Broomwood Hall/ Northcoe Lodge - what is it like for boys who are not middle class background?

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Just thinking of applying to Broomwood Hall, but not sure how my Chn would feel like there - we are not middle/ upper class... just a working family

First post ,so here goes. I don't know Northcote Lodge yet but have 2 dcs at Broomwood...Garrard's Road and it is very friendly. Very mixed, lots of working mums, some from overseas. My dcs love it so why not go and see it and make your own mind up. What's important is whether it would suit your dcs not whether the families are middle class or not. I would think that anybody that lives in Broomwood's catchment and can affords the fees would probably be middle class by definition

OP - check out the leavers destinations of Northcote - they are mostly boarding. If your DS goes there make sure you are happy with that as they don't tend to send boys to St Pauls, Kings Wimbledon, Westminster, Latymer Upper etc, (and Winchester) - it's sort of limiting. Thomas's Clapham has a much broader destinations list as does Newton Prep. Good luck.

what does it mean not sending boys to day schools...but can my child apply for a day school after northcote lodge?

OP - very few go on to day schools - if you look at the website you see leavers lists for each year. There are a few each year who go to Dulwich/Alleyns etc but they are the minority. This is a school that prepares them for boarding - if that's not what you want, then you'd be as well to consider somewhere else?

OP, what it means is that they have no track record of getting boys up to the level required in CE for these academic schools. Whatever anyone says it is easier to get into a boarding school - there just aren't the numbers applying (think 4 for each place at Eton and fewer applicants for the less selective (ie. lower pass mark at CE) boarding schools vs 10+ for each place at the day schools for example).

A new Head arrives next year...from Caldicott, so I doubt the ethos will change much - it sells itself as "a country prep school in London" - just go in with your eyes open, there's nothing wrong with it if that is what you want.

The other aspect is the relationships between a prep school and senior schools - if they don't send boys to a particular school there isn't the line of communication to help the application process. In addition, you want the school to know your DS and what secondary school will suit him - if they don't know what type of boy suits Westminster, St Pauls etc because they've never sent one there, how can they advise you with any confidence?

Sorry to hijack but we've had a few posts about Broomwood over on the local chat section for Wandsworth so might be worth popping over for a look.

As you were

byebyesunshine - interesting comment re head from Caldicott. Who is that (if you can say?)

I have 2 at Broomwood and agree it is a very warm inclusive school with lots of working parents.

If you are looking for boys then I wouldn't worry too much about Northcote Lodge yet, concentrate on Broomwood. Most boys do go on to Northcote but lots also do the 7+ and move to day schools at that point: KCS, Dulwich, Alleyns, DPL ....

Interesting what ByeByeSunshine says but not actually sure it is very true.

I did a very detailed comparison of leavers destinations for Eton House, Thomas's, Broomwood and Newton over the last 10 years when we were choosing between them (I appreciate this makes me look very sad) and there wasn't much in it in at all in terms of numbers of boys going off to the very top schools (Westminster, Winchester, Eton, KCS...).

Where the difference lies in which mid-range schools they send them to - which of course is where the majority will go.

Northcote packs them off to the boarding schools with Charterhouse, Harrow, Wellington and Marlborough being the most common destinations. Thomas's boys more normally go on to day schools and Emmanuel, Dulwich and Alleyns get most leavers. Eton House broadly splits between day and boarding but the schools that get most boys are the same.

The conclusion I reached was that actually they all get a few boys into the very top schools and the rest into good schools. I think it pretty much follows the percentage of very clever boys you would get generally so school choice is not so critical.

Wandy
Firstly I'm not criticising Northcote. The facts are (from the Northcote leavers destinations table)

St Pauls - 1 boy in 2007
Westminster - 1 boy 2007/2009
KCS Wimbledon - 1 boy 2006/2008/2010
Latymer - 0 (probably because Hammersmith is not the best commute from South of the River)

and Winchester - 1 boy 2007/2008/2009/2012

Not exactly a consistent, current record to the most selective, academic DAY schools . With other boys/coed schools round the corner that have a broader and more current track record to these day schools, if those secondary schools are destinations you want to keep as options, then these facts are something I would want to know.

I agree with your comment "Northcote packs them off to boarding schools" (which are all good schools - for the right boy - usual disclaimer when talking about schools!!!)

Spots - the new Head is Mark Smith (according to the Northcote website)

I looked at them all over 10 yrs and really found very little difference overall. Thomas' had not sent a single boy to Winchester in that time for instance. Northcote sends 4 or 5 to Eton most years. It is more a matter of where parents are aiming for than anything else.

Also bear in mind that with KCS, the biggest intake is at 7+ (similarly for St Pauls the biggest route in is via Colet Court at 7 and for Westminster via Westminster under) so most prep schools won't have many leavers heading there at 13 as parents who have chosen them move their boys earlier.

I think the off to boarding school point isn't so much a suggestion that the school can't prepare for the most academic schools (although they will necessarily have a bit less practice than some as northcote isn't an obvious choice for particularly academic boys) rather than that the general culture among the boys is that they will board so if you know you don't want to go that route you are guaranteeing that your child will be outside the main flow, if you see what I mean.

Having said that, perhaps the OP wants boarding?

It seems a v nice school for the right boy (have friends who send boys there) and I agree that they deliver the "country prep in town" style. Is that what you want? It is quite red cord trousers-y. Art good too I understand.