Chesham Prep, The Beacon, York House, Westbrook Hey - opinions needed!

[UrgentSchoolHelp]

Chesham Prep, The a beacon, York House, Westbrook Hey - opinions needed!

I'm looking for a place for my HFA DS at a school which can hand hold him a bit through 13+ CE.

He is very average academically but is continuing to improve with SALT.

I'm looking for a non-hothouse school which can take him through 13+. I'm aware that Chesham and The Beacon focus a lot on Bucks 11+, but how much will this disadvantage him if many pupils also go for Public schools at 13+?

I'm keen on York House but I've been told by someone that it's considered very second rate?

Westbrook Hey I hear lots of good things about, but I'm put off by the class sizes being up to 24 until the end of Year 4.

Any info on the above schools would be very useful!

Er not sure where the perception of the Beacon as an 11+ factory comes from... They actually do no specific work with the boys concerned - they administer the test as a partner school but that's it. It's become increasingly 13+ focused, especially since Gayhurst has moved to an 11+ end to the point where there were only a couple of Yr7 admissions this year.

That said, very few of the preps have a solid SEN approach. They can cope with a bit of mild dyslexia but forget about SPD, dyspraxia and to a certain extent ASC unless they have few co-morbid traits. While you may have a fantastic private SALT, other intervention isn't great.

Where do you want him ultimately to go? That will make a big difference.

Several friends who have children with additional needs have moved their children at 11+ to avoid CE. Destinations have included Berkhamsted and Millfield. As mentioned above, ERS is a great school. Equally some of the grammars have very good ASC provision - Sir John Hampden has been particularly recommended.

Maybe an educational psychologist who works with local private schools could recommend a good school. As a parent it is hard to be objective about our children's abilities as we love our children so much. Unless you have an older child most of us do not have a clue what is academic above or below average.

You don't say how old your child is. If your son is still very young then maybe one if the very small village state schools might be better for infants and then transfer to a prep when your child's Sen is less intense. Often state schools are better with special needs as they cannot give up on children easily. For example schools in the Gaddensens often have classes of around twenty. However wrap around care is non existent in these tiny village schools. You would have to transfer to a prep school or employ a tutor to gain a place at a selective secondary.

Going back a few years, there were very few who did CE at The Beacon. Accept it may have changed now.

The OP says her DS is "very average" academically so I don't think it is realistic to expect him to pass the Bucks 11 plus and go to the John Hampden Grammar School in High Wycombe. Therefore working back from the type of senior school that can realistically educate him is the best route.

The op does not say how old her son is. Needing speech and language therapy as a pre schooler does not meant that the child is stupid. It's to early to draw any conclusions whether a child would be suited to a selective school until the child is at least seven or eight. Even then children can be late developers.

Unfortunately autism has some awful stereotyping. It's unfair that people think a child with an autism diagnosis will have behavioural problems. Often children with autism function better in a calm environment with small classes and old fashioned teaching.

I think the child needs a high quality mixed ablity primary/ prep do that his options are kept open. There is little point in thinking about secondary until a child is nine.

Thanks everyone. DS is 7 years old and currently at a Pre-Prep with small classes, calm atmosphere and a lot of structure. This suits him very well. The culture and discipline is quite old fashioned, but educationally it's quite modern with differentiated child led learning.

I think 11+ to a Grammar is unrealistic for him, and by the sounds of it I do not think The Beacon or Chesham Prep would be the right school.

I have been told by the current head that 55% at CE should be achievable. For senior school, I think if he needed a fair bit of SEN support then Shiplake or Seaford, if we wanted a day school (as opposed to Flexi boarding) then maybe Aldenham or Haileybury. If he wanted to board a bit more I'd consider some of the others such as Stowe, Bradfield etc.

Since the only reason you want to change school is a house move you could try asking your son's current head for advice. It sounds like you need a school as close to your son's current school as possible. If you explain yourself to him like you have done here, he/she might be helpful. Heads sometimes know other heads in other parts of the country if their school belongs to various organisations.

