Willington Prep - current parents

[Momsywinkles]

Any parents of sons in Willington Prep in Wimbledon? We're considering Willington for our son who'll start reception in 2019. We've been on a tour and found the school quite nice but we're not from here and no idea how schools are structured. We were drawn to the school because of its ethos and values which we prioritise over education/hot house schools. We're looking for a nurturing environment for our son where we can feel part of the community. I'd like to understand more from parents who have their sons at the school currently the following

1. If you're working parents, how do you manage the wraparound care as they only do it until 5 in the evening for juniors.
2. Did the recent change in the headteacher affect the way the school works?
3. Are the facilities a concern at all considering it's a small premises?

Would love to understand anything more that you may have to add regarding the school.

Thanks!

Hi, I have 2 boys at Willington in Y2 and Y4. The school is great and both my boys are very happy there. We thought that it had the best balance between academia, well being, ethics and family involvement. Don't be put of by the lack of outside space. Both my boys swim once a week at a local pool and travel to Drax sports fields less than 10 mins away where they play football, rugby, cross country and do athletics in the summer. There is an extensive refurbishment programme which is well under way and includes new class rooms and a library.

The new Headmaster arrived in September and shortly after joining, sent every parent a survey to complete to gain knowledge on what we do and don't like about the school. He is looking to make positive changes and has started off with IT. We now have a parent portal, which we didn't last year. It is early days but he is very approachable and keen to listen.

Willington really is a hidden gem.

Hi, My son has been at Willington since Reception and he absolutely loves the school! Although the school is small, it has such a lovely family feel. My son has found a love for sports and music and has such amazing teachers. I also thought about the facilities when he joined, but they use their playing fields all the time and also go out for swimming once a week so they definitely have plenty of space to get their energy out. The new head seems great so far. In his short time there, he has taken the parents thoughts and concerns seriously and has implemented many changes for the better. The atmosphere has been great since he came to the school.

Willington has lots going for it- it has some great teachers particularly in the early years and there are some lovely parents and kids but it does have its problems. The numbers are really low at the moment and I am not sure how sustainable that is. My DSis was doing some digging as she was planning to send DN and she found a figure on a government school info website that suggests their capacity is about 100 kids above their current numbers which would mean they are under numbers by about a third of the school. I can’t remember what page she said it was but it was a .gov site with details of all schools in England and Wales so I’m sure it’s fairly easy to find. Regardless of the figures it’s clear numbers are worryingly low in some years.

We chose Willington for DS because we really wanted a family feel and it did have one when he arrived but the caring ethos seems to be being lost a bit, to be honest. There has been some nasty bullying and other things that have worried me a bit.

There is a new Head who seems promising but the school have suffered from all the transitions and the school is re-defining itself a bit. It was a very good school only a couple of years ago and it may get back to that but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried. We are looking at other school options for DS but will probably sit tight until the summer to see how the new Head does.

The facilities shouldn’t be a worry, it’s a small site but they make good use of Drax. We don’t use wraparound care so I can’t comment on that. Would a childminder work for your situation?

Sorry, I’ve just found the figures myself- it’s between 68 and 89 pupils under capacity depending on which set of figures you use so not quite as bad!

Hey. we only use the morning club from 7.30 but do use the free late class until 4 so I can pick up my dd from Wimbledon high and that's been great. I know many of ds friends stay to 5 and we've been happy with it when he has had to stay. The new head seems to be around loads and really approachable and he spoke to us about comments we left on the parent survey so we really feel he listens. My ds isn't super keen on sport but loves art, he is now reading well above his age. I guess for us the mot important thing is that he's really happy and has made lots of friends Hope this helps!!

Hello! When we chose to send our son to Willington, I was confident I had made the right decision. Three years later, I couldn’t be happier.

Willington is a great school, where kids are nourished and supported throughout their development. Alongside being very academic, the school offers a wide range of extra curricular activities and educational visits that the boys truly enjoy.

Being a working parent, I sympathize with your concern about the 5.00pm pick up time. It has been a struggle to make it at times. However, it is late enough for the little ones and, honestly, I would not want it to be any later.

