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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Primary schools : Name down before birth??

50 replies

AudacityJones · 15/10/2017 06:59

Completely clueless about this. We are expecting DC1 in a few months. Acquaintances have jokingly mentioned a few times that we'd need to put names down for private schools at or soon after birth. I'm a bit shy/uncomfortable about asking them IRL - don't know them that well, many of them are a fair bit more well off than us etc.

We live in NW London.

Is this true for private schools? How do we pick a school / put names down / get admission etc. Any resources that will help me figure this out? Do we need to find a feeder nursery?

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hiyasminitsme · 22/10/2017 08:17

If you want full nursery days look at clowns in north end road, otherwise they are all half days. Beware of hampstead Hill, they are very aggressively against anyone doing the 4+ and won't guarantee a place in reception if you sit the 4+.golders hill will help you prepare for 4+

hiyasminitsme · 22/10/2017 08:25

If you're thinking about a pre-prep until 7, rather than until 4, bear in mind that Golders Hill gets very boy heavy from reception. Some of the girls leave at reception and go to Annemount which is also worth looking at (anecdotally much better for girls than boys)

Original poster

AudacityJones · 22/10/2017 09:04

Thank you! Will look into Clowns Nursery.

I've heard about HH being v against 4+ (from parents who feel similarly). But aren't 7+ places for girls lower anyway? I know Channing is stopping them from next year.

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hiyasminitsme · 22/10/2017 09:08

yes, 7+ is more a boy thing. SHHS take in a whole class, Channing don't have a 7+ (but sometimes has occasional places), NLCS and Habs take a handful. Highgate has a proper 7+ entry of 70 places of which half are for girls.

Look at St. Margaret's in Kidderpore Avenue too, it's a really nice small friendly school and if you have a child who isn't ready for the whole 4+ nonsense at that age it's a good alternative. goes to 16.

Original poster

AudacityJones · 22/10/2017 09:23

Thank you so much! Will do. Have heard lovely things about St Margaret's as well.

It seems quite funny and mildly ridiculous to be evaluating schools and assessments for a baby that's not even born yet. We're making guesses based on our personalities, but she could turn out to be completely different! :)

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hiyasminitsme · 22/10/2017 09:25

that's the madness of NW London private schools! it's a bizarre world.

Original poster

AudacityJones · 22/10/2017 09:28

I am seriously considering just moving now to the doorstep of a good primary. Most of the good state schools around us right now are religious and/or we are just out of the catchment area for them.
If we want to have 2-3 kids it might even be more economical to move and pay a premium on houses!

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ShowOfHands · 22/10/2017 09:44

What do you mean by most of the state schools are religious? It can be quite confusing I think if you didn't grow up here but most state schools are C of E. Secular state education is rare. All of our local primaries (certainly within a 30 mile radius) are C of E because thats just state education in England, inextricably linked to Christian values. They aren't faith schools, just ordinary state schools. You don't need to be religious to attend any of our local C of E schools. My atheist, non-christened heathen offspring have to attend a C of E school. Nobody has ever asked them about religion.

Original poster

AudacityJones · 22/10/2017 09:51

I mean, where I live, most of the state schools are either Jewish, or CofE. I understand that the schools still accept those of other religions, but most of the time they are so oversubscribed that unless you practice that religion or live on their doorstep you won't get in. So all the outstanding schools around us - we're out of catchment either on grounds of distance or religion.
I'm not very keen on Jewish faith schools, as well rated as they are. They're quite conservative and perhaps not the best fit given we're not Jewish.

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CruCru · 22/10/2017 23:03

I remember being surprised that certain schools weren’t in the GSG (in particular, Devonshire House - which is huge, Charterhouse Square and Dallington). At the time I was going to ask why they weren’t in there at the open day then chickened out.

How many schools do you plan to register with?

