Anyone had experience of Hill House Junior School, London

[peasoup]

Just wondered if anyone knew anything about this one. Seems fairly unconventional which i like the idea of and international students and staff which i like the idea of.

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DD starting there this August.

I was really impressed with it when I had a look round. What made you choose it for DD? Do you know other folks who've sent their kids there?

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Hi Peasoup,

well, if you've done the tour, then you probably know as much as I do.
for us it was a combination of practical:

we wanted co-ed primary
in the right area/direction for drop-off and pick-up

and ethos:
like you, we liked the fact international
good results - feeds to good schools
seems a bit quirky and gung-ho
focus on sport

spoke to one other parent when we went for the induction morning - she said she already has 3 children there (!) and they all love it, doing really well, learning without 'feeling' that they're learning.

Fingers crossed!

Might see you in two years time at the school gates then

We have good friends who send their son and love it - they will send their second when he's old enough. not in our area though.

Was just checking back into this thread to see if there had been any responses and to bump it; thanks Slinkie. I'm starting to quite like the idea of it and am slowly drip feeding positive info about it to DH as i just know he's gonna go beserk when he finds out about the uniform so hoping I can butter him up and get him to see all its good points before he sees the knickerbockers!!!Any more info Slinkie? What do your mates like about it?

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I don't think it's particularly academic. I think they do a term abroad in France at some point too but I don't know much about it as a school. It wouldn't be my choice. Does it follow the views of Kurt Hahn or something from memory? Lots of open air, Gordonstoun type principles?

Well they get them into all the best schools in the country-Eton, Harrow, Wesminster and all that nonsense, so I guess they have to be pretty academic I suppose. Not heard of Kurt Hahn so not sure about that. It was set up in Switzland by a family and is still run by the same family and have a Swiss outpost still where the pupils go on trips. Haven't heard of Gordonstoun either, but they do seem to be REALLY into sports and outdoorsy-ness as they take them for sports every day in one or other of the London parks. It's a really big school so I thought I'd be able to find Mums on Mumsnet in the know but am not having much luck with this thread, having ressurrected it now for another try. Had alook round and liked it but would like to hear from Mums or ex students. It's a junior school, international, in London.

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Some folk think that all the children spend quite a lot of each day traipsing from one building to another, as the school is scattered on 5 different sites....

Yeah I did worry about the traipsing. Not from builing to building as I think they are in one building age 4 to 5, move to another age 5 to 7, then to another age 8-9 then another age 9-whatever! So they don't seem to move buildings every day IYSWIM, but do traipse every day in mini buses to various parks. As they are into the sports every day thing but have no outside space they all get into buses and go to Hyde park or Battersea park or others EVERY day. Didn't reaLLY like DS being in a vehicle every day in London; didn't mind the odd school trip but EVERY day to be driven around seems a bit much. I like the school in so many other ways though... so am having trouble deciding. One of my paranoid thoughts was-do they wear seat belts in those little mini buses? [paranoid worried emoticon]

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would have thought ofsted would ensure safely belted etc (but am only guessing)

they say grace in latin at meal times.

Blimey mildmannered! Do you know people with children there?

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no-sorry. did you see 7 up 2000? one of the kids went thjere and they showe dthem all at lunch standing over the tables chantng in latin!