Your son is still really little and no one has a crystal ball. Average at a private prep school is not average compared to the rest of the U.K. As far as secondaries go, you need to find somewhere he will be happy. He may well be bright enough for a grammar school, but only you know if he would be happy.

ReallyTired
Grammar doesn't really appeal to me - it just seems like too much pressure even if I did think he was bright enough.

Moving isn't the only reason we want to change schools, it's one of a few. We have spoken to the head already and he could only recommend a few which aren't very suitable.

Looking at the destinations of boys at The Beacon, it is an exam factory, except for the few who end up at Bucks Secondary Modern School. That must be hard if you are one of those.

The grammars are naturally pressured - it is why they exist, by definition! I tend to think that not all preps have the brightest children. My DD went to one where they were certainly not all grammar school material. In fact very few of them were! It is now called The Griffin House School. Not that I would recommend it for post age 5/6 but it had a great nursery!

Looking back to when my children were aged 7, I knew who the grammar school types were. Often prep school children are not ahead of children who pass the 11 plus from state schools in Bucks. They are actually about the same. There are just more of them in the prep schools because the preps mostly filter out the SEN and children who are weaker academically. At The Beacon, a few actually go to local secondary modern schools. But very few - so the less bright children are, effectively, filtered out which a state school cannot do. Therefore if Urgent's DS is at a less academic pre prep, then there may be a much broader mix of children than you would find at an academic prep. In Bucks, some years ago, one village school had a consistent 80% "passing" the Bucks 11 plus. It just depends on who lives in a certain area.

I know York House, pm me if you want more information than I have put below:

We are very happy with it, it has a big focus on outdoor learning (46 acres) which has been developed over the last few years and is a genuine part of the curriculum. The sport is of a good standard, drama/music is gaining in the profile as well & the academic learning is what I think is expected for a prep school (reading books changed every day, good focus on progress/attainment for our child etc).
A wide range of after school clubs.

It has developed over the last few years and has a good family feel with good academic standards - happy to answer more but recommend you go & visit.

The right school for your child may not be the most popular or a named school, but you will know what's best after meeting with the Head of the school and a tour of the schools you are interested in.

Lots of choice in that area, so just plan lots of visits.

York House & the others you mentioned won't necessarily have automatic spaces, I know some years at York House are full.

Good luck.

I know this is an old thread but I'm keen to try and find out more about the Beacon and what the cohort is like? Looking at either year 2 or 3 entry. Interested in the pastoral care and if you have to be a certain type to be happy there? Thanks.

I think a start would be to have a look at the destinations of the boys at 11 and 13. As far as I am aware, it is academic and parents are ambitious for their boys. Few end up at bog standard schools!

Not sure if you will get current parents saying what the cohort is like but the school is selective. You would expect reasonable pastoral care but in primary school this is done by promoting a caring ethos via assemblies, the disciplinary and behaviour policies and the overarching ethos of the school. As it is not boarding, pastoral care is undertaken by every member of staff in the school but one would not expect anything other than exemplary behaviour from the boys and a good behaviour policy that the children understand.

bojorojo Thank you. The destination schools list on their website looks good. We were thinking of Dr Challoners after the Beacon rather than carrying on there until 13 but as our child is in year 1 right now it's hard to tell what the future will hold so keeping an open mind. Current school is a state school in a different county nearby so it would mean a house move to Amersham if we felt Beacon was right and entry at either YR2 or YR3 stage. I've been on a two hour tour there but we don't know anyone who has children there. Read the review in the Good Schools Guide too but that's just one review of course.

I know parents who sent children there years ago, liked it, and their boys did go to grammar schools, so they achieved what they wanted. If your DS turns out to be suitable for DrCG, the The Beacon would be the top place to go, in my view. The only thing I would caution is whether a less academic boy would thrive there. They would be in a minority and, as discussed in the above thread, SEN is not a feature of the school, but also few boys go to secondary moderns from there. You may also need to think of Plan B if a grammar school is not looking likely. Lots of parents think their children will get a coveted place, and then they don't. Obviously the alternative to a state secondary modern school is an indpendent senior school at 13. You will need deeper pockets for the private options, and there are not very many within striking distance of Amersham. I can only think of Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire. South Bucks just does not have independent senior schools for boys.

