Holme Grange school in Wokingham

[Whowherewhywhat]

Wondering if anyone has any experience of this school, looking to start my son in September into year 4, feedback much appreciated!

We have 2 kids at Holme Grange

Our son, who is younger than yours, has absolutely thrived since joining the school, and we are delighted.

We are similarly pleased about our daughter, who will be in the same year as your son come September.

The school has some great points:

Excellent well rounded education
Kids very confident
Exposed to a wide range of experiences
Regular reassessments of how kids are doing
Good sports, and interaction with other prep schools weekly through sporting fixtures
Staff very approachable and accessible, including the headmistress (for whom I have a lot of respect)

Negatives
Outdoor swimming pool
Pickup/dropoff parking can be ...difficult
Sometimes I think communication between school and parents could be clearer

FWIW, the kids of the head of another well respected private prep school go to Holme Grange!

HTH

Many thanks kolakube, your feedback is very much appreciated! We are all signed up and ready to start in September!

I was really impressed with the headmistress, in fact, all the teachers, and the children were very well mannered, confident and full of enthusiasm about their work, glad to hear our first impressions are reality!

I pm'd this poster to give my opinion but also to share some personal details.

But, I wanted to add my thoughts here, just in case someone else stumbles on this thread.

My son is at Holme Grange and we absolutely love it. The headmistress has a real vision for the school and its future but she doesn't let her head duties keep her from really knowing each child on an individual basis. The teaching and support staff are great -- a great mix of young and fresh and old and more experienced. Their high expectations help each child fulfil his or her own potential.

It's a small school but still manages to offer something for everyone. There's plenty of sport, theatre, choirs, bands, and clubs. Really, every child can find something they enjoy.

Thanks soo much littlefishexpat, you have confirmed our impressions at our visit and we are very much looking forward to our son starting in September.

Mrs Robinson was extremely knowledge as we're all the teachers we met, it was lovely to see children enthusiastic to see the headmistress and want to share their work with her in an impromptu situation, and that she knew all the children in each class by name.

I' really appreciate your re

Replies, thanks very much

Hi, can you let me know if it is an academic school. Do they stretch more able children.?

Hi elite123! I wouldn't call it an academic school as that seems too narrow of a label! They stretch all the children to reach their potential and not just in academics. The school is sporty and musical as well.

We have a child there and really couldn't be more pleased with the school. If you have any other questions I can try and answer them.

I'm afraid our experience of this School was not very positive at all. It was a very easy decision to leave. There are some lovely Teachers at the School and the facilities are lovely but the management of the School is very commercially focused. It is, in our opinion, an Oganisation that is focused on making money and happens to educate children in the process. It's the Holme Grange way or the highway. They teach principles in the School but don't always display them. Their discipline style is very 'old School' and the Staff seem to be fearful of the Management Resources. When a child asks to leave a School then you know it has to be bad. I hope your experience is better than ours was

For anyone researching schools in the area...we paid the deposit for HG as both the Headteacher and the registrar implied that they would have space for next September. Having just spoken to them they have gone back on their word and we are now left scrambling about for other schools. Inevitably the deposit is non refundable...

Not happy with Holme Grange and the decision to leave was an easy one. The interest of the management takes priority over the kids. DS is glad to have left the school. We wish we left much earlier. I have wasted time, energy and money. Not an academic school definitely