Habadashers Pre-prep? Anyone give me any tips on how to get in?

[Mammafish]

I've heard Habs Pre-prep is a top school and would like my son to get in. He's only young yet, but I want him to get in at 5 years old.

Any tips/pointers on how to start preparing him to get through the assessment and get into the school.

Is there anyone's son/daughter there already? How did you find the assessment and what did you do to prepare your little one?

You need Xenia I think...

Message withdrawn

Hi mamafish, as another ex Habs girl (hi-fives lapin!) I agree with Lapin's comments. I went to the preps at Habs; it was highly competitive and academic; I went from being little miss brainy boots in one school, then transferring to Habs and being bottom of the class

The entrance test for Nursery used to consist of colour recognition, number recognition, pencil control, being able to construct a simple puzzle etc

ALSO when you are having an "informal chat" with the staff, be aware that they are analysing you and your responses. They are as important to their decision whether to include ds as anything else; it is not a class thing, more that you as a parent will be prepared and able to support your child through the school

I agree with all the above comments and am also an ex habs girl. Habs is fantastic if it suits your child and soul destroying if it doesn't. They demand the best and if your child doesn't meet that criteria they will not hesitate to ask you to move them.

The competition to get in at any age is huge and it is not unusual for 4 year old to be tutored to get in plus parents are close to having nervous breakdowns over the stress of getting them in there.

I am reasonably comfident that DS would have got in there at 5 but took the decision to not even try him. As a result of my experience there, ie being clever just isn't enough I decided to wait until he's 11 to sit him if he still shows the same academic traits he's showing now.

Schools like Radlett Prep and Manor Lodge are feeders into Habs and work on similar principles but are slightly less pushy and ML especially is much more nurturing. The hertfordshire / NW london education circle is very very pushy and mums will stop at nothing to get their kids in to these schools.

In Hab's favour, they do take a good number of children from state schools at 11 so don't feel that you need to get in there at the start. Personally I also think that 13 years in one school is too long.When I was there most of the girls who started at 5 didn't make it through to 18.

That's a really good point about one school for such a long time. My school went from 4 to 18 and I found it stifling to be with the same people for so long. The way you are at junior school is the way you are labeled for the rest of your days and I would have benefited from a change at 11.

I have the same sort of plan for Ds danny - if he seems like the kind of child who can cope with habs when he is 11 that's fine but for now I'm looking elsewhere.

Interesting re ML - we had applied but are probably not going to pursue that application as it's a bit too far away for prep. Is it a good school then?

Funny how the habs old boy/ girl on here aren't so keen on sending their own children there...

p.s. by 'there' in my last sentence I meant Habs not ML

chipmonkswhereareyou

I have only heard good things about ML. My very good friend has her daughter there and they have been through a very hardtime personally and the school have been outstanding pastorally. From what I understand they're excellent academically but not that pushy and don't fall apart if some of their year 6's don't get into Habs etc as they accept that all children are different. I think that they have about 20 to a class which is perfect, not too big to get lost but not too small to feel claustrophobic. The lunches are apparently great too. Unfortunately it's just a bit too far for me to get to in the rush hour so we didn't sit there but we did sit for Radlett Prep which was our backup had we not got into the excellent local state school.

I've just cancelled a look at Habs prep for 7+ as I could feel myself panicking at the thought up of getting DS up to speed for the exam and getting tutors in etc. It's not fair on him, he's just too little to go through that at this age.

god it sounds horrific

although dd3 would get into the nursery I am sure [smirk]

lol

or say 'no I dont like you you are disgusting'

(dd3's particularly lovely turn of phrase atm)

Exactly why I put DD into the pre-prep nursery at her school Malory.
With my luck that is exactly what would have happened if she had to be assessed

lololol

dd3 HATES her current nursery and said this morning
'I dont do wees on the loo here because I dont like you and I ONLY LIKE MUMMY'

This morning,in front of parents and teachers I got (in a loud voice of course),"I don't want to be in Mrs.X's group 'cos she smells nasty"-and of course Mrs.X was a bout a fott away at the time

Sorry not help on Habs-I wouldn't do it personally but am sure someone will think it's a great idea and have loads of tips.