Prep schools in Kent - trying to decide - advice please!

[Lozza1309]

Hi, i have 3 boys and we are moving soon to Kent. We are trying to decide between Marlborough House School and St. Ronans in Hawkhurst - they both want an answer and £££ asap. I have little local knowledge of the schools apart from the "sales pitch" on the open days. Both seem great but very different. My head says MHS (seems safer academically - for some reason - w.r.t. pass rate into local grammars, our preferred option) and heart says St. Ronans (seems quirky and an amazing place for kids to be kids, but less sure about the grammar test results). Anyone got an opinion on either?

Marlborough House, any day.

Hi Bonsoir, do you have a child there? Why MHS over St. Ronans?

All my friends prefer MHS!

My family is a St Ronan's family, but my strong suspicion, based on the choices that the people I like and respect in my own generation have made, is that MHS is much better for non-locals (people moving down from London, for example).

Hmmm....thats interesting - we're actually moving down from London - they both seemed v friendly - although i did get more of an olde-world feeling from St. Ronan's (maybe its the setting) and was trying to imagine what some of the parents would be like

MHS for definite, 3 little relations having a good time there