Want: Central / North London 7+ Entry, not highly selective, excellent teaching! Impossible?

[HippyMum23]

Opinions please:

Relocating to London and thinking about 7+ choices for my DS who has been described as 'very bright' by teacher but is having a slow start due to past health problems and a very bad Nursery school. He is a somewhat above average in his class academically at the pre-prep dept of a lesser-known public school (good maths and reading, weaker in story writing, near bottom of class in handwriting) bags of enthusiasm but very opinionated and not good at concentrating, socially immature, needs a bit of hand-holding emotionally and to maintain concentration.

Preference is for a good London day he can enter at 7+ and go through to 18. Seems very hard to find so also considering a Prep school then for Senior a London day or boarding school within good reach of London by train. No preference for Co-ed vs boys, want good pastoral care.

I've looked at quite a lot of schools and the only ones which seemed to have a very good standard of teaching & nice philosophy & atmosphere are those which are far, far too academic to consider eg. St Pauls. All of the less selective ones just seem to have poor teaching / uninspiring teachers and atmosphere. I know my son is not the brightest of the bright, but I still think he deserves a school which can get the best out of him and it feels like good schools in London don't exist unless the DC is Westminster / St Pauls / future Oxbridge material.

Suggestions for any with good teaching but less selective entry?

Highgate looked very good, but soooo oversubscribed and I think the chances of him being up to it academically are slim :-( (they told me they are looking for National Curriculum level 3 for entry at 7+).

UCS seemed good, but I worry that it is so oversubscribed, and that they told me they look to see National Curriculum level 2a in all subjects for 7+, and I just don't think DC will manage that in English. Plus I've heard it is best for self-motivators :-(

The Hall: far too academic.

Arnold House: ditto, plus I'm not rich enough ;-)

Wetherby (Marylebone): also seemed good, but strongly suspect the entry criteria will be level 3b / far too high?? I have not yet enquired, anyone know?

Thomas's: Seems very good but would be a bit awkward location-wise. Not sure how selective entrance is?

Would love opinions on: Hill House International, Knightsbridge, Eaton Square, Hereward House, Trevor Roberts.

I have been unimpressed with:

-Mill Hill Foundation Grimsdell & Senior (terrible atmosphere and lots of teachers who seemed very old fashioned and uninspiring).

-Abercorn (totally put off by the website, I know that may seem a bit shallow but I think everything has to feel right from the start).

-North Bridge House (a lot of things seemed wrong with it!) Lyndhurst House (so many exit to Mill Hill).

• Portland Place for Senior (generally a bit lack-lustre and not sure if there is much value-added??).

-City for Senior (seemed very uptight).

All opinions good or bad welcome!
Thank you!

You could consider St. Paul's Cathedral School. Prep school only, but a good record of getting children to a range of day and boarding secondary schools. Central location, co-ed, lovely atmosphere and good pastoral care. Selective entry at 7+, excellent academic standard and teaching, but not a hothouse.

You could try the Royal Russell schools, they are not central but I believe they do offer transport services!

Hendon Prep? Any of the excellent schools around Northwood?

Mill Hill has a good reputation, particularly Belmont, ao am surprised that you didn't like it. Was it at an open day?

Check out the Academy School in Hampstead, it doesn't go to 18 but I think it might suit your DS very well. You must visit to get a feel for whether it would suit though, it's pretty unique!

I'm in similar position will be moving in 2015 and looking for chance places at north London school. Ds loves sports very friendly but pretty average academically. I thought mill hill might be ideal for him so wondering why you disliked so much? Did uou see senior school? Also northbridge house?

Highgate is nearest to us but when I looked around got feeling they were only interested in super bright and not interested in average 7 year olds or how they might develop and change. Does seem to be lack of choice for school for boys which goes to 18 and doesn't require amazing grades just to get through the door!

academy school hampstead The Academy School

Sorry - here

Thank you all so much for suggestions! I will reply one at a time!

@ Methren:
I'd not thought of St P's Cathedral Sch. Just taken a brief look at their website and am a tad suspicious that no leavers destinations are listed, but I'll make enquiries. Any personal experience of it?

