St Marys Vs Devonshire House

[OldSoulDelhiGirl]

Hello fellow moms, my daughter has been offered a seat at St Marys as well as Devonshire House school (Hampstead) for pre-reception entry. We have been to both the schools and we really liked St Marys though it is catholic and I am worried about that. Being expat parents has made it all the more difficult for us to choose the right school.
Now we have been received an offer from both the schools and need help from this big community. Please pour in your views about both the schools. We have always found help on this forum whilst I was pregnant and later raising a child. Hopefully, I will find my answer :) TIA

St Mary is a charity. DH is privately owned. Many people would prefer the former. Look at exit results from St Mary’s. I’m biased as I’m a St Mary’s parent but I would not consider DH as an option. We also turned down a place at a selective school in favour of St M. I’m not Catholic either.

I don't have much experience with St Mary's but have a daughter in DH. Good teaching, small class sizes with a good multi-cultural mix of parents. There is a nice buzz to the place and lots of stuff happening all the time. I would like some more sport perhaps (the school's grounds are limited), but am very happy otherwise. The girls I see from St Mary's in the neighborhood also seem happy and well adjusted, so really, it's more about your gut feel and what you think will work for your daughter. Feel free to DM me if you have any specific questions.

Hello seriously32111 we just got a spot at DVH and NBH I liked DVH I found that kids seemed happy and well balanced school and all in one site. However I am a bit concerned academically since results seems to be less good than NBH for some reasons. Could you comment on the quality of teaching and if they prep them well? My husband and I have a strong pref for co Ed schools until at least 13 - but looking at the results they all seem to go to mill hill ( half the class)

Hello seriously32111 we just got a spot at DVH and NBH I liked DVH I found that kids seemed happy and well balanced school and all in one site. However I am a bit concerned academically since results seems to be less good than NBH for some reasons. Could you comment on the quality of teaching and if they prep them well? My husband and I have a strong pref for co Ed schools until at least 13 - but looking at the results they all seem to go to mill hill ( half the class)

Hi dsquare, We've just been here for one year in the primary school, but are happy with the teaching so far. I would advice against getting too stuck on leavers' schools. It is my belief that kids get into the school that's meant for them whether they're from Devonshire House or Northbridge or St Mary's. A lot of NW Londoners start reception at great schools, about a third move to other schools in Year 3, and plenty at Year 7 and 9. We were interested in a neighborhood school with a happy atmosphere and above average teaching for the early years, and the school has been great for that