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Original poster

Best independent prep schools in Altrincham/Sale

22 replies

mu10na · 12/01/2018 16:58

Hello All, We just moved to Altrincham and am looking at some of the Independent schools in the area for my DS. The below are the ones in the vicinity,

  • Altrincham Preparatory School
  • Hale Preparatory School
  • Forest School
  • Forest Park Preparatory School
  • St. Ambrose Preparatory School
  • Abbotsford Preparatory School

We are looking for schools that provide overall development both academically and in terms of extra-curricular activities. We were told by a couple of friends that Forest Prep School and St. Ambrose Prep are good choices.

Can the esteemed members recommend which of the above suits that bill please. Any input would be very helpful to make a decision.

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Leicesterpiggott · 12/01/2018 17:14

Those areas have some of the UK's best state primaries. Why are you so set on private? Not a dig, just genuinely interested.

Leicesterpiggott · 12/01/2018 17:15

Only asking as my sister moved to the trafford area specifically for the fantastic and outstanding state schools. Primary and Secondary.

Original poster
mu10na · 12/01/2018 17:26

@Leicesterpiggott, as mentioned we just moved to Altrincham and to be honest not very sure how to shortist either State Primary or Independent schools. Any direction in this regards would be helpful.

OP posts:
namechangedtoday15 · 12/01/2018 19:56

Abbotsford is Urmston so not local. Some of those are boys only, some are mixed. Also, some (e.g. Hale Prep) are likely to be booked up, historically people put their child's name down from birth.

St Ambrose Prep is no longer fee paying, so a slightly different option than the others.

It also depends on what you intend (or would like) to do in terms of secondary school. St Ambrose children tend to go to St Ambrose (but that's a Catholic grammar). Lots of boys from APS go to Altrincham Grammar School for Boys but slightly easier to get into if you live in catchment.

It really depends what you see in the future and whether things like co-ed are important to you.

namechangedtoday15 · 12/01/2018 20:00

Sorry that info about fees isn't correct for St Ambrose, it is fee paying. I'm out of date!

Bigfanofforest · 12/01/2018 21:55

Hi, I would not choose St Ambrose because they don't really prepare for the 11+ exams. Hale prep is nice, charged us a registration fee, then informed us that there is no places and a huge waiting list. Forest prep is more academic than the Forest park. However there is a group of very unpleasant (and very orange) insecure mums in Forest Prep who rule the playground and can make your child's life a misery. Altrincham prep is quite academic, but I am not that keen on headmaster. State schools - Stamford park is ok for infants but not that great for juniors.

Onceuponatimethen · 13/01/2018 00:02

The waiting lists are big for preps in this area. How soon do you need them to start?

Onceuponatimethen · 13/01/2018 00:21

We struggled ringing for reception a few months ahead - we were very late!!

Original poster
mu10na · 13/01/2018 10:07

We plan to start in the coming Autumn term for reception.

OP posts:
Monkeymonstermum · 13/01/2018 11:59

Closing date for state school applications is either tomorrow or Monday! Look on the Trafford website for info. Amazing state school in this area so I definitely wouldn’t just look at preps personally. I would definitely apply then look round later as you’re so close to the closing date.
Hale prep and forest are both tiny with very few facilities (eg I know Forest have to have nativity play in a local secondary school in the evening as don’t have hall big enough). I don’t get paying that much for so few facilities (and I went to an independent school so not anti at all...just personally couldn’t justify paying for a school that had fewer facilities - we may well do independent for secondary though).
I believe APS is very boys boys but has a good reputation.
Personally wanted co-ed and you can’t get that and good facilities without going further afield (eg Ladybarn or Cheadle Hulme). Therefore decided state was better option as outstanding schools and great facilities.

Original poster
mu10na · 13/01/2018 13:32

Would you be able to suggest good State Schools; do we look at the Ofsted reports to determine how good they are. Also do state schools provide good exposure to extra curricular activities as Independent schools?

OP posts:
namechangedtoday15 · 13/01/2018 13:46

You also need to look at catchment areas for stats schools are most are oversubscribed. If you go on the Trafford website you can download a booklet called applying for primary school (or something like that) with all the relevant info. You are unlikely to get a place at a school a distance away (rather than your local one) unless it's for example a faith school.

Personally I don't think Ofsted is particularly helpful as pretty much all state schools locally are outstanding (hence the demand). I would also suggest here (it may be different in other areas) that state schools provide masses of extra curricular activities- far more than the local preps.

namechangedtoday15 · 13/01/2018 13:48

Ps. Have you bought or are you in rented? You will need to check that you meet the criteria for having a "permanent residence" in Trafford in order to be eligible for a state school place.

NotPennysBoat · 13/01/2018 21:15

What are your catchment schools? Do you have a religious (or would you consider a church school)?

Lifechallenges · 14/01/2018 20:05

Do you want all boys or COED? Are you catholic? Do you know which have space?

firstboard · 14/02/2018 15:40

One word answer - APS is best and cut about the rest. DS was there from Reception to Year 5, moved to MGS in Year 6.
Their results are excellent .

bizmum1 · 04/01/2019 15:38

Agree with firstboard - APS is outstanding if you can get a place. My ds is flying there.