There are some excellent state schools in that area and some people go this route for primary and pay for senior school.

Thanks bojorojo. We were thinking class sizes of 18 (instead of current 30) from year 3-6 would be a good grounding for whatever happens at secondary school stage. I guess house location is also a factor for getting in to DrCG as well as the test results so we'd have to factor that in plus paying for a tutor! From a pastoral point of view I'd want to know that if any bullying happened at the Beacon it would be addressed and resolved but that's hard to find out. Interesting about independent senior schools if the state secondaries aren't great.

I cannot help you with pastoral care
there. I think you get a flavour of that by visiting. There are plenty of state schools that have bright children getting the 11 plus and are in a class of 30. Otherwise grammar schools would be full of privately educated children, and they are not.

bojorojo thanks and good points. Going from London to Amersham would be a big change but London isn't where we want to be (for secondary school years / age when children go out on their own) so forward planning now. I might go for a tour of Berkhamsted. Have booked onto a tour of DrCG in January as moving house for schooling and a different life is a big step. It's very hard to tell if the children are down to earth and grounded on a tour so I guess you have to go with whatever information you can get.

Definitely not true that Beacon is "an 11+ hothouse"!! In fact, the new Head is strongly anti 11+ and pushes the majority of boys into 13+. This is despite a brilliant grammar down the road! I would give the opposite advice - only join the Beacon if you want to avoid the 11+ and stay until 13+.

The Beacon is definitely NOT an 11+ factory - quite the opposite! Despite being located down the road from one of the top grammar schools in the country, it is making huge efforts to dissuade parents from going the 11+ route. Obviously, 13+ is better financially and prestige-wise for them. Year 5/6 is one long sales pitch for staying on -
definitely not 11+ preparation! For an 11+ factory see the local state primaries like Little Chalfont! They deliver high scores for free, which fits the grammar school ethos!

Our son at the Beacon is aspie and they kinda ignore that, and just see him as "quiet" as he hides his aspie traits at school. The school is strong on drama and music so his reluctance to "perform" means we don't really get value from all that. The main outlet for the geekier kids seems to be the after-school chess club!

The school obviously want the money from having a more boyant Y7 and Y8. That is fair enough and Godstowe has done that for years. Of course parents can choose Chesham Prep or The Gateway for 11 plus and the Head of The Beacon may push some parents out. However, not long ago The Beacon was sending nearly a whole class to Dr Challoners. They cannot stop boys taking the test and leaving. Parents may not wish to pay fees for another two years and then not get a place at DrCG at 13. Some cannot afford private from Y9-13 at independent. Which one to choose anyway? If not Berko it means boarding.

Schools may push for 13, but it does not mean the parent body will agree or be able to afford it.

In 2016/17, 28 boys from The Beacon went to Bucks Grammar schools. The vast majority of these went to Dr Challoners Grammar. They go at 11, not 13. I am not sure what their cohort size is in Y6, but they lose about 30 boys. Some go to the local secondary moderns as well.

Sorry to bump this thread, but is The Beacon still seeking to dissuade parents away from the 11+ and towards the CE? And is this likely to continue? Surely parents aren't paying for tutors on top of the fees to make up for the lack of prep (-or am I really naïve about the 11+?!)?

I'm choosing between registering there or at Chesham Prep. We live within walking distance of The Beacon, so I'm torn. Our son is too young to know what the future holds, so we want to leave all options open and, should he be suited to a grammar school, attending somewhere that doesn't prep for the 11+ seems a bit foolish.

Hello, I hope you don’t mind me posting on such an old thread but we are in a very similar situation. Which school did you choose in the end and how did it go? Many thanks