Views on St Christopher's Vs St Margarets.

[user1467123023]

Dear Mums,

My Lil one will be giving assesments this year/beginning of next year for 4+.
I have applied for NLCS and SHHS as I attended the open house and they seemed very good. I really do not want her to go through too many assessments and want to apply for schools that I am really serious about. Does anyone have an opinion on St Margaret's school in Hampstead or St Christopher's in Hampstead?
Thanks....

Following to see the responses!

Have you seen both schools? Here's my opinion (feel free to ignore it!)
St Christophers- good prep school which gets good results at 11+ but they stagger entry at 4 so if your DD is born between September and February she will enter in sept 2017, but if she's born between March and August she'll enter year 1 in 2018 and you'll have to find somewhere else for her for 2017/18. I thought the school seemed slightly chaotic and didn't like the staggered entry.

St Margarets- much less pressurised than NLCS and SHHS- goes right through to 16/18 but v small and would be more of a back up choice compared to others you're applying for. I've heard it's gentle and nurturing but they won't prepare her to leave at 7+ or 11+ so if you're looking for a more academic option at those ages you'll be better off in a prep like st Christophers or one of the many others around Hampstead.

My daughter went to St. Margaret's briefly. It is a really lovely, nurturing school. I am a huge fan of Mark Webster, the head, he is very approachable and helpful. Plenty of individual attention, small place so everyone knows everyone else - the interactions between the older girls and reception are lovely to see. Good for those with dyslexia and I think they take quite a few as chance vacancies who are struggling at the more academic schools due to dyslexia. Not at the top of the league tables but that reflects the non-selective intake. A few do an A-level or two each year at 16 so they certainly push the G&T and I think they have a G&T stream in which girls work with those from older years.

It's a one round assessment which is less hassle than some of the others and it is very low key. Parents go and chat to Mr Webster during the assessment, all very informal.

Downsides - 10-12 is a very small class and if there are a few strong personalities it can be difficult. They have lost the church hall they used to use for gym so I'd want to know what replaced it. As mentioned above no preparation if you want to leave before 16. Relatively small site.

angelpuffs - St M goes to 16, not 18. Mr Webster is on record as saying he wouldn't open a sixth form even if someone gave them a huge amount of money/another building to do so as he feels the girls need somewhere bigger or uni/the real world will be too much of a culture shock.