@ Twille:
I've not heard of Royal Russell, I'll take a look, thanks. Any insider knowledge on it?

Yes, I have DCs at the school. They don't tend to publicise leavers' destinations on the website but do circulate it to parents. Day school destinations for boys in recent years have included Westminster and St Paul's School (at least a couple each year), City Boys, Highgate, UCS, Forest School (increasingly popular). Boarding destinations: Eton, Winchester, Oundle, Kings Canterbury, St Edward's Oxford.

Actually Forest is another one worth thinking about. Pre-prep, prep and senior school on the same site (boys and girls taught separately in senior school, mixed again in 6th form). Academically apparently not stellar but still very good, lots of art/music/drama. It is in north-east London but school buses run from various places including Highbury/Islington.

@ LePetitPrince:
I've heard that Hendon prep is very difficult for non-Jewish families to integrate in to? (We are strong atheists but reluctantly willing to send DS to Christian schools as choices are very limited otherwise!)

I think Northwood may be a tad far out geographically for us :-(

Re Suggestions / questions on MILL HILL:

We did not view Mill Hill Belmont, just Grimsdell Prep and the Senior school. I had heard excellent things about it from a friend who teaches at a well repeated N London girls school, so I was expecting to love it and before going to the open day I was fairly certain it was where I wanted to send DC....

• I thought the buildings and grounds were beautiful and the sporting facilities were as good as you could ever find in London (with the exception of Habs / St Pauls) and was very happy with the setting / environment and all the physical things.

• The children were all incredibly polite and most seemed happy.

• During the presentation by the Prep Headmistress the audience continued talking despite her requests for silence. I thought, I wonder if the audience finds her unable to command respect, or if they are largely impolite people? I concluded the latter and realised that I'd rather my son went to school with more respectful children and parents.

• The head of the Prep seemed quite old fashioned, and the head of the Senior did not inspire me very much.

• I found the atmosphere unpleasant- being inside some of the Prep buildings felt a little dreary and depressing in some cases, as did a few of the buildings at the Senior School.

• The main factor: 80% of the teachers seemed pretty terrible! Some seemed very old fashioned, most seemed seemed somewhat dreary and dull. Only one actually attempted to strike up a conversation with me beyond saying hello. Only one teacher (same one) seemed to want to enthuse about the school and about her subject. The teachers just didn't seem like the dynamic, inspiring, driven, professional people at my DC's current school.

@ Sleepwhenidie:

I had heard that the management at The Academy was bad - I think a lot of people are out off by it being an academy, what's your view?

I've seen the exit results are amazing, how much do you think that's down to teaching / value added and how much due to the social selection of pupils due to it being based in Hampstead?

What is unusual about it?

It's not an academy Hippy, it's The Academy School, est 1997 (iirc). It is an independent, was a spin off from Trevor Roberts school.

They don't use entrance exams or have a waiting list. They have lots of children for whom the pushier private schools didn't work out, often not because of lack of ability but because their personalities just didn't respond to the environment. Others have dyslexia, same issue with more hothouse type schools previously. It's a very relaxed and creative environment, not as relaxed as King Alfred's but more that way inclined. Results are fantastic but children aren't pushed to particular schools, they genuinely are worked to their own potential, not just to get the best school on a list but the best school for the child.

@ Foodfairy:

I feel your pain! It is so hard!

You're totally right - London only seems to offer very bright children excellent teaching or less bright ones a poor standard of teaching.

Please see my comments above on Mill Hill in response to another poster.

I've heard soooo many negatives about North Bridge House that I find it hard to contemplate, but I've not seen it so perhaps I should be more open minded. Negative stuff mostly relates to class sizes of

@ Methren:

Gosh! Those sound like amazing exits! I'm surprised they don't publicise them - they really should as they are so good!

Would you mind summarising for me the best and worst points about the school?

Forest does look very good, I had ruled it out based on location, but maybe I need to be less picky!

Thanks!

@ Sleepwhenidie:

Ah! I think I must have been getting confused with another school! I thought it was an Academy school which was called The Academy! I will go and read about it again as you do make it sound very good!

