Ark Franklin Kensal Rise

[beausmum19]

Hi there we are just finalising applications for primary school and gearing such conflicting reports about what we thought was our first choice, Ark Franklin in Kensal Rise.
Our boy is super active and energetic and we have heard from a few sources that this school will not tolerate this type of child and punish them if they can’t sit still. Any words of wisdom or experience from the forum please ???

Surely all schools will expect children to sit quietly in lessons, they can blow off steam at break times.

@naughtylittleelf of course they will but some kids will struggle more than others. I have heard reports of shaming these children and making them stand outside the classroom etc

I don't know that specific school but all of the Ark Schools have the same behaviour policies. They are quite strict (silent corridors etc) and will enforce that straight away.
I used to be a deputy head at one a few years ago.

To be honest, unless there are some specific issues with your child you haven't mentioned, he will need to learn that he has to fit in and follow what's expected at school, you're unlikely to find a state school that will allow him to run around and disrupt the class, teachers need to teach up to 30+ kids the curriculum.

Are you concerned that he might have some sort of SEN that would make it harder for him to comply with this sort of behaviour policy?

One of my DC has ASD, and I would be wary of choosing a school with such rigid policies for him, as I know he’d struggle with it - although while his school is less strict than the one you describe, even the children with known SEN aren’t allowed to run around and disrupt the class.

I would however expect that most NT children would be able to learn what’s expected and behave accordingly.

@NaughtyLittleElf ✌🏻 just doing my research , I’m well aware the kids have to comply with certain rules, I’m not for a second suggesting a school will allow a child to run around. He is not my first. Not my first time at the rodeo . He is just way more lovely than his sister. And I have hear that this school is particularly tough and trying to get some guidance from parents who know this specific school. Do you have a child here out of interest or just jumping on this thread ?

lively

Hi @Northgate again not suggesting a child would be allowed to run around. I have a live wire who is very inquisitive and I have heard from some parents at an NCT gathering that in reception anything other than compliance is treated with negativity, that there is little settling in period and children who can’t deal with carpet time and complete compliance are treated very negatively. I was simply looking for some parents with direct school experience to share. Out of interest do your children attend this school ? My daughter is at Malories which is also local and very lovely we had other reasons for looking at Ark for my son.

Ark Franklin was on my potential list. My son is also a live wire. In the end I sent him to a small one form school. He's now in Year 2, still a live wire but because the school is small they have a little more time to focus on him and his behaviour isn't treated negatively.

Did you look at all the schools within your catchment? The catchment tends to be around 200m!

When I say look I mean physically visit - I got a really good idea of how they treat the children on the visits.

If you're within catchment of Essendine that was a good school which I liked. Strict but not in a negative manner.