Private Primary Schools near Harpenden/St Albans

[eeperman]

Hi all,

We are looking for schools for our elder son who will enter in 2013. We are both keen to send him to a private school (nothing against the state system, but we were both privately educated and want the same for our kids). Does anyone have any experience of the following schools:

Aldwickbury
St Columbas
Beechwood Park
Lockers Park
Westbrook Hay

FWIW we have looked around all of them except Westbrook Hay, but it is a very different thing to get the views of parents at the school rather than the school on its best behaviour on an open day.

Any thoughts would be really appreciated.

Am I too late - are you organised? I have experience of both Beechwood and Lockers if that's any help.

My friends daughter has dyslexia. She went to Westbrook Hay, because she was behind in her mainstream school. Westbrook Hay gave her the extra support she needed (1:2). She had full As, Bs in her GCSE, including Spanish and English, now she is at uni.

My DS went to Aldwickbury for 3 years so if you need any help re school let me know.

Hi all

Sorry to have only now returned to this thread - I thought it was supposed to email me when people posted, but it hasn't done so!

We have plumped for aldwickbury. With two sons we were not tied to co-ed schools and we liked the overall feel very much. Beechwood Park was a strong contender - we liked the head very much and if the school had been closer to St. Albans then it might have won out. However, the intake seemed a lot more geographically diverse and the drive/bus journey to school was a lot longer. Most Aldwickbury families seem to be based is St. Albans and harpenden and the journey to school will be a about ten minutes. The head of pre-prep is lovely and the facilities are great. I still have reservations over the length of the school day and how academic it is, but they have recently started posting their results and the destination schools are pretty decent - weighted heavily towards St Albans Boys which is out preferred choice for secondary.

I guess time will tell whether it is the right choice. Ultimately all I want us for my boys to be happy, enjoy going to school and have plenty of local friends. Aldwickbury seems the best choice from that point of view.

My friend has a DS at Aldwickbury. She once said that not many go on to St Albans & co at 11+ on account they do little to prepare kids for the 11+. However, come 13+ time they do step up a gear. Hence the good results at 13+. It's just something you need to bear in mind

Thanks very much for the tip. I think that most of the prep schools seem to aim at the CE at 13 rather than the 11 plus. The cynic suggests that it is a way of getting two more years of fees out of you, the schools suggest that it takes two years for non-prep boys to reach the standard of prep boys and hence the latter find the transition at 13 easier.

Is your friend happy with Aldwickbury overall?

That's my friend's thinking as well. Overall, yes she is happy with the school.

Hi there we are thinking of Aldwickbury school as well, any reviews/ experiences will be really welcome..