Is King Alfred's the Hampsteadish school that has a mini farm / outdoor things and is very arty? I think I looked at the prospectus and decided that maybe it was a bit too unusual - I liked their ideas in general but just wsnt 100% convinced they were pulling it off. (Hope I'm not confused again about which school that is!)

Thank you!

At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious, you do know that there are lots of fantastic primary schools all over London which are non-selective, non-pressured and do really well by children of all abilities?

Plenty of kids from state schools go on to selective secondaries (state and private), and to good universities, including Oxbridge, if it comes to that.

Just saying.

Have another look at Wetherby. It is excellent for those who need a bit of hand-holding to reach potential. Selective yes, but not nearly as much as Colet, Westminster or Highgate.

The senior school opens in 2015 but leavers will continue to a wide range of school. Six went to Eton this year, six to St Paul's and a good few to King's, Winchester and Harrow.

Don't discount it!

Frogs, if someone came on here asking for state school recommendations, I wouldn't tell them they should consider private.

OP isn't asking for a debate on educational political ideology.

The OP came on asking for a London day schools that are non-highly-selective and have excellent teaching. She didn't specifically say she would only consider private.

And I wasn't offering a debate on political ideology, I was simply pointing out that the educational landscape being sketched out here has a massive hole in it, and that that if you are specifically looking for schools that are not highly-selective and academically powerhousey, then there are a lot of schools which fit that description that are being left out of the picture here.

That's all.

Would agree with frogs. Private options are often proposed to people looking at state schools in specific areas, so don't see the problem in suggesting a look at the state sector to someone who is looking at private schools.

Having been privately educated - other than one ghastly year in a terrible state primary - I was v suspicious of letting my PFB near the state sector.

However, I have been hugely impressed with the education DD is getting, with a number of things being better afaiks then what my friends are spending £££ for in the private sector - and given it's London, it's not as if any school, state or private, has acres of playing fields in the way that a rural prep might.

Despite a demographic that most would shudder at (over 70% FSM), the school gets a significant number into leading selective indies each year including scholarships (and a number of the teachers run prep sessions in their own time for children sitting the exams). Frankly if I was offered a free place at most London preps I wouldn't take it we are so happy with the school.

Two years ago I would never have dreamed I could write something like this.

Do have a look at what is on offer in your local area - you may find that the perfect school is actually on your doorstep and all for free!

A large proportion of children in the super-selective London indies are from state schools.

There are state schools that are great for some kids. Although getting into them is a challenge which is partly why we are looking at private. My son went to a state school that people moved heaven and earth to get into For some kids like my daughter it was a brilliant school she picked up the basics easily and did loads of creative stuff as well. They were both really happy and had lots of friends.

But I felt my son was let down academically. He bumped along in the bottom third of the class, never enough to trigger extra help, but learning was, for him, obviously a struggle. I think in a class of 30 it can be easy for the well behaved average kid to be a bit ignored. And he was.

There is never going to be a perfect school, but its amazing that there isn't much out there even if you throw money at the problem. I dont want a hot house, just somewhere he can get a bit more attention and support. Before he gets totally frustrated with school.

Hendon prep doesn't really have any Jewish pupils at all anymore, the majority of jewish children are at jewish primary schools so this shouldn't be of concern to you. I do think though that the majority of families are Asian as in many N London private schools including the Northwood ones - again because most Jewish children are in Jewish schools which is a development over the last 10 years or so.

I'm also surprised that you didn't like Mill Hill, we were most impressed with both Belmont and Grimsdell but haven't seen the senior school. Aldenham is a less academic option, small, great facilities, excellent teaching. It has a reputation for not being academic and admittedly most of the superbright are more likely to be up the road at Habs but the leavers destinations are good. Some stay to the senior school but this year they have children leaving to go to Habs, Merchant Taylor's, John Lyon, Dame Alice which is a super selective grammar and other good schools so pretty good for a non selective school.

I agree that a] - a state primary might solve all OP's problems b] if not the Academy is what she's looking for