The new Headmaster seems very approachable and pragmatic. Since joining Willington in September, he has made some changes for the better and I am sure the school will benefit from his future plans.

Willington’s premises are small but offer pretty much everything that the boys need. In addition, the school has an off site playing field where sport (football, rugby, cricket and athletics) is played.

Willington is a small entity compared to some other schools in the neighborhood but in the Willington’s case small really is beautiful.

Thank you all so much for the replies!! It's good to hear such wonderful feedback from parents of current pupils xx

@mja091074 Seems to be the popular opinion from parents attending there :)

@americanmom Thanks! Very re-assuring :)

@Meemee78 Thanks MeeMee, I'm definitely gonna look into this and it's something to ponder. We're looking at child minder options but it's an additional expense to factor in, I suppose. But having looked at other schools, most schools seem to function quite similarly.

Thanks @hectorshouse2 - this is exactly how we feel as well. A school has to be nurturing and the children happy

@Ib76 Yes, as much as I'm concerned about the wrap-around care, I do think the days are as long as it is for his age. But due to the nature of our job, we wouldn't be able to pick him up at 5, that might just be too early. This is the one reason holding us off but tbf not many schools do wrap-around care later than 5/6 I'm guessing

Some local nurseries have afterschool clubs where they pick up the child from school, take them to the nursery, provide food and the child can stay till at least 6pm. This might work for you but it is much more expensive option compared to school-based provision.

Thank you to all the posters for their insight into Willington, we are considering this for 2019 entry. Does anyone know how many assessment mornings they are running please?

There isn't an assessment from what I understand. They're not a selective school and from what I've heard they still have places for 2019 entry albeit limited.

Hi,

I live in Kingston, London. My daughter is currently 31 months old, born end of August - unplanned. I've started discussions with a few private schools in the area.

I'm in a predicament. We are fortunate to have the funds and really want a good private school. However, I've read all the articles and research on the detriment of being summer born in natural age group in the UK. (I don't see how she can excel being ~320 days behind most others).

We have an offer from Willington School. In our initial discussion, the school said my daughter would have to start in her age group, as one of the youngest in the classroom. This horrifies me.

My alternative is going through government funded Primary schools in Kingston Council.

We're targeting The Tiffin School for Secondary - it has good programs for the Maths/Informatics Olympiad. If university is still relevant, we'd like to plan for Oxbridge/Imperial/Ivy CS/Maths programs - we have family in North America.

I'm considering asking for a meeting with the admissions Tutor. I'd be most grateful for advice on how to progress.

Sorry not enough sleep - you know how that goes, my brain was thinking about our daughter. It's for my son - clearly.

Firstly, don’t plan your child’s university and secondary school when they are 2. It’s not fair to put that pressure on a child and can lead to insane mental health issues later on if they fail to live up to your standards. And I say this as somebody who works in a private school in London witnessing 3+ and 11+ Entrance exams every year.

Schools, especially private ones are very good at differentiation in the classroom to offset the age difference between the children and will look at their ability and progress alongside their birthday for a good percentage of their primary years.

Trust the school - you are paying them to educate. Your child will not be the first late August birthday they have ever seen, nor the last.

I don’t know the specifics of Wilmington, but I have seen many a September born child bored stiff in their last year at nursery as they aren’t stretched and are ready for school - by delaying your daughters entry, you might put her in this position.

Just my thoughts.

hopefulDadSV - Willington is going co-ed as of the academic year 2020-2021 so might suit both your children.

I have been a teacher for several decades now - there are many summer-born children who thrive academically, so do not worry unnecessarily about your son. The best preparation for school you can give is to allow your child to develop as much independence in dressing himself, feeding himself, helping tidy around the house and practising following instructions / concentrating on single tasks for increasing amounts of time. Play is the best gift you can give him from 0-7. The age difference between summer-borns and September-borns most usually manifests emotionally, socially and physically. Willington has an excellent induction to Reception and no doubt when the Nursery opens, will similarly assist children and families to adjust to the new situation of attending school for the first time.

and I second Rodent1's thoughts about planning your child's academic future!!! Please do yourself and your child/ren a favour and wait to see how things go for them!!