Hill House International School

[SW3Mom]

Hi,
I'm looking at primary schools and really like the feel of Hill House (International School). However I feel the school has gone from being a mainstream local (Chelsea) school to an outsider that is slightly shunned from local nurseries by both parents and nursery schools themselves. I wonder: is the school sliding down hill?
Can any current or recent parents give me their experiences and opinions please?
What attracts me to Hill House is the focus on outdoors and sports, the relaxed academic approach in early years, that it is mixed, that it seems unpretentious and seems like an unpretentious student and parent body relative to other local schools, the music offering, greater independence for kids than other local schools, and generally what I perceive to be uncommonly happy well balanced kids. Please note - if you're wondering - I have only looked at local schools we can walk to so I am comparing Hill House to schools such as Knightsbridge School, Garden House, Francis Holland, Cameron house, and to a lesser extent Glendower, Faulkner House.
Thanks!

Anyone who is a parent at Hill House want to give any reviews or experiences of the school here? That was what this chat was supposed to be about.

My grand daughter attended a preschool where 3-4 of the class were going to be attending HH. All of them had siblings already attending.
The parents were all well educated themselves with impressive professional careers.
My dd and her partner were equally impressed but traffic getting there was a problem so much so they missed one appointment and tried a second run, again barely making it in time.
I spoke to one of the older siblings who had transferred from a more formal prep where she was not doing well (feeling very insecure overly quiet “not blossoming”) LOVED her new school especially the music. Parents were thrilled with the HH.

I am a current parent with a son who has spent the last three years at Hill House.
I am very happy with the school and got a great feeling about it from the moment I took the tour and like that the emphasis from the start isn't solely on academic progress and testing.....there are plenty of years for that. The children are introduced to a longer school day, more academic challenge, more homework, individual subject teaching, individual music lessons etc., gradually from years 1 to 3/4. By year 4/5 from the accounts of my friends with older children, it's as intense and focused as you'd expect and preparation for the move to senior school is underway.
My son literally bangs on the door in the morning (if we are early enough) wanting to get in - he loves school and speaks highly of all his teachers. His curriculum is broad and physical activity/music/drama are important and help provide balance in an otherwise academic timetable. Sport/games every day, swimming every week and so much opportunity with regards to music and singing.
I suspect a degree of the fluctuation in pupil retention is based on the mix of children that attend the school. Half of our class are non-British and not everyone is here in the UK permanantly. That's probably a common factor for schools in Chelsea but is something I know happens at HH.

I am a parent of a DD in HH and we find it lovely. Extremely nice kids, no cliques and nastiness, kids mix well both in class and lunches, maybe because they move around a lot they don't seem too stuck on who they are or aren't friends with.
It s a very clearly family business, very much a personal venture and not business like, I have seen a few schools with shiny literature packs and installations and that s not what HH is for.
A big plus for me is the ease to visit without appointment, some schools make such a big deal. For instance in HH stuff would always tell me to have a pick through the door to catch sight of the kids in my DD class rather than shoo me away after a visit etc. Nothing to hide!
There is a good ethos both working and respect in general, they seem relaxed kids. I have two kids with different ages, only one in HH but I have had experience of various schools and countries as a Londoner and as an expat.
So I can say that HH is both a balanced and charismatic school and any quirks are all meaningful and part of a well orchestrated school life.
Kids find their way around Harry Potter-esque staircases, run for their chorister robes, gather around the piano, go on the minibuses and off to sports and lessons, all in a days work.
They are quite bright & independent because of that, and flexible and they sit with different partners on bus and lunches etc. They are comfortable and happy with their uniforms.
There is some movement in families , and when parents leave, they tend to come back if they move back to london. That says something IMO.
New kids settle in amazingly well.
When we were new, teachers would approach me and explain things without me having to ask. This attitude makes up for the lack of fat "info packs" of more business-like schools I visited.
Overall I d say HH kids lack the cockiness you sometimes see in privileged kids but stand out because they seem very comfortable in their skin and that gives them an edge. Maybe because the school classes are rather small and the building requires inventive but very accurate routines, kids seem well watched and cared for. Stuff seem to know exactly what each one is up to.
I feel the teachers are very approachable and spot on in their understanding of my kid, and I think this makes a kid relaxed and well anchored.
With all the running around, they aren't bored but do have quiet times between lessons. So it s often "cocoon" rather than hectic if that makes sense.
They do well, there definitely is tutoring going around in the last years, for sure, but quality of teaching is great and more than that, personalities of the teachers are to my liking, energetic and positive and appreciative of kids. And happy to make contact always.
There are many classes and many teachers so I guess it depends...also good advice for secondary options, nothing I didn't know but well explained, saying it as it is if you are happy to be honest at those meetings, stuff was happy to spell out the odds of various senior school options and the exact differences. (I didn't always get that from my other kids schools but maybe that should be the norm. )
Hope that helps.

Hi there,

Not sure if the discussion is still on...I feel it has gone a bit out of focus from the initial question.

SW3Mom what did you chose in the end?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this school. My DD WAS at WLFS - where they think a uniform and strict behavioural policy makes for great education. Moved her to HH, from a class of 32 to 11, and have seen her maths and English plus other abilities shoot through the roof. She loves it. Plus they're always doing exercise. Huge amounts, which is great for kids. Tennis at Queens club, athletics and hockey etc at Duke of York Square. By the time she leaves fencing too. Lots of music too, and performing arts. It's not a pressure cooker yet they get fantastic results - BTW this is what developmental psychology shows is the way. HH were always progressive despite the knickerbockers. As for the uniform - it's marvellous. They do their lessons and games in it so you're not buying a load of additional paraphernalia. The wax coat is practical and warm - no blazer bollockry in the middle of winter. Plus the school provide swimming costumes for weekly swimming so no mouldy costumes. It hits all the buttons from my perspective, and is also one of the cheaper private schools in London

I have two boys at HH and both me and my husband loves it, as well as the kids. Youngest one is in Y1 and absolutely flourishing. He skips into school everyday and we couldn’t be happier.

Older one started in reception and has now reached Y8. He just got an offer to Dulwich College with an academic scholarship, and one of the reasons he chose Dulwich was because he felt there was the same camaraderie as there is at HH.

From personal experience I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the school. Our experience these past 9 years has been nothing but positive.

Just incase anybody reads this - I have read very good things about Hill House...what classes/ grades would a 10 year old boy and a 6 year old boy be expected to join if entering in Sept 2020? Any steer would be welcome - I am very anxious about making sure they start in the right class!..among other worries of course..

Frankfurt2017 it depends when their birthdays are? If they will still be 10 and 6 by 1st Sep 2019 they would go into Year 6 and 2 (which would be year 7 and 3 in sep 2020).

Thanks for reply - they'll be 5 and 9 on September 2019...6 and 10 in September 2020..So I should be looking at Year 6 and 2 for them if entry is set as School year start Sep 2020..It is a first step to get that cleared up!

Have you all seen the school destination results recently published. They got 10 children into St Paul's this year. Speaks of a school ethos that works I guess, especially this high birth year.