BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL LONDON (2019) for 4+

[Runa2014]

4+ PRIVATE SCHOOL LONDON (2019). Could you please kindly share your experience and knowledge about the following schools. Aslo, given the information - which school would you suggest and why?

Prep Schools: Newton Prep, Glendower, Finton House, Fulham Prep

Allthrough Schools: Jags, Alleyns, NLCS, Putney High.

We are looking for a school for our daughter to start this year (4+). She is soft spoke by nature, curious, emotionally very intelligent, mature and kind of a cre taker amongst her friends, beginning to read cvc word and write ( keeping ascending/descending alphabets in mind). She is also very musical - learning the piano and the violin ( can sit through a 45 mins lesson).

The things we are considering are the advantages/ disadvantages of
Co-ed vs single gender school
Prep vs all through schools
Highly Academics vs all round school

We would like to hear your point of view.
Decision time is in 10 day. We will relocate once we finalise her school so geography is not into consideration at the moment.

Josuk,

I hear you. But it was fantastic and such a learning experience for our child.

She loves meeting people and socialising so we did this - we told her that she would have a say in picking a school for herself. So prior to any assessment we told her about the school and that its will be she who would be assessing the school, classroom, toys and the teachers.

She took charge - during the assessment it seems she asked many questions to the teachers, talked about languages, made comments about toys which she uses for fine motor skills and gross motor skills. Infact she told the head of a school that their classrooms are too noisy and that carpet on the floors will reduce the noise.

If one asks her now..she at 4.2 can give a list of what she likes and not likes in the schools she went too.

Comments like " the school.had a funny old smell!". "The teachers were old and looked.tired". "The toy that they had were very good and neatly kept" etc...

So you see.....it was a great experience for her to see the schools too...

And unlike others, we are.in a position to factor in our childs preference too (ofcourse caliberate)

P.S. she could read CVC words at 2 and write her name around the same time. So we didnt have to worry about the assessment itself.

Josuk, I concur with the point you have made.

Just wanted to hear if anyone has anything to share about the schools listed. Any experience..etc

Which did she like best?

Oh! It was quiet sweet but we are now trying to make sense of what it all adds up too...
She loved the green patches, the fishes, the lovely painting in NLCS.
She found no natural light coming through in Glendower. She commented on the small class room windows.
She liked the library of Newton prep. The text in the spine of the books were re wtitten for her to know what it was.
.....
You know....all very small specific comments.

Did Thomas's turn you away 8-)

I hear you too, Op, but your are contradicting yourself a bit here.

A 4yo has no way of choosing what’s objectively best for her, school vise.... What she saw was a Polaroid of a moment in time. That old teacher may be the best teacher she’ll remember for years. And those pictures on the wall, or windows - are irrelevant for the quality of education.

You came to MN to asking for some objective way to decide. So that your ‘feelings’ about a school don’t muddle the decision.
Your 4yo only has feelings and no comprehension of what is important....
(And I say that as a mother who had those kids who started reading at 2, and did massively impressive puzzles and read Harry Porter in R)

Kids are kids. Even later - at 10-11 when they tour schools - an odd smell at a cafeteria on that day can make them not like a school. And I am not making this up.

That’s why there is you - the parent.
So - make the best decision you can for now. And re-assess as you go along.

Also - OP - I know you are quite proud of your daughter. And she seems like a bright and confident kid. And, maybe, where she is coming from she is quite unique and viewed with awe....
But there are others like her here. Certainly - if she goes to NLCS - many of those girls will be reading and rather advanced in all areas. The school is known to be that way.

Glendower will have some of that too. Probably a little less as the parent group is a little different.

Curious what the OP has 'decided'.

OP you do not have offers from all schools except NLCS. JAGS and Alleyn's aren't out until next week. Stop with the wind up. grin

Ah no I take it back, you're doing the junior schools!

So what did you do?