Kensington Prep vs Putney High from 4+

[Natpil]

Dear all,

We are very lucky , my DD was offered a places in Ken Prep, PHS and WHS for next Sept to start Junior.
Now we have a big dilemma... which one to go for?Given my son is taking place in St Pauls, it seems logical to choose between PHS and Ken Prep due to logistics.
The fact that PHS is going “through” is very appealing, but I think Ken Prep results are impressive and the school is very modern, creative and smaller which is a pro for 4yo.
So please any advice and thoughts will be much appreciated. Also, maybe someone knows how bad is the traffic in the morning to cross the bridge?
Many thanks in advance!

Where do you live? All v nice schools. Think about logistics of dropping both your children (if that’s a consideration) and the potential to drop off your daughter early if you have to get to St. Paul’s to drop off your son. Traffic IS bad going over Putney Bridge. Especially because Hammersmith bridge is closed now (seemingly indefinitely). 11+ is a consideration although they do weed out girls they don’t think will be suitable for secondary at both WHS and PHS.

@Natpil, When did you get your putney high result? I thought the result was out on 27th

@nonoatfriday,
They called us yesterday saying that we will be offered a place. The papers will be sent out on Mo

@ScottishDiblet
Thanks a lot for you thoughts, we are going to move house anyway, so just trying to find out which school to go for...

@Natpil, oh I see.

Did putney high advise that they made all the offers on the phone yesterday then? Probably will send out the unsuccessful ones only ?

@mummyAZTM
Not sure about unsuccessful offers and whom they called yesterday, I got the call yesterday and received the offer by post today. Hope that helps

@Natpil congrats! we are in a similar position so am following. Really like the new head at PHS junior...her vision, the ethos, and environment. PHS seems more modern, dynamic, and ‘fun’. Seems the girls have a less pressure and therefore seems like it might possibly be less intense with entry into PHS?? The drawback for us is Putney bridge 4x daily.

Ken prep has great results, beautiful space, amazing curriculum, but seems less ‘fun,’ maybe more serious, focused, and traditional?? Then 11+ stress and concerns if DD doesn’t wish to keep up or feels pressure. The drawback for us is DS’s best school options are also in Putney in a couple years.

Would be great to hear others experiences with these schools.

@Itsmommy,
Congrats to you too!
Absolutely agree, I really like head in PHS, she seems very easygoing, open and very friendly lady. Also, atmosphere in Putney was warmer when we came for assessment. The teachers were a bit more friendly compared to other schools .
I know a girl who started reception last year in PHS and she is very happy( her parents as well)
Unfortunately we missed open day in Ken Prep, so I‘m going to coffee morning next week and would like to make a tour. But thanks for your thoughts!
We are South of the river, so commute to Ken Prep is slightly harder for us.
Good luck with your decision)

@natpil
Amazing how much crossing a bridge bears on a child’s school decision!!
I think if PHS were located in Fulham I would have already accepted. Also impossible to tell how ‘academic’ a child is at 4 and what learning environment is best.

I’m sure once you see Ken Prep you’ll get a better feel for what would suit your DD. Good luck!

I have two girls at PHS at the moment and rate it highly, the head is fantastic, so dynamic and truly cares for and knows each of the girls. Pastoral care is also excellent. We were a little late to the area so didn’t apply in time for other selectives but I am very pleased with our choice. Will your son get a school bus to St Paul’s? If not and you’ll be doing the school run every day I’d definitely take the school closest, the less time driving the better and more time for play dates etc. locally. Feel free to PM me with any questions and good luck with your decision.

@rumpleteezer,

Fantastic, thank you so much! So nice to hear positive things from „insider„ parent !

Have friends in both and you can’t go wrong with either. It’s a good place to be, to have that choice.
I’d say dropping of at either + StP Boys is a challenge, unless you live near one of the schools. But there is a school bus for the boys.

One thing I’d say though - a school that goes through - may seem attractive on some dimensions. However - it does close doors for your Dd. I think, at the age of 4 it’s impossible to chose a school that will work for your child from R to A levels.

11 plus, while not pleasant, are also not as scary as people think. And they do help figure out where your child fits best. And girls in this area are lucky to have many great schools.

