private school - would this make you concerned?

[Reastie]

DD is currently at a nursery at a local prep school with the aim she likely will go through the prep school too. We chose it because we like the ethos of the school, it seemed really friendly and caring, it's a girls school, and it's location is convenient (amongst other things). We have looked around a couple of other local state nurseries but not private ones, but was more than happy at the time with my decision.

Since signing up DD to go there (she started earlier this year but signed her up last June) the HT has left and been replaced by someone who has never been a HT before and was fast track promoted from year 4 teacher to dept head to HT in a few years (not a huge problem with this if she's the right woman for the job. Since DD has started we've found out the school (both prep and secondary) will be co educational (currently girls) from September. One of the reasons for the school was as it's a girls school and I purposefully discounted 2 local private co ed prep/nurseries). We have also found out there used to be 2 class intakes in the prep every year but in recent years this has just been one, so they really are desperate for numbers to increase (hence the co ed change of status). There's a local here-say undercurrent of negativity from a few people I know about the school dwindling in numbers and resources for students suffering because of this (although I take this a little less seriously as it's not concrete fact).

Then, last week, I heard the year 4 and reception teacher (who is also head of early years) are leaving in the summer.

DD is at the nursery and loves it. I've been completely happy with the nursery and feel happy leaving her there but all of these little concerns are building up and I'm not sure if I have reason to be concerned.

We are now looking at the possibility of another prep school which is a girls school and currently has places. It's all of these little pieces of info about the school making me very itchy about it. Private school isn't something we easily afford but have made the decision we will likely go this route. I need to feel confident I've made the right decision.

Does this make you feel unsure about the school?

You need more info. Not here say. Make an appointment with the head of your current school and voice your concerns. Go and see the other schools, there is no harm. Choose the right school for your daughter not dependent on how popular the school is. Falling numbers has happened in a lot of schools. Where do they go onto at 11? That usually the most important factor. You can easily change for year 3 normally so no decision needs to be final.

I think if you specifically want all girls then there's your answer. Having said that I expect you will find that it will be very 'girl heavy' as my experience of private co-ed it is very very difficult to balance the numbers.

I wouldn't be worried about 2 teachers leaving - teachers come and go all the time, 2 sounds quite normal to me. Same with change of head, although that can always be unsettling.

Assuming other than the co-ed aspect, it is the financial viability that is worrying you? If so you can normally find out by digging around in the charities commisssion website where accounts are filed (most prep schools are set up as charities).

All girls prep schools up and down the country are going co-ed or closing sadly. Though ones that have been all girls and go co-ed are as others have said they remain girl heavy.
Go have a look at the other school then you can make a fair comparison, then choose the school that you like best.

If only having a look round gave you all the facts! So many things go on behind the scenes and parents are the last to know!

They seem to have fast tracked a teacher to Head status. My guess is that she is cheaper than getting one on the open market! She also appears to have no managerial/leadership experience at another school so, although she might be good, she has not cut her teeth anywhere else to have this tested. Teachers leave all the time and two is not an exodus. Teachers often need to leave a school to get experience elsewhere to further their careers and work in a different environment. They should do this in my view.

Several years ago, my DD's all girls' prep school announced it was taking in boys up to age 11 instead of 7. The girls could, and did, stay until 13! Soon after the Head was removed and the school remained all girls but you need to be a great school to stay all girls, or all boys, as people don't like driving to different schools with siblings. I also think it can be very chlostrophobic to spend 15 years in one school. I would choose the best prep you can afford and go to the best senior school you can afford, irrespective of girls or not. Schools change in character so you want to choose one on the up!

I agree with Milly , as a prospective prep parent and current nursery parent they are desperate to keep me and get DD to the prep, I would be the last to hear about anything.

I looked up figures on charity commission. Now, I don't understand everything but it looks like for the most recent figures they had £5k retained for future use whereas the other school I'm thinking of had £500k for most recent year. That's some difference! Other school overall income was less than double the income for current place DD is at so difference in income overall doesn't equate to the ten fold increase/decrease. Does anyone know what an average figure for this might be? Have tried googling but to no avail. Current school = 0% of income retained for future use (according to their figures, it must be so tiny it's not even 1%) whereas potential school is 7% of income.

sixlive what would you ask the current HT? Have spoken to her before (I never know the right questions!) and she was at great pains to say they were not in debt and had money in the bank. She mentioned something like 1.5 million in the bank and own all the buildings etc, which , although alot, in the grand scheme of annual income from students and turnover doesn't seem huge. I don't know what's normal.

I should add, they are also going to introduce wrap around care for children 7am - 7pm. This is of no use for us personally but obviously another way to try to get intake.

Have been looking at figures for % retention of income for future use for other local private schools and they are all much higher than DDs current school. This makes me very itchy.

I would be twitchy. I would get an accountant friend to analyse the accounts. One near us closed suddenly recently and kids transferred to a school 3 miles away with no consultation. I would look at options. (I would however also never subject my DD to years and years in an all girls school )!

If they are not retaining anything for future use they have no long term plans - this would worry me a lot. DD's has a rolling 10 year plan for development in the 6 years we have been there there have been 4 phases of major development (new buildings etc) 6 phases of minor development ( refurbishment of existing buildings).

I have just looked up the latest Charity Commission figures for my DDs old girls' prep. Fee income was just under £5.5m and retained was just over £600,000. They have just opened a state of the art sports hall and the school is thriving. This is a vastly improved position on 8 years ago when the school was making a loss and suggested that boys were recruited!

Schools, like all businesses, are judged by the end product. It can be quite difficult to judge exactly what this is when girls can be at the school from 3 to 18 because prospective parents cannot judge how many are getting scholarships to, or have got into, top senior schools because they don't actually leave the school. Lots of parents will make destination judgements like this when choosing a prep school. If admissions have reduced, fee income will show this over a period of years. Lower fee income will ultimately lead to reduced resources, no building improvements and teaching staff reductions or recruitment of inexperienced staff. What size of class is the intake now? If it is 16, fairly normal for a prep school class, the school will surely start to struggle to provide sport, music, drama and extra curricular at a high level. Parents like to see these activities thriving at a prep school too. Therefore the marketing of the school becomes difficult. Hence the wrap around care and boys.