Prep at Forest School (Snaresbrook)

[azzurra]

Last Saturday we went to the open day for Forest School in Snaresbrook. DS will be 3 years old in January and we are looking at preparatory schools in the Redbridge/Waltham Forest area. I liked Forest. It does have a good feel about it and the pre-prep seems excellent. It would be my first choice to send DS when he is 4. Does anyone have any experience of what the entrance ?assessment? for 4 years old actually entails? At the moment there seem to be already 140 applications for 32 places, so chances of getting in seem quite slim. Would DS need any particular coaching? DS is bilingual he is coping well with both languages but sometimes he mixes the two. Can anyone tell me whether this would be seen as a disadvantage? Many thanks

Do yourself a favour and keep looking. We too were fooled by the 'good feel". If your DS is very bright this is not the school to attend. Management is poor, results are low, access is limited - try driving past at close of play each day and see the mayhem. Language and behaviour of the seniors is less the exemplary - though when reported to the school this is denied! School policy changes at a whim and these changes are not up for debate. Teaching standards are hit and miss and random. Bear in mind that there is no 11+ for those already at the prep school so it is hard to appraise the actual achievement of the pre prep and prep. There seems to be more emphasis on sport rather than the academic side. I think the league tables tell it all. I hope this is helpful