Breaside Prep vs Bromley High for Primary/Junior School

[aMusingMum]

Mums,

Any insights on Breaside Prep vs Bromley High for Reception to Y6? My DD is due in Reception in Sept 2023. We have been to open days for both schools. I personally really liked Breaside for their approach and students seemed very confident but Bromley High is obviously much bigger and spread out with amazing infrastructure. Downside being its a through school so no prep for 11+.

But just in terms of the school, academic results, extra curriculars, pastoral and wraparound care - any thoughts, advice would be extremely helpful!

Also - waiting lists for Breaside seem very long for pre-prep and reception and wouldnt know about admissions until much closer to time. With Bromley its only reception start and completely assessment based.

I am probably getting ahead of myself here as I dont even know where and if in any we will get in but would be great to have any thoughts from current, past and prospective parents.

Many Thanks!

Sounds like you don’t want your DD to go to the senior school at Bromley High, so which schools are you aiming for?

Our DD (year 4 now, started in pre prep) has been incredibly happy and well supported at Breaside. The music and sport are excellent there and the Head and her staff very effective and kind. Their provision during lockdown was as good as it could be in the circumstances. There's a reason the waiting list is long!

@noworklifebalance Tbh we don't know yet. We would like to aim for grammars but it's too early to say what her inclination might be so just thinking junior school for now. Senior could be grammar or Bromley High or any other really don't know.

@Phineyj thanks so much for your feedback. If I may ask when did you register her for preprep and how were the waiting list? As they are not being very clear or transparent about it and first told me I am 29th on the list and few weeks later it came down to 35. If you prefer - can PM you to chat about this? Really would like to get in at preprep this September rather than the assessments etc for reception near year.

I think things were different 10 years ago. Breaside wasn't top 20 then. We rather madly put her down as a baby to start pre prep at 3, as doing that year guaranteed a reception place and there was such a shortage of places in the state sector at that point that I panicked a bit. But we were ready to move her from nursery anyway due to job change so it wasn't a difficult decision because they took childcare vouchers.

be careful
aboutthe waiting list at Braeside. Our DD was on a waiting list from age 3. We regularly kept checking with the office whether she had moved up the waiting list as time went on. She remained at the same number in the waiting list for 2 years?! When I queried this for the second time, she suddenly moved up the list. We have three children so are used to applying to a variety of schools and Braeside was the least transparent application process I have ever seen.

@Liciaflorrick I know what you mean and I have heard that before. Did you end up getting in or sending your daughter eventually? If not, where did you choose? We are moving to Bromley from quite far away just for schools so its really important that we do get in. My DD has already been accepted at Babington House but I really preferred Breaside (1st) and maybe Bromley High next after visiting. Do let me know if you have any insights on any of these schools.

@aMusingMum Sorry I can't add much to your query however I am in the exact same boat. I registered my daughter for pre-prep at Breaside for this September and she was number 25 on the list and that hasn't moved at all. I have another daughter who is exactly 2 years younger and so I've registered her for the Kindergarten Sep 23 intake and was told that that should guarantee my older daughter a place in Reception 23'. However I called back just to double check and have now been told that it's unlikely there will be a place available for my older daughter next year. So now i've been frantically looking around the area and even as far as Blackheath. Today we visited Babingtons and my husband loves it. I am not so sure although I do find their grounds and facilities are a lot nicer than Breaside. I think its a good 2nd option.
I havent checked out Bromley High as i met a parent from there and she didnt have many good things to say.

What did you not like about Babington and have you checked out Farringtons, St.Olaves, Ashgrove?

@ReynZeysMum so glad to connect to someone who is in the same situation. It really is driving me a bit nuts coz the school is the reason we are moving to Bromley from east london. I have been told as well that it's unlikely she is going to get in Sept this year and reception assessments are my best bet.
Babingtons is definitely an option - mine has already been offered a place in Babington as I had registered in all 3 schools even before seeing them. I think my only hiccup with Babington is that it's a through school and I was hoping for my DD to try for grammars so I feel support won't be there coz obviously they want children to continue. Same with Bromley High. Infrastructure is definitely better in both these than Breaside but I just felt teachers and students came across much more confident and strong at Breaside. And some parents I have talked to are extremely happy hence my preference. And just open day intuition wise Bromley high seemed tad better than Babington and rankings are better too. Reviews have been mixed about that from parents though.

I did not go to Farringtons and Ashgrove coz most of reviews I read at MN and people I talked to did not have great things to say. StOlaves I thought was only boys and grammar? Do they have a prep school? Happy to connect on DM to talk further.

PS- I had also asked for my second one (yet to be born in August 😂) but they don't register without a birthdate. If your younger has a place already that should definitely give you sibling priority?

@ReynZeysMum also what were you not sure about at Babingtons? As in what did you like
more about Breaside than Babingtons?

My kid went to Breaside and she liked the school. Since it's not an thru-train school, every kid is prepared for the 11+ and/or entrance tests. The headmistress and teachers are supportive. I am particularly impressed that the headmistress was at the school entrance to greet the kids and parents every morning and every afternoon. She welcomed all the questions regarding choosing schools and was willing to give advice to parents. The only downside is the campus is small but it does make good sure of Bromley Cricket Club which is about 5-10mins walk from the campus.

