Edgeborough School - thoughts please!

[Tabya876]

We are thinking of sending our DS (3 and a half) to Edgeborough School and would welcome thoughts on our specific questions please.

Context
Our DD (5 and a half) attends an academically selective school and is thriving there. Her brother appears to be as interested and able as she is, so we are keen to place him in an environment that would stimulate and challenge him as much as our daughter's school stimulates and challenges her.

Concern
We have been to view Edgeborough twice and like a number of things about it but one thing in particular concerns us - it's academic ambition.

When we asked "what would you generally expect the children to have achieved by the end of Reception Year, in terms of reading, writing etc.?" we were told after prompting, that the children would be sounding their letters and beginning to write basic words noncursively. We were also told that they don't push children until they are ready. (We felt that ths was a little out of context and perhaps defensive).

When we asked the same question of 2 academically selective prep schools and also South Farnham School, we were given variations of what for us were positive answers: the ability to write freely what they have done over the weekend, cursive writing, a reading level at least one year ahead of the national average. Every family is unique as is every child but surely having a stated ambition will increase the probability of optimal achievement for the average child, let alone those more able.

Thoughts
Can anyone with children in the nursery shed some anecdotal light on how well children at Edgeborough are doing generally relative to the national average and if there is above average ambition?

Disclaimer
I have tried to write my post sensitively and respectfully: I do hope that the responses will reflect that.

Thank you!

Would welcome any thoughts please!

Who did you ask the question of at Edgeborough? If it was anybody who works in or closely with EYFS I would be worried by that answer. If it was, say, a Deputy Head who has only ever worked with the Upper School I would be less worried- but would look carefully at their destinations etc.

Unfortunately, it was head of EYFS, hence the concern. We are considering Cranmore as an alternative, or South Farnham school.

I would agree with the suggestion to look at longer term outcomes, rather than reception class outcomes. Last year Edgeborough sent pupils to Eton, Charterhouse, Wellington, RGS and other selective senior schools.

Thanks. Although in fairness, all independent schools within a reasonable distance appear to send some pupils to those schools. How many, I really font know.

Cranmore is a long way from Edgeborough - I would be looking at the Haslemere preps next.
Also do look at the threads on Cranmore on here.

Cranmore is a long way. If we selected that option we'd have to move. Other option is South Zfarnham and getting a nanny/ au pair.

What senior schools are you aiming for? Eton or RGS or Cranleigh or...?

South Farnham if you like it and can get in would be a good choice, and a Nanny/Au Pair/Mother's help would probably save money.

RGS hopefully. Daughter is at GHS. I like SF but am a bit concerned about leaving either of my children with someone else :). Over protective parent. They've never even had a night or day away from us.

Unfortunately, my wife cannot do drop off and pick up from both schools easily.

I assume you did look at Lanesborough then?

A proper Nanny can be fabulous - I have known lots that I would willingly leave my children with, and would bring a benefit to any child's life. You would probably need a Nanny share, as it wouldn't be that many hours. Or look for a Childminder who does before and after school care - I also know several who are light years away from the ones I knew as a child.

I would say Lanesborough would be the obvious choice?

Unfortunately, he did not get into Lanesborough and they've decided not to have a waiting list this Reception year for some reasons. Lanesborough is preferable for us to Cranmore on so many levels as is South Farnham. The only issue with SF is logistics. We will have to investigate having a nanny/childminder further.

My son has activities at Rushmoor and GHS so we'd need someone to help with getting him to some of those or alternatively my daughter to her activities.

What about St Hilary's in Godalming, or The Royal at Hindhead? Are either of those accessible to you?

Yes they are but it makes logistics even more challenging as we live in Farnham and our daughter attends school in Guildford.

Both schools have minibus services which might help, so for example the St Hilary's minibus picks up in Shackleford at 8.05, which would give you time to get to GHS, and The Royal has a minibus service running from South Farnham I believe.

However, you'd need to be happy with putting a reception age child on the bus I think.

Thank you for the info. I did not know that. You are right though, I would find it extremely challenging to put my 4 year old on a bus without my wife or I present.

We are just discussing the options. On the 16th April we will grind out whether he got a place at SF and take it from there. Cranmore is great logistically and in terms of sport and music, plus he would have many friends there. He is very active is very clearly sporty - swims with 5 year olds, is in gymnastic squad with 6 year olds, wins all his school races, etc. so Cranmore would be grist for those things and music but I also want him challenged academically and SF would be better for that. Decisions, decisions ;). Thanks for your support.

Update:

It appears that me might be able to manage without an au pair if we were to be offered a place at SF. We would get to GHS for 07:45 and then get back to SF in time for school to start. My wife would collect my son at SF closing time then collect my daughter from after school club or her activities. Maybe one day a week my son will go into after school club ( if they have one) at SF while my wife collects my daughter and rushes back to take them both to gym class at a Rushmoor. Phew!! I will available a couple of times a week to help with drop off and possibly collections from time to time.

Good luck with a place at SF then. If you are not successful, then another lovely infant school you might want to try get a place via the waiting list is Puttenham. Just off the A31 so a good location on the way out of Guildford. It is popular, but depending on how many children there are needing places in the villages it serves, you can sometimes get a place from quite a way away..

Thanks so much. I'll keep you posted. Only a few days to wait now.

How did you get on?

Thanks BlueStringPudding. We have been offered a place at SF for our son :)

Excellent news, I'm sure you'll work out the logistics..

Good choice Tabya, SF is much stronger academically than Edgeborough. I have several friends whose children are in Reception/Year 1 at Edgeborough and I am always appalled at how far they are behind academically compared to SF children.

I work at Edgeborough School and I’ve been really surprised by this thread and so I passed it on to the senior staff here for comment...

We are grateful to the original questioner for highlighting this issue as it demonstrates how interpretation is everything when choosing a school. It is not a lack of ambition that elicited the original answer to the parent who visited us– rather than an unwillingness to make a general statement about something that is so individual at that early age.

You only learn to read and write once. The key skills of forming letters, writing sentences, spelling, punctuation and grammar are so vital that we would be sensible not to rush through them. It is because these skills are so well ground in at Edgeborough in the Early Years that our results are so strong in year 6 and year 8.

Our scheme is very individual. A group of about eighty boys and girls are split into eleven different groups to reflect the different levels that they are at and the pace at which they are capable of progressing. The most able can race on. Others require more support. All learners are challenged and confident. It is very effective.

In light of this, our Head of Nursery is right to say that we do not push our young children until they are ready to meet their challenges. We are able to treat each child as an individual and our work is to ensure they have love of learning throughout their lives no matter what their skill set is at a particular time. Of course, many of our children have reading and writing skills way above average but we would not predict that all children will do this without meeting them first.

In terms of academic excellence, last year our pupils gained 15 scholarships at some great schools including Wellington College, Priors Field, Cranleigh, Lord Wandsworth, and Epsom College. Currently, 3 former Edgeburians are Head Girls at Wellington College, Bryanston and Canford, demonstrating that our philosophy on individual attainment is working.

Each school has pros and cons and each suits different parents and children, this thread shows that we all expect different things at different times. Please do come and visit us if you want to see how we work.

Well said Edgeborough.