Bucks/Herts Prep schools

[Foodie68]

Evening, we are starting to look at prep schools for our Ds and would appreciate feedback/people to share their experiences at the following schools:

Berkhamsted school
Westbrook Hay
Chesham
Beechwood Park

Thank you in advance 🙂

What is your end goal? Berkhamsted, Bucks Grammar, state comp in Herts or somewhere like Harrow or Wycombe Abbey? Work out which school meets your secondary criteria best. Do you want transfer at 13 or 11? Do you want all the way through at Berko? If you don’t, do they effectively prep for anywhere else? I live quite close to several of these schools and of course they are all different but you need to know what your end game is in order to make the most appropriate choice.

Berkhamsted is an all through school and they expect children to stay the whole time. No 11+ prep for the grammar schools etc. Be aware that their main entry point is the nursery in pre-prep, not reception and children need to be registered early as a result. Very few places for external boys at 11+ but an extra 40 something places at 13+ - worth considering if you might want the school later on.

Chesham is very much focussed on the 11+ for the Bucks grammars.

Westbrook Hay and Beechwood Park send children to a wide range of schools - grammars, regular state, independent day and boarding schools. Beechwood Park probably has more boys stay on to 13 (and girls). Girls are staying on at Westbrook Hay after Y6 for the first time this September following the new head starting last year. I have been hearing great things about the new head - the school had got a little stale with the previous head having been there for 20 something years.

Beechwood Park probably sends slightly more children to boarding school than Westbrook Hay but otherwise they send children onto roughly the same destinations.

Another one that might be worth a look for you is York House.

All schools have a very different feel though but all have great reputations. You can’t beat your gut reaction when visiting.

But if you want Eton and you go to Berkhamsted, you might be disappointed! Desired end destination matters!

I do agree to a point..but I know we are not the only parents who have had a complete turnaround on intended destinations.
Children don’t always mature and progress in line with our original intentions?

Having changed course with our eldest daughter, we are now doing the same again with our youngest. And the child who was least likely to ever want to be a boarder..now wants to do just that. It’s been an interesting journey

Thank you for all your replies, it’s difficult to know what the end game will be right now as my son is nursery age and it’s pretty much impossible to see how intellectually minded he might be. Ideally we would want him to stay within the private school sector or go to one of the Grammarly schools. We have been to visit Berkhamsted and Chesham so far. The rest of the visits we had planned to other schools have been postponed due to Covid.

Berkhamsted offers great facilities, seems to be very academically focused but my gut feel is that it is less of a caring environment whilst Chesham had older facilities, seems to be very sports focused, probably as equally academic as a Berkhamsted but seemed to be more nurturing.

I’m going to visit a few more once the lockdown is lifted. A friend of ours suggested the Beacon school although not sure how I feel about single sex education from such a young age.

Westbrook Hay is doing a virtual open day I believe. Could be worth a look before going to see it in person.

I agree with your observations on Chesham. Very nurturing, sport is great and focus on 11+ grammars. Westbrook Hay and Beechwood Park are very similar but with children going to a much wider range of schools afterwards at both 11+ and 13+.

Definitely avoid Berkhamsted if you think you might want grammar - no help preparing for the exams as they expect almost everyone to stay on at 11, unless of course you don’t “make the grade”.

I have children who have been to Berkhamsted and WH.

I don’t know what WH is like now but imo it was quite a cosy little place, family orientated if you were the right type of family, an odd atmosphere but that has probably changed with the new head. But as pp say, you have to consider the impact of moving a child at 11/13. It seemed to me that kids over 11 were just too grown up for the school. And if you work, factor in the nightmare drive leading to the school - drives you mad sitting in those queues four times a day.

Berkhamsted is not particularly academic nor intellectual so do not worry about that. In its defence I’d say its more ‘regimented’ than uncaring.

My description (bearing in mind I have children there!) is that it has a ‘new money’ feel rather than an ‘old money’ school like say, Bedford, where if you’ve gone there you identify with it all of your life (my older boys boarded there), and thus it has its share of pushy parents: maybe they just tire of dealing with complaints so try to engender a self-care attitude in the children.

Their communication though is top rate and they have been absolutely splendid during the lockdown.

@foodie68

Any reason you’re not looking at Lockers Park, Hemel?

Sorry for the late reply, I haven’t been on here for a few weeks. I really liked Lockers Park after reviewing the prospectus but my husband is not keen on single sex education. i went to a girls school so don’t have the a same view but do understand why he had that opinion.

Agree with zodlebud on the Berko comments. Very much a new money contingent..or a ‘not much money..but education is key‘... Also agree re academics; it gets good results, but is by no means super selective. I’ve had nieces who did very well there, and a nephew currently in 6th form. Very popular with the middle set kids at our current prep. A few choosing it over grammar..but most choosing it as the close run 11+ backup. Does have a very ‘regimental’ feel, and we didn’t feel it offered much that was different beyond the Bucks grammars.

I would much rather have excellent single sex over second rate Co-Ed. Whatever the school phase.

WH is a good nurturing co ed school, children go to a large selection of schools on leaving. Independents, such as MTS, St Albans, Bedford, Berkhamsted, Rugby, Aldenham, Grammars such as Aylesbury, Dr Challenors and Chesham and some good local State schools, the drive is not an issue, as long as you time it right. Friday parents breakfast highlight of the week!

My middle child is hopefully going to Berko at 13+ , but given the choice for prep I'd go for WH. Lovely school, very outdoorsy, relaxed but focused.