St Martins Martins Mill

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I am interested to know if anyone has any experience of this school. I initially discounted it as it doesn't have a great reputation on the street so to speak but I know a few people with children there and they are very happy with it. I have seen all the other private schools in the immediate area and for practical reasons can only consider schools in the immediate area. I wasn't keen on Goodwyns or Holland House and The Mount was sweet but appeared to be struggling to attract pupils and had mostly non English speaking children in the junior school plus joint year groups and tiny classes. We are on the waiting list for Grimsdell which doesn't seem to be moving and it is also terribly expensive.

I had a look at St Martins last week and got a good feel. It is terribly small and cramped and the facilities are non existent but the children were very happy, it seems good academically, the deputy head and secretary who showed me round were absolutely lovely and really seemed to care about the issues leading us to look round.

I guess my reservation is that it is so cramped to our current school and old although it was spar kingly clean and very warm and bright. I need somewhere for DD to be cared for, looked after yet challenged.

I have a friend who has two ds there. she is absolutely delighted with the school. They are so friendly and welcoming and are always able to help her when she is late picking up because she works. They get good results and on the whole I think any child would like it because of its friendly atmosphere.

That is great to hear. It had a lovely feel although my reservation is very much around it being cramped and old. Having said that it is for my DD who doesn't need a lot of space so it shouldn't matter so much. They have suggested that she go and spend a morning there which I think that we will do but it is also important for us to get a feel of it from other parents. It is all very much under the radar at the moment, we haven't mentioned to anyone that we are looking around which is why I am reluctant to start talking directly to people there as I really don't want it to be general knowledge until we have made a decision either way.

i would be very interested to know what its bad reputation is?!! I have only ever heard good things about it

I haven't heard anything specific bad about it, just comments like "ooh no, I wouldn't want St Martins" all said by people who don't have children there. It's not one of the fashionable Or flashy schools in the area which is what I find appealing and it appears to have a good religious and ethnic mix too which is another plus point. I am so pleased that you have heard good things, it is incredibly reassuring.

Yes, honestly don't listen. If you got a good feeling, then that is all that matters. I had the same problem with my dd. I sent her to a school that everyone told me not to and it was the best decision I ever made. Go for it

I know someone who has 2 DS there and she says it?s a very good school. I seem to remember she mentioned there were 24 children in her son?s class though (I might be wrong) but that seemed too many to me so I discounted the school again. When I asked around about the school before speaking with her, I got the same response as you, nothing specific except, I wouldn?t send my child there etc. Then I drove to the school on a Saturday just to see it and the area before arranging a visit and it looked way too small IMO hence I didn?t bother taking it further.

Ilelo

I'm positive that there are no classes of 24, most are 18 at the most. I have spoken to a couple of parents over the last couple of days who were very positive and the over riding theme seems to be that the children are very happy as well as being academically stimulated and that is my main priority for my DD.