@MMmomDD

Thanks for your thoughts, absolutely agree that it is impossible to pick a right school at the age of 3 which will be up to A levels.. but why do you think that PHS closes the doors for DD at 11+? I thought she still can sit the exams for other schools? I heard a lot of bright girls leave PHS for SPGS, LEH, Latymer etc...

Because

• the school that has an option to keep the kids till 18, and the school that has to get all of their kids into senior schools have different motivations. In the end they are a business. So - it’ll be more up to you to ensure the appropriate prep, and it’s not an easy task
• because in a school where most of her friends would be staying in - it will be a huge uphill battle to get DD to even think about other schools, let along do extra work and sit exams. Girls start getting pre-teenage in that time - so it all becomes not easy
• because you as a family would adjust to a comfortable routine of the school you know and the extra effort, work, stress would seem unnecessary

But - in the end if the day - it probably doesn’t matter. It is a good school and many apply and not all get in at 11+. It only matters if your kid is that top top kid and may not want to, or miss out on something like SPGS... But no one knows that at 4, or how the life would turn out.

@MMmomDD

Great practical points!!! Thanks you very much! Much appreciated!

@Naptil
All that said - if I were making a choice - I’d go for Ken Prep. It’s considered more academic and top half of the class, ( I am guessing as my memory is slightly hazy) go to SPGS, GL and LU, then the next cohort down gets into Putney comfortably as is. And those who don’t get in go to less academic secondaries. And if they were at PH already they’d probably be at the bottom of the class and struggled with self esteem.
So - all I am saying - I’d given my kid a chance at a more academic prep to see where their potential is by 11 and then chose a secondary.

@MMmomDD
Thank you for your honest opinion! We have not seen Ken Prep yet( I missed the open morning) so I think after we see it will be easier to make a decision... thanks again

Personally I'd go for PHS, crossing the river for KP will make everyone's life SO much harder, it's just not worth it. It's not as if PHS is unacademic, it's a fabulous school and you don't have to contend with any of the 11+ stress

@ForeverbyJudyBlume,

Thanks for sharing your opinion! I agree that extra 40 min you can do so much more then just stuck in traffic...

Yes a but it depends on where you live. Plenty of families live in Fulham and take their girls to KP, and boys take a school bus.
Basically - if you are flexible on location you can chose to live near one of the schools - and Fulham is a nice place to be.
Or you can be closer to Hammersmith and your boy can eventually walk/take bus to school. And Hammersmith is where the top three secondaries in this area are, so it’s not a bad place to be.

the traffic on putney bridge before 8:30am isn't actually bad at all, it is closer to 9am that it becomes tricky. Also, it is a 3min tube ride from Parsons Green station to East Putney station, and you can hop on the 14 bus which uses the bus lane and stops next to Putney High. So either way, I wouldn't worry too much about the traffic. There is a school bus from Parsons Green to St Paul's Junior as well.

That said, both schools are very similar in ethos and approach and the Head of Putney High Junior is the previous deputy head of KPS, so I doubt there is an academic difference. KPS is a bit more diverse and central london, fees are higher at KPS. Sports better at Putney High potentially. Music is phenomenal at KPS. Very similar schools, I would pick the one where you want to live (if fees are no consideration).

oh and I forgot to add, DD is at KPS but if I could go back in time, I would actually send her to WHS (didn't apply at the time). My pick among your three choices would be WHS, but location wise it seems you are only looking at KPS/PHS.

@sanam2019,

Oh thank you so much for great tips and personal views! That is very helpful!

There is an academic difference between PH and KP. Whether or not it’s due to teaching or a structural setup is hard to tell.
In this area - KP, Falkner, Glendower get the first pick of ‘academic’ 4yos. It’s a very imprecise selection but still a selection.
So - these three schools get the top picks and as a result send a high proportion of kids to the top three secondaries.
PH, is the one step down in the pecking order, after the above mentioned three.
PH kids mostly stay at PH, and KP leave to various schools, so hard to really compare.
But it’s unlikely that the Y6 of PH would achieve the results of Y6 of KP.
PH isn’t setup to get a large cohort into competitive secondaries.
Maybe one should look at A-levels results comparison between PH and top 3 secondaries Asia this is the more relevant comparison