Bute House 4+ starters

[DaddyPhD]

Can anyone with experience of the school, tell me - With 100's of parents applying for a small number of places by ballot, I was wondering what that results in for the mix of the class? Are most parents entering the ballot local (walk to school) , or are families drawn from a wider area, as the school has a great rep?

Also given the school has a rigorous 7+ entry and great results for leaver destinations , does anyone know how this impacts pupils who joined by ballot, who may not fit the academic mould? Would they feel alienated from most of their peers? Surrounded by these super smart kids set for the SPGS and Godolphin and Latymer's of this world?

I guess I'm trying to understand how the ballot selected pupils get on at school, as it must contain all sorts of abilities , but Bute remains a prep with a very strong rep of feeding very academic schools.

thanks @pkim123 that's reassuring. It seems all parents, who had or have DD's at the school are so positive.

The only negative thing is the pain of selling up and moving closer to the school...

@DaddyPhD did your daughter enter Bute in the end? I know it has only been a couple of terms, but does she like it so far? Do you feel you've made the right choice?
We got a ballot place for 2025. Having the same questions/concerns as you. Additionally, our DD loves her current nursery (attached to a selective co-ed prep), so we are very torn whether to move her and whether the potential gains from a Bute education outweighs the risk that she might end up being unhappy there.

@DaddyPhD @llamamo how are your dd doing so far

have received a place at Bute for 2026 intake. She already has an offer from NHEHS too which is an all through

the main concern I have is 2 fold

• is the extra fees of Bute worth it
• where do people going to this school live . I.e. what is considered local , given Hammersmith is quite a busy area

Was your dd on the waiting list? What position was she in the list, to get called for an offer so late? I would expect someone in the 1st half wait list to get an offer by late last year. Bute 4+ is mixed, 7+ is strong as creamed off other preps. Hence, if you estimate your dd can succeed at selective 7+, the premium tuition is not worth it. Bute will not really make your dd more successful than Notting Hill HS in the 4+ cohort.