Prep and pre-pre schools in Kew/Twickenham/Hampton

[Tapster]

Can't believe I am having to look at this but some schools you need to put them down at birth. I grew up in west london hammersmith/fulham so I know the schools there but I don't know the prep schools round here. DD only 7 months old but seems I have to sign her up. We have a good catholic primary school quite nearby but allocation is for siblings then on distance and children on our road have been known to only get in on the waiting list so I need to hedge our bets. Any recommendations. Know abou Unicorn in Kew, Kew College, Twickenham Prep school. Any more?

Newland House in Teddington (and yes, you would have to put her down now). Also Athelstan House in Hampton which is for 4-7 and will help you choose and get into the right school at 7.

the local primary schools here are really really superb (am in strawberry hill) so don't feel you HAVE to go private. i thought we would until i looked into it. i am hoping DD1 will get into the local catholic one (but failed for nursery) but will try again for reception. otherwise sacred heart / stanley / trafalgar are all very good options.

newlands house you may be too late already but apparently the waiting list is very fluid as lots of local parents put names down then don't take the places. many of the children come from richmond/putney/kew etc.

for girls surbiton high is excellent and don't have silly waiting lists at all. november before they are due to start is the deadline for applications then they do an assessment/interview and select.

st catherine's in twickenham is wonderful prep dept and is generally easy to get in

twickenham prep also v good in hampton.

beware of putting your name down for many as you will need to pay first term's fees before the state school application results are finalised which stops you picking and choosing.

Thanks I've started looking into the schools. My niece and nephew go to st james's and its a good catholic state school but a boy only got into the school on our road last year on the waiting list even though I am well inside the catchment area. Also my family do complain about the large class size and so it depends on the child - my nephew is very confident and is fine my niece is shy and could do with more attention.

I'm hedging my bets the increase in the number of Polish in the area means even more pressure on catholic places.

oh that's interesting about the large class size. do you know how big they are?

my sister, niece and nephew all went to st james's and went on to independent secondary schools with no tutoring.

i guess class sizes are going to be a problem throughout schools in richmond as there just aren't enough places.

Class size at St James's is still 30 but now there are three classes per year not two. My niece has had problems with teachers leaving/maternity leave and the teaching assistant being off sick/leaving as well which has been fairly disruptive. I feel there is alot of emphasis on SATs rather than on general education.

I pretty sure you have to put down all catholic schools down on the primary school form - so if you don't get into St James's not sure where the child would end up.

why would you have to put down all catholic?

the other catholic school nearby is Sacred Heart in Teddington/Hampton Wick. It has a new head and is apparently fantastic.

to show commitment to a catholic education... all the schools are very oversubscribed council reaaly struggling to provide enough places

i want to keep my options open so i'm putting her name down at 3/4 prep schools this week, and at one of them I know she has a place (psychologically comforting!)