I have a child who has been at this school for over 4 years. Almost every single parent I have come in contact with puts their child through intensive 11 plus tuition (outside of the school). The children do not get as much help as they should in the school. In reality the number of pupils moving on to grammar schools from Breaside should be attributed to the extra tuition paid for by parents and not the lessons/teaching provided by the school. If I could do it all over again, I definitely would not choose Breaside. The grounds are claustrophobic & small, their academic teaching is incredibly dated and not relevant for the jobs the children will one day do in the future. All in all it is an uninspirational school. Parents whose children go here will say it is wonderful as we try to justify to ourselves why we are paying the money for the education but having stepped away from it I feel a fool as the teaching and culture of the school is poor; there are far better private schools in the area.

www.breaside.co.uk/about-us/leavers-destinations-2/ if you look at these, the students are going on to a wide range of schools: yes, lots of grammars (which have differing tests - there's not one "11+"), independents (which have differing tests and entry requirements) and some local comps too (so those parents presumably picked the school for other reasons), plus a few to public and boarding schools some years. No school is going to prepare students individually for 30 or more different destinations each year and goodness knows what it'd cost if they tried!

17% to state non selective (well, except by gender and postcode!)
31% to state grammar
52% to independent

So the majority are being prepared for independent school entry if the most recent year's typical.

I have the exact scenario....our daughter has been accepted to both for September intake... we recently moved to Bromley so Bromley high makes more sense logistically and the facilities are much better. JAGS is definitely currently better academically and a lovely school but the journey is intense. Our daughter is currently at a dulwich school close to JAGS and the commute can be a pain so doing that for several years ahead is discouraging us. Both great schools though so a nice problem for us to have I guess...

@Mapipp hey! That's really good. We just had our assessments for Breaside last week so waiting to hear from them. Been accepted in Bromley High. I have a younger DS too so wondering if coed is easier. Bromley high is much closer to us though so morning runs are much tempting there. Where in Bromley have you moved? We moved couple of months ago too! Have heard so much about Dulwich schools esp JAGS. Why did you move from there if I may ask?

@Mapipp also when did you guys do the assessments? And how long did they take to get back to you?

@aMusingMum

congrats! We have our Breaside assessment on the 30th Jan so a bit too late for us... we had our JAGS and Bromley high assessment before Christmas and heard back from Bromley high a couple of weeks later I think and JAGS last week.

We recently moved to Bromley for more space really and love our new house. Braeside is actually the closest to us and I like the coed aspect although the facilities I found lacking in comparison to Bromley high. All fantastic schools though. Dd also got in to Babington House but I know that the least.

Are you leaning to any in particular?

@Mapipp Oh that's awesome! DD is currently going to Babington for preschool coz we got into it without any assessments even before we moved but we were never too keen on it tbh and still are not. Can't really put a finger on anything in particular tbh and she is liking it so far but I think we just thought it was a bit weak academically and if we have to go for through schools might as well do Bromley High!

Same thoughts as you between Bromley High and Breaside. Heard great things about Breaside, it's a prep school so potential for grammars and coed so that's a plus for us. Bromley high has just amazing facilities and Dd and us both really loved the feel and teachers during tasters and assessments. Proximity being another plus. Once we hear from breaside we will decide I guess.

Do you want to connect on PM?

Braeside has shocking Sen provision if that's something that may matter to you.

@Qualified I have noticed every thread on MN which mentions Breaside, you have commented negatively on it and probably the only one who does (might be wrong there). I am sure many other schools have spaces every year. Any reason why you are still continuing there with your DC and not moved them to any other independent or state schools if you feel so strongly against the school? No offence just trying to understand the system and decision making better as it's all new to me.

@MaverickGooseGoose well doesn't matter just yet but would like to understand a bit more. Assume you mean the support / staff is not upto the mark considering it's a fee paying school!

I had DCs at both these schools. If I did it again I would not pay for either of the schools and would send them to one of the amazing state primaries in the area (assuming you live near BHS/Breaside). All the children I have met at my dcs' secondary schools who have been through the state primaries are lovely, bright, well-spoken etc and did just as well getting into secondaries (state and independent) with tutoring (which you'll have to pay for whether you go to Breaside or BHS).

@MsFogi what about extra curriculars and overall exposure to sports drama music languages and infrastructure around all this that is available in these formative years. Did you not think that made any difference to your DCs?

I think for us academics being the most important aspect but the choice, and opportunities for development in all these extra curriculars was what inclined us to privates in the first place.

@aMusingMum yes that would be great, forgive me I'm new to this forum so not yet familiar with how to PM. I completely agree with your assessment of Baeside and Bromley High. We are also hoping for dd to try for grammars schools and if so Breaside makes more sense but yes the facilities at bromley high and the feel on taster day and assessment was lovely. They go to great lengths making it a warm environment and the girls were very impressive, we all loved it and tbh prob felt most happy there....

@Mapipp sent you a PM. Unfortunately it doesn't work on the app you have to open MN via phone browser