Goodwyn School, Mill Hill. Does anyone know this school?

[Beento]

Does anyone know about Goodwyn School in Mill Hill please? I am looking at schools for my child and want to find out as much as I can about those I think are suitable schools in the area.

I would like to know about the general atmosphere of the school.

I am especially worried about it being owned by one family or at least that is the impression I get from their website. Does this mean they might not be very receptive to parents' views etc.

What are the class sizes? How many year groups?

Are they a traditional school like Holland House in Edgware where children have individual desks and face the board or more relaxed?

Are they more about the academics and the children come out well rounded etc?

Do they do well academically and do they have lots of extra-curricular activities etc?

Any ideas where their children go from there?

Plus any more information that can help me please. Thanks.

Goodwyns is indeed a family owned school and has been owned by the same family for many years I believe. I have been to see the school and have lots of friends who have sent their children there but it wasnt for us.

They have 2 classes up to and including year 2 where traditionally half the children have sat the 7+ and left and there is only 1 class in years 3-6. I believe that the number of children leaving at 7 has declined over the last few years and the head is now informing parents if their children are welcome to stay or not.

If you go and visit then I would quiz the head in some detail about the destination of his leavers, when I last looked at their website they did not offer any information about specific schools that the children moved on to. This may be because half of their current year 6 have not sat selective exams and are hoping for places at some of the good non selective state schools. Of the children who have sat exams this year I understand that the results have been less than impressive. This may be a blip but it is something that I would want clarified. I also know for certain that there is an enormous amount of additional tutoring going on there.

I would say that it is more relaxed than Holland House but still fairly traditional and they do get a lot of homework even from the earliest stages. If you are looking at schools in the area then it is worlds away from Grimsdell which we loved. St Martins is much smaller and is completely lacking in any kind of facilities or space but it was very warm and we rather liked it.

Further afield I would think about Radlett Prep, similar in many ways to Goodwyns but with more space, cheaper fees, better sport and a broader curriculum, Manor Lodge which is a fantastic school or Aldenham which is more nurturing but absolutely lovely.

Thank you so much. Questions for me to ask the Head but their next Open day is now not till June. I wouldn?t want to move my child at 7+ except I felt it wasn?t the right school hence I won?t want to have to wait to find out if we can stay or not. Aren?t most schools automatic progression? The main attraction is Outstanding Ofsted and I have heard locally that it is a good school but no one I know has a child there. However, I hear a lot of tutoring goes on and even one of their Ofsted reports seems to say the same.

I do like Grimsdell on face value as I have never been to see it but the fees are a bit much. Not heard good things about Radlett Prep, this is where my fear of family owned schools come from as the 2 people I know who used to have children there said the school just never listened to parents. Manor Lodge looks good too but it won?t be easy to travel to. I will check out St Martin?s as they are local.

The state schools in Mill Hill are good too if you can get into one. We looked at Courtlands which is lovely but it has a very small catchment and I believe that the church schools, St Paul's and St Joseph's as well as Fairway school are also good as is the Jewish school on Hale Lane. All the local private secondaries take large numbers of state school children at 11 and there are plenty of local tutors who can prepare so that could also be an option if you are looking to stay local.

Our Catchment school is Dollis School. Though I have read good things about it on here, they don?t seem to do very well academically and the Ofsted reports are not great. I have been to see it as the council implied we would almost be guaranteed to get in but I am not very keen on it. I asked about Courtlands but we are on the wrong side of the road and with about 7 applications per place last year I am not holding out any hope. Since Courtland is so close yet so far, Fairway which is further away will probably be out of our reach too.

Do you mean St Vincents instead of St Josephs as that?s in Hendon. We are about 0.6 miles from the church schools (closer to St Pauls) but I heard they tend to get lots of siblings. St Paul?s our closest seems like a lovely small school and used to do well academically but not in the last 2 years or so or other schools are now much better. That said, going to church would help but we don?t ? well except at Xmas and Easter. Though we are not Jewish, I did look at the schools in the area and I don?t think we will be able to get in for the same reasons as the Church schools, we will be bottom of the pile. Ouch!

I am trying to be realistic but it will be nice to get top notch FREE education.

hiya, just seen this. just to add my tuppenceworth re st paul's. my dcs go there and it is a great family and community school. you may or may not know that we have just changed head. he is a real go-getter and very much on the ball. he has and is already putting in so many changes that will completely alter the educational experience of the children.computers, playground equipment etc. also we had ofsted last oct/nov, which was 'good'. if st p's an option for you, id advise that you arrange a visit - you may be pleasantly surprised. oh, and new head has already created breakfast club and after-school / homework club. says alot for his drive and commitment and would bet anything that st p's again becomes one of the top 3 state schools in the borough.

Thanks Egowarrior. I plan to arrange a visit later on in the year. It will be on the form but our chances are remote so buying insurance/choice in the form of the local independent schools.