SW London Schools - Hornsby House vs Thomas. Advice please!

[blueberry69]

We are trying to decide between these two schools for my son and would love any advice or knowledge that anyone has of them. Please!

We are not sure yet if we will be offered a place for him at Honeywell but that is also a possibility and we are not yet sure if we would go for that over HH/Thomas's.

There is so much to think about and I feel completely overwhelmed so any help would be really appreciated.

Do you have an offer from Thomas's?

They are massively over-subscribed and I know people who have been on the wrong end of their place allocation policies. If you are in a position to choose, then you are very lucky! I don't know that much about those schools, just prepare to be disappointed with Thomas's unless you already know you have an offer.

In the year that my friend tried to get her son in, they basically said that they had so many "successful" applicants for places that they allocated the places to two children born in each calendar month, to get an even spread. One boy and one girl with a birthday in each month. And that was even after "passing" their entrance process ISYWIM. So you may be good enough, but if someone else in your birthday month is better, then hasta luego.

Not sure I've entirely made sense, but hopefully you get the drift.

Look very very carefully at the children and parents.

We chose one very selective school on the basis or results, and found the culture awful. DS was extremely miserable and the 'success' of the school was down to a strict process of banging square pegs into round holes. Very unsupportive and agressive (to us) school.

How old is your little one? What secondary schools have you in mind?

As I'm sure you know, the local rumour mill says that T is good if you want your DC to be world dominating - and provided you're sure they have the character to match. I have heard some less than brilliant stories about pastoral care at T. Have only heard good things about HH. No personal experience though so make of that what you will.

If you're in a position to afford T or HH my strong opinion is that you should leave the HW place open for someone else.

I have worked in the City long enough. There are plenty of burned out and seriously unhappy 'world domineers' in there.

Remember that pastoral care covers far more than say, an incident of bullying. A bereavement, redundancy, illness in the family, divorce... How (or even) will the school support you? If your child lacks the Gengis Kahn instinct or is dyslexic, or has other secial needs... Will the school help or show you the door?

Have you the extra resources for the intense tutoring that you aren't supposed to admit to (that everyone really does) or trips 'of a lifetime' every half term?

What is the school culture like - is it a snob-fest of bragging rights, or are the parents down-to-earth types who you can imagine taking the kids to the park on a Saturday afternoon for ice cream. Or are they the types who get nanny to take them out for the whole day, or have the live in tutor to help them write an article to submit to the HBR? Can you be a**ed with people like that?

You know yourself and your child. You know your family, and what you aspire for your child.

Experience tells me to go for the pastoral care and good culture of the school every single time. A happy child will learn. An unhappy child will kick and scream and fight it - or worse, turn inward, knuckle down and possibly get ulcers by the time they hit GCSE.

Look very closely at the children at the school and the parents/nannies. If your radar goes off, then listen to it.

I know lots of kids at both schools and they all seem to be very happy.

One thing to think about is where you want your children to go next. Hornsby finishes at 11 so you need to be looking at 11+ schools whereas Thomas' goes to 13 so you have the option of 11+ or 13+. It's more of an issue if there is a possibility you might want them to board later on.

Interestingly, I have a friend who thought her son would get in to Honeywell but didn't two years ago. She marched him up to Thomas' on the first day of term with a cheque in hand (having not previously applied at all) and managed to nab him a spot - apparently they have a few people each year who take up a Honeywell/Belleville spot instead and forget to tell them.

Come over and ask on the Mumsnet Wandsworth site too.