Berkhamsted: Should I or Not?

[Mumubasu]

Hello! DS will be 3 next week and reading about the 4+ admissions makes me very nervous. Not sure how he will be in 8 months time, but as of now, he is a shy skeptic soul unlikely to talk much amongst unknown faces.
I was thinking of getting him admitted into a through school at Nursery which will avoid the 4+ madness as well as offer education continuity. Of course the option to prepare and change still exists.
We wanted it to be out of london, to have a bit of a community feeling while DS is growing up.
What are your thoughts about Berkhamsted School?
Does is offer a good all rounded education ? Is it ethnically diverse?
Please do help, this stress is overwhelming me

The 4+ in London is utterly bonkers. Moving out of London is the best thing we ever did.

Berkhamsted is a very good school but a bit “marmite” - you either love it or hate it. It is very academically focussed but when you get to 11 then it does take children who don’t make the grade for the grammars or schools like Habs and Merchant Taylor’s so it’s not Uber selective. Be warned that if you don’t make the grade then the school frequently asks children to leave. There is also no guarantee of progression to the secondary school.

It offers a very well rounded education. Sport is excellent but the focus is on those that excel - and a lot do. The pre prep is in a lovely country location but the prep site is rather cramped. It is also not at all ethnically diverse. Very white middle class although the ratios do improve the higher up the school.

The nursery is the main entry point for the school so if you are interested then get your names down ASAP.

There are also several other really good preps in the area - Beechwood Park, Westbrook Hay, Chesham Prep, The Beacon and Lockers Park. All have large numbers heading to Berkhamsted at 11 and 13 as well as to grammar schools and other independent day and boarding schools. The comprehensive school in the town is very good too. It’s very hard to know what sort of school will suit your child in 7-10 years time. Having been through the 11+ process in the area recently I can assure you it’s nothing like London. Most people get their first choice school (so long as it was academically realistic) and you only need apply to two or three. I can see the benefits of all through schools but also it can get very stale being in the same place with the same people.

I, personally, would also consider some of the preps I mentioned above and don’t be scared by the potential for exams at 11 or 13.

Stumbled on this thread as I am in a similar situation as you were last year. Was curious to ask what you decided in the end? Thanks