Varunb · 21/02/2019 22:05

Hi, My ds goes to HPS, I had carefully considered aps,mgs,forest prep, park school and other primary state schools.

Hopefully my considerations will help you decide. I grew up in India so co-ed definitely helps learn different aspects of life caring, respecting and numerous other things.

We all want our kids to be exposed to all kinds of sports, learn multiples languages, study well & rigourously if so needed and ultimately a better future which a grammar school is assumed to provide us.

HPS aligned with the pattern I had back in India where we got homework everyday enough to keep our mind active but not too much to over burden them. When you remember your school days do you have fond memories or dreadful memories that you hate or regret doing?

I had fond memories, I was mischievous and loved it but I wasn't like horrid Henry at the same time. So it was important for me that my kid had enough but not too much. I want him to get into grammar but by risking these fond memories...

All of the above schools tries their best to get kids into grammar but if they overburden them converting them into robots I think that is a selfish way of reaching there... Just to protect their brand equity.

Sports you can teach kids during weekends, what they learn in school is anyways for fun not serious entire get them through the cut anyways, so if it's for fun the scale and size of the field doesn't matter.

I've always seen my kid come home happy from HPS even though he knows he has lots to do at home (homework). This is a huge deal for me. It is very difficult for most of us normally to get our ds / dd to do homework.

Parents and their financial status shouldn't matter else I feel school is not playing their role well. Neither should kids ethnicity matter. I have seen other schools listed above value and care a lot on the above and thus I lost interest in them.

Let me know what you think is of utmost importance to you?

Varunb · 21/02/2019 22:10

Hi, My ds goes to HPS, I had carefully considered aps,mgs,forest prep, park school and other primary state schools.

Hopefully my considerations will help you decide. I grew up in India so co-ed definitely helps learn different aspects of life caring, respecting and numerous other things.

We all want our kids to be exposed to all kinds of sports, learn multiples languages, study well & rigourously if so needed and ultimately a better future which a grammar school is assumed to provide us.

HPS aligned with the pattern I had back in India where we got homework everyday enough to keep our mind active but not too much to over burden them. When you remember your school days do you have fond memories or dreadful memories that you hate or regret doing?

I had fond memories, I was mischievous and loved it but I wasn't like horrid Henry at the same time. So it was important for me that my kid had enough but not too much. I want him to get into grammar but not by risking these fond memories...

All of the above schools tries their best to get kids into grammar but if they overburden them converting them into robots I think that is a selfish way of reaching there... Just to protect their brand equity.

Sports you can teach kids during weekends, what they learn in school is anyways for fun, not serious enough to to get them through the cut anyways, so if it's for fun the scale and size of the field doesn't matter.

I've always seen my kid come home happy from HPS even though he knows he has lots to do at home (homework). This is a huge deal for me. It is very difficult for most of us normally to get our ds / dd to do homework.

Parents and their financial status shouldn't matter else I feel school is not playing their role well. Neither should kids ethnicity matter. I have seen other schools listed above value and care a lot on the above and thus I lost interest in them.

Let me know what you think is of utmost importance to you?

Confusedmum77 · 21/04/2020 08:57

Out of curiosity which school did you go with?
I’m currently looking at Forest Park and was after some more recent opinions

Mumtodd0723 · 10/03/2021 20:34

Hi, I know this is an old thread but was researching for prep schools too. Which one is better out of Hale prep, forest school and forest park? Any recent experiences will be great. Thanks so much.

mangolemon · 13/09/2024 21:10

Varunb · 21/02/2019 22:10

Hi, My ds goes to HPS, I had carefully considered aps,mgs,forest prep, park school and other primary state schools.

Hopefully my considerations will help you decide. I grew up in India so co-ed definitely helps learn different aspects of life caring, respecting and numerous other things.

We all want our kids to be exposed to all kinds of sports, learn multiples languages, study well & rigourously if so needed and ultimately a better future which a grammar school is assumed to provide us.

HPS aligned with the pattern I had back in India where we got homework everyday enough to keep our mind active but not too much to over burden them. When you remember your school days do you have fond memories or dreadful memories that you hate or regret doing?

I had fond memories, I was mischievous and loved it but I wasn't like horrid Henry at the same time. So it was important for me that my kid had enough but not too much. I want him to get into grammar but not by risking these fond memories...

All of the above schools tries their best to get kids into grammar but if they overburden them converting them into robots I think that is a selfish way of reaching there... Just to protect their brand equity.

Sports you can teach kids during weekends, what they learn in school is anyways for fun, not serious enough to to get them through the cut anyways, so if it's for fun the scale and size of the field doesn't matter.

I've always seen my kid come home happy from HPS even though he knows he has lots to do at home (homework). This is a huge deal for me. It is very difficult for most of us normally to get our ds / dd to do homework.

Parents and their financial status shouldn't matter else I feel school is not playing their role well. Neither should kids ethnicity matter. I have seen other schools listed above value and care a lot on the above and thus I lost interest in them.

Let me know what you think is of utmost importance to you?

@Varunb I know this is an old thread but you provide some interesting and useful insight. Out of interest which of the schools did you feel the children were like robots? And which schools did you feel focused more on finances and ethnicity? We are looking at a few different prep schools and I have heard similar comments about prep schools outside of Trafford so I am interested to find out more.

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