Original poster

AudacityJones · 23/10/2017 01:04

I've got an excel file that I'm slowly updating. I think we'll try to go to open days where they offer them in the next month and then decide. Probably about 2-3 schools max for entry at 2, and then anything on our shortlist for 4+ that requires registration soon after birth (like SHHS etc). So far I really like the sound of Mulberry House, Clowns, and perhaps St Margaret's as a backup.
So much will also depend on the baby's personality etc - I definitely don't want her to feel too much pressure. Then again, DH and I are quite competitive, academic types so wondering if that might well be a good environment anyway!
How many did you end up registering for if I can ask?

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Ttbb · 23/10/2017 01:13

This isn't a thing anymore spparently

Original poster

AudacityJones · 23/10/2017 01:38

What do you mean Ttbb? Private school? Long waitlists? Mad mums on maternity making lists?

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CruCru · 23/10/2017 08:24

I was completely insane and ended up registering for about 12 schools for my son (I know - but I actually quite enjoy paperwork and my husband more or less said "Well, we don't know what we want so just apply for everything".

Here's my thread from a few years ago.

Original poster

AudacityJones · 23/10/2017 10:02

Whew that sounds quite intense Crucru! How's your son liking his school now?

Also, wise NW MNers - realistically how many of these preps require additional tutoring to achieve these results? Looking at some of the amazing exits, I'm wondering - are they all down to the school, or are the super competitive parents also getting in a bunch of extra tutoring?

I'd like to say that I'd like DD to go wherever suits her without extra tutoring. And that can be a slightly more nurturing environment rather than academic all-star schools. Ideally if all that is needed is done during school time, I'd like our weekends and family time to be more focused on fun and spending time together etc. But don't know if that is realistic... what if everyone is actually doing intensive tutoring despite all the claims of all the head teachers?

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hiyasminitsme · 23/10/2017 13:21

At any pre prep at least half of the parents will be tutoring for the 7+.

CruCru · 23/10/2017 13:23

My son loves his school (thankfully). To be honest, I ended up pulling together a list while I was pregnant and then sent out our registration forms once he was born.

Re tutoring - I don’t know for sure (my son is only in Year One) but at one school I asked the head how many of the kids were being tutored and the answer was 23 out of 26. She did say that that reflects the sort of parents who choose that school though.

TinyTear · 23/10/2017 13:36

BTW don't be put off by the state non-religious schools being Good and not Outstanding... Ofsted is a lot of ticky boxes.

My girls are and have been at HHill and then in Reception moved to one of the state non-religious ones - eldest is there in Y1 now and we really like the teachers and the school... and practicalities like good breakfast club and after school club...

Original poster

AudacityJones · 23/10/2017 13:37

Hmm that's a bit depressing. I'm thinking of the full time schools like HHS which are so academically focused and have such long hours - when will kids have time even to have tutoring on top of this! In an ideal world I'd like to say I'd rather DD goes to the sort of school where she would get in without tutoring, but that seems naive!

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hiyasminitsme · 23/10/2017 13:40

HAS says no one tutors. Don't believe them!

TinyTear · 23/10/2017 13:41

At HHS my daughter left for reception (in state) being able to read and write and without any tutoring involved... full time worker here and no time to do more than read to her and with her... in my naivety if a child has interest and focus they will be able to do it...

Original poster

AudacityJones · 23/10/2017 13:41

TinyTear would you mind sharing (here or PM) which school your kids go to? No one seems to use the state schools so hard to get a read on what they're like.
We're only in the catchment area for Wessex Gardens. Neighbours kids seem nice and happy there but neither is particularly academic. Another friend whose DS goes to a state school nearby is quite smart and a lovely bright child but didn't make it to any of the schools they'd thought of for 7+. Of course going to a prep or selective secondary isn't the be all and end all of ambitions, but we'd like to set them up for achieving whatever they'd like.

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hiyasminitsme · 23/10/2017 13:43

Sorry HHS

TinyTear · 23/10/2017 13:44

Shall PM

Original poster

AudacityJones · 23/10/2017 13:45

Hmm HHS sounds v full on then - long days, all the feedback is that it's v
Academic and competitive, and tutoring on top of it. I don't think I work that hard as an adult. (And didn't work that hard for my school leaving exams). No wonder they get such excellent results though! :)

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