Got offer from northwood prep, st martin, orley farm, reddiford for 4plus, need help to select the best

[Mumofad]

Hi,
My ds got offer from all the above mentioned schools and is in reserve list for st johns, need help to select the best school. We are looking for academic school with enough opportunities in sports, drama/music area and good wrap around care. Need to take the decision by 30th jan so would appreciate any suggestions.

There is no such thing as the "best"! All are good schools, but all very different.

This is not a like for like comparison, so what do you want for him? Mixed or boys only? Until 11 or until 13? Bear in mind if you pick a school that goes to 13, your child will not be prepared for any school entrance exams at 11, and there are certain privates where they won't accept your application at 11 due to mutual agreement between schools.

Where do you live? I would try to pick one close to home. Do you have other children? If so boys or girls? Where would you want the younger ones to go? What's your child like - outgoing or quiet? Likes sport or hates sport?

If I were making the choice these are all things I would be considering. For what it's worth, our son is v happy at Reddiford, and we are hapt with the school, but it is not necessarily the right choice for everyone as all kids are different.

Like Stikmatix I am surprised by your question at this late stage in the process! Most people narrow their choices down to 2 and then opt for their preference. All are good schools but as pp mentioned you must go for what suits your son and your circumstances, not what other people say you should do! Pick a school which is easy to get to, has the best sports facilities, music & drama facilities which you are looking for. You must have a 'gut' feeling about which school felt like a good match for your child. Go with your feeling or ask your son which school he liked best. Perhaps make a list of pros V cons of each school and pick which one comes out top!

Hi stikmatix and tinytalker thanks for respons. Perhaps i shoyld have clarified.. I have another boy 6 months old. So looking for boys school. We live in bushey, so northwood is quite close. We have narrowed down to st martins & northwood prep. Not able to choose between the two. Any other thoughts mums??

Fair enough, If you're in Bushey Northwood is sensible (Pinner would be too).

Not much to choose between the two schools I don't think! I know people with boys in both schools and all are happy, so I don't think you can go wrong.

I would make sure you are 100% invested in Common Entrance, as there will be no 11+ prep at either, and if you want to take them out at 11 you'll have to do all the prep yourself outside of school, and will only be able to apply to state schools or privates well put of area. As you are in Herts, if you have any interest in the selective state secondaries there, I would urge you to consider all the angles!

Good luck!

I live near both and know people with children at both. The feedback I hear is much more positive about St Martin's although it may just be that I know a few people who chose St John's when it wasn't the right school for their child.

So it all comes back to what you think is right for your son...

Agree with the above posters. It all depends on what would suit your DS.
My DS is in one of the Northwood boys preps and as far as i have heard they all are very similar to each other. Haven't heard any negative reviews for any of them which is good!!

Think of practicalities too; if you're in Bushey then NP is going to be a lot easier to get to (via Sandy Lodge) than St Martin's which is much further over and up the hill. Both schools have similar leavers' destinations/numbers of scholarships. St Martin's is best if you have a swimmer as they've their own pool. It's also cheaper esp with wraparound care, but this starts at 8 while NP starts at 7:45am. Both go to 6pm. NP finally has a good dining facility (just opened). Both will insist you sign an agreement to go to 13 and not pull your son at 11. NP was shortlisted for a major ISC award for good governance this year (top 3, didn't win though). NP does have the railway right next door but after a while I hear you don't notice it. Both have good sports facilities. St Martin's is much closer to Northwood.

Tough choice!