Can anyone tell me about Gatehouse & Montessori Primary Schools In The Area

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Hi am new to the area and need the local spin on these schools, who can help?

sorry, didn't mean to post so many times!

Hello
Have a look on the direct.gov website they list all nurseries in each area and have links to the montessori nurseries/ schools in TH.
There are 2 montessori around here i think. Haven't heard anything good or bad really. Think they can be quite expensive!!

Sorry, I didn't see this. My DS1 went to Gatehouse initially, now is at St Paul's, in the City. My DS2 will go to Gatehouse for a year.

How old is your child? What are you looking for?

I think Gatehouse is ok. I think it is overly formal, though, and sets waaaay too much homework. Maybe the new(ish) headmistress will help.

interesting NQC, why will your son only go for a year to gatehouse. if you don't mind sharing?

We are looking for to be brutally honest somewhere the teachers arent running on supply teachers and where most kids have english as a first language which sounds very middle class but i don't want to gamble with my kids - politicians don't do it so why should i? but at the same time i love the diversity of London and dont want to leave and live in the sterility of the suburbs.

thanks

Gatehouse is quite diverse, more diverse than many TH schools, IMO, which are often 95% Bengali - not what I'd call diverse!

My DS2 will only go for a year because he has guaranteed entrance to St Paul's, which starts at Reception, and is better, imo.

Bit of a scramble on tonight, will have more time to answer usefully ... um ... sometime soon ...

Yeah, the reasons why DS1 moved on from Gatehouse, and why DS2 will, is largely because I think Gatehouse just tries to be better than (the bad) Hackney primaries, which isn't a very tough goal. I think it spends a lot of energy trying to convince parents they're getting their money's worth. And it's unduly formal and irritating with it.

Staff and facilities seem better at St Paul's, and much as I hate hauling myself to and from there, the location is excellent.

I've been looking at the Gatehouse, too. Would also be interested in any more information anyone might have. I'm particularly looking for a school that will teach children languages before the age of 5 and that has extra facilities for music, drama etc, because there doesn't seem to much resource for that in Tower Hamlets generally.

I think Gatehouse does ok for music and drama. They do start French at Nursery, but only in quite a cursory way, imo.

DS1's current school does much better on all three, imo.

Notquitecockney - do you mind me asking about fees for St Pauls; I have an idea it is very expensive, is that right?

St Paul's is a bit more expensive than Gatehouse, but not much (maybe 20%?). And it includes lunch.

Interestingly, I find St Paul's assumes parents may not have much money at all - maybe because they do take choristers, some of whom may not pay much in the way of fees (depending on their parental income).