Help with London prep schools!!

[lndmum]

Have name changed as this is rather outing.

Can someone reassure me... DD is 5 months old and we've registered her at the following schools:

At 3 months old:
Finton House
Hornsby House
Thomas' Battersea

And last week:
Broomwood Hall
Eaton House

We are waitlisted for all of them. I'm worried I've left it too late. Can someone reassure me that she will get an offer from at least one of these schools?!

I know it seems ridiculous that she's only 5 months old but London prep schools are notoriously competitive.

Are there any other schools in SW London I should consider?

You can't really, as they school kids of picks you - there are definitely 'types' of children who go to the secondary schools you are talking about, and your prep will advise you on which will be the best fit for your child.

Go for a rounded education with lots of activities and opportunities. A school that boasts only academic achievements is likely to be a little exam sausage machine - and that is stressful for the children.

lndmum - With GHS it really depends on the child, it could be great for your child and not so great for somebody else’s, it ticked all the boxes for me, and to be honest it is the school I wanted him to go to.

Boys and girls are taught separately, whilst DS was in pre-prep the majority of his friends were girls, and I thought it wouldn’t be right for me to send him to a school where he would be in a class of all boys. I sat him down and asked him would he prefer to be in a class where there would be only boys, or would he prefer to be in a class where there were both boys and girls, and he answered both, now he is in prep he has a mixture of friends

I know two people who accepted the place for their child at GHS, one child is still there and the other child.. well let’s just say after a few months of them being in the school, their mother didn’t think it was suitable for them and with withdrew them.

What mixed reviews have you heard about the school? If you don’t mind me asking.

Ok not working. In that case you will probably want DD to go to a private pre school (aka nursery school) from age 2/2.5 ish. And sorry but you do need to be registering now eapecially if you want morning sessions!

Do you know which area you will be living - if so I may be able to recommend pre schools to look at.

@MrsHappyAndMrCool our old neighbours send their 3 DC to GHS and love it. They said the DC thrive and really enjoy it. Another friend said he feels the patents try to one-up each other which doesn't make for a particularly nice school environment.

So 🤷🏼‍♀️

Another vote here for Newton Prep - a truly inspiring school.

Our son is starting at the nursery at Newton Prep in September and we're really happy to have got a place. We live within walking distance, so it was an obvious choice, but I know other families who have moved house to be closer to Newton, or who are travelling from further afield.

Speaking to other parents who had made the choice between Newton and other schools, they mostly mentioned the facilities and the atmosphere/ethos.

We also liked the fact it was co-educational. Our other options were various all boys schools and Thomas's Battersea, but our son would have been in Princess Charlotte's year and I wasn't sure how the royal connection would affect the school.

If it's not too far look at FHS SW1 as they take registrations up until the June 15 months before they would start. Girls are then assessed for a place in the January of the year they would start.

@alwaysonadiet1 yes we've been thinking of Francis Holland too! My DHs colleague sends his 2 girls there and he raves about it. Thanks for the tip re admissions as I thought we had been too late for that one too.

@CaitlinsYellowSocks same worries here with Thomas's. DD will be in Prince Louis' year and I do worry about security and general outside/public scrutiny of the school. I also don't want people thinking I've just sent DD there to be close to the royals

How about Fulham Prep?
Also - if I were you - i’d throw in a more ‘academic’ prep in the mix.
At this young age it’s hard to know how she’ll be - but if she turns out more quiet&academic type at 4yo - a school like Kensington Prep, or Faulkner House or Glendower might be something you might wish you’d have considered

The schools OP has listed as those she's already registered with, give quite a big clue about roughly where she lives, and the journey to Fulham Prep would be a bit of a pig. Sticking south of the river is likely to be a better choice for the logistics of the school run, unless of course there's a school near a parent's workplace (assuming parent is reasonably confident they'll be staying working in that location for years to come).

@SquirmOfEels
OP mentioned considering Francis Holland - and that’s way over the river.
So - if that’s an option - why not think of other options as well.
No?

I would definitely look at Newton Prep - the facilities are far better than Thomas's Battersea & they have some great teachers. Also pre prep facilities very good. It may be a surprise to some that I was not made privy to the choice of school for George , but at a guess , it is because it is a modest sized school with limited access, so for security reasons. I think Newton is the more congenial school , but just my opinion & no way to gainsay those who have chosen Thomas's. But very well worth a look to see what you think. Good luck whatever you decide.

Well, no indeed, not when it's likely to produce a really rather shit school run.

The journey up (past Newton Prep, incidentally) over Chelsea Bridge is much easier/reliable, then heading into Fulham/Knightsbridge. You see a fair number of FHS and Hill House pupils from along the bus routes which cross that bridge (straightforward journey, just about walkable if traffic completely buggered).

Public transport just doesn't link the Fulham/Knightsbridge schools, and the additional complications of the journey would be a considerable additional burden in the parents. If OP wanted to look further, then looking at JAPS, Alleyns Junior, WHS, Harrodian or Ibstock would all have easier/more reliable journeys than Fulham.

It's really weird how some bits of London just don't have good routes between them.

A friend lives just south of Battersea Park and their school run to Fulham Prep takes 15 min, not bad. So depends exactly where the OP is.

am a mum at parkgate house school. Really lovely school all about education. Pretty much equal number of boys and girls throughout and lots of sports. New swimming squad, elite tennis etc

I'm surprised they're telling you you're too late. I registered my boys for a number of preps (some crazily sought after and some not) when they were about the same age and nobody told me I was too late. They're silly to do that. Lots of the people registering now will have moved in 4 years time! DS1 is 4 now and we ourselves had to turn down all of said preps as were currently overseas. I wouldn't panic if I were you. Try Bute and Prospect House?