failed to tell you they have not manged to fill up their two intakes for reception in 2018. My child's name was on Broomfield waiting list and we decided to remove his name from the list. I suggest you have a look at Unicorn. That's where my child goes now. We couldn't be happier with the school. It is a kind, caring environment with great emphasis on children wellbeing. Unicorn might not have KC or Broomfield results but you will ensure a happy childhood. There is a lot of focus on creativity, collaboration and critical thinking rather than English and math tests.

Glad you're happy at Unicorn QMumzilla, but I think you're being unnecessarily harsh about Kew College and Broomfield. From what I see every day the children at both those schools are very happy and enjoying their excellent schooling. My kids are at Broomfield which is renowned for its music and drama and they learn so much more than simply English and Maths. Kew is extremely fortunate in having so many good independent primary schools (not to mention the excellent state schools as well), there is literally something to suit every taste. You don't need to diss other people's choices.

Regarding this Reception year - this year is a low birth year in the area apparently and a lot of the prep schools are not full. All of the children that wanted a place at Queen's in Kew for instance got in. So not surprised KC is not full this year especially if they have two form entry, although I hear they are at very near capacity, I have a friend there and I think the class is 19 children so short one. Let's see how next year pans out for the reception year, I do not think it will be as thin.

clickazee - Sorry if I gave the impression that I am harsh on other schools or disapproving of other people's choices. That was not my intention. I mentioned Unicorn doesn't have the same academic results but emphasised what they are good at.