Newland House vs The Mall - which is more academic?

[twickmummy]

Ds has a place for pre-prep for both of these. So hard to know which will suit him as he gets older but right now we are just trying to assess the general vibe of each and which one is more academic. Does anyone have a view?

Have visited both since new headmasters started. Newland seems much smarter and the standard of attainment in competitions seemed unearthly. Got sense of it being quite pressurised.

Mall seemed much more relaxed, and am confused as we hear it is actually more academically focused.

Any thoughts on either much appreciated....

Really appreciate your thoughts Annelongditton - incredibly helpful to get a view from someone with experience of the Mall who also a perspective on Newland. Wasn't aware about the Mall having that link to Hampton, or about parents moving their boys from Newland in Year 6.

What you mention about the general feel of the Mall really chimes with what we felt when we visited it; it seems a genuinely happy and relaxed environment, and we preferred it for our own DS too. What has made us question that gut instinct is that it does seem considerably less oversubscribed than Newland. Perhaps this is because the Mall is more academically selective with the intake at age 7? But I suppose we've been wondering if we are missing something! Some of the classes we saw on a recent visit seemed surprisingly small, and my DH wondered if that was because they had difficulty filling their places. Do you have a view?

Annelongditton, your insider knoweldge and thoughts have been so helpful to us - much appreciated. We feel small class sizes a huge advantage too - had just been concerned they may have been because of a lack of boys to fill the classes. I guess without being party to the admissions process at each school its not always obvious what's behind the numbers, but what you say makes total sense. Hope your DS continues to thrive at the Mall. Thanks again.

Annelongditton, are you aware of the entry criteria for The Mall for 8+entry - i.e. what sort of tests and assessments they do on a prospective boy?

The 8+ asessment is usually a basic maths paper and an English comprehension. Mrs Cheshire the headmasters secretary is very helpful and it may be worth giving her a call if you have any questions. DS sat 8+ and his writing was so slow (left-handed, didn't hold the pen properly so got cramp quickly) that in the end the head of juniors gave up and talked him through the English paper.
If your DS is good average or above, it shouldn't be a problem. If you've had a bad run at current school, talk to Mrs Cheshire and explain, they will understand. If you really want to practice, Bond Papers will be fine for the relevant age group.

Hi Everyone,

Looking for some views on Newland House School Vs Twickenham Prep for my kids looking to go to pre-school and further. Thanks in advance