Falcons vs St James vs Roche vs Hurlingham

[shar90]

Hi All,

My dd is 2years 3 months but we are planning to move to putney soon so I want to reserve a nursery slot for her in the schools in the subject. Any recommendations on them? I want her to be academic focussed and would try for Putney high and Wimbledon high, but just due to selection criteria in those schools I want to have a back up option.
Also anyone doing commute from Putney to St James or Bute House? How is it like?

I know it feels like such a big decision but really it’s not. Pick a lovely nursery no more than 15 minutes walk from your house. Pick a school that isn’t too far away either. So many bridges are out of action in West London a commute during peak time could’ve be 30 mins or 90 mins. Please, please don’t spend the next few years obsessing over the right school that’s in the wrong place (like I did). Go local.

Your DD is still very young! You have many years before worrying about whether Putney or Wimbledon High are the right environments for her. Pick a nursery you like the feel of, a reasonably distance from her school. And please don't bring up a child who is going to feel a failure if she doesn't manage to get into a highly selective / competitive school.

Sorry, I meant a nursery a reasonable distance from home, not school. Duh.

The commute to St James or Roche would not be worth it to be totally honest. Bute yes- golden ticket girls' school in West London and only hear good things so worth a commute.

Otherwise as PP said, find a nursery you like near your house and look at a mix- PHS, WHS, Bute ballot, Merlin, falcons, hurlingham, prospect house, the study. London birth rates have dropped and so it is much easier to get into even fairly competitive schools now.

The Roche Keswick was amazing. Can’t recommend it enough- wonderful caring experienced staff; both our children loved going there. Even after we moved away from the area, we commuted there for nursery for our younger one.

Thank you all :) , very tough to decide as we want her to go to a school where its not just for the hype but for the values and able to embed the same culture as me and my husband to work hard and achieve in life rather having it easy.

Don't over think all of this, there are 9 years until your dc goes to secondary school. The SW London educational landscape has changed fundamentally since 2020 (there are far fewer dc living in london and wanting a school place than ever predicated). The prep sector is having to adjust to meet the reduced demand and the secondary sector will eventually follow. Find a nursery you like near your home that works for your family life.

We all want to I still that and so do most schools!

Don’t discount state schools, London has many excellent, high achieving ones, with excellent values. If you are moving why are you not moving to a great catchment area to hedge your bets?

One thing I will say is over the last 25 years I’ve seen the journey of quite a few families (neighbours and relatives) that chose feeder private schools at either 4+ or 7+.

The latest two families say, with hindsight, their DCs would have benefited from a different school for either prep or secondary (or both). Both also had to pay for outside clubs and lessons and wish they hadn’t gone private (at least for the whole journey), as they don’t feel DCs have done any better than friends with DCs at good state schools.

But this was c.15 years ago when immigration/birth rate was very high, hence their relief at getting a place at a highly regarded feeder schools and sticking with that school to the bitter end (and avoiding the 11+). Now, as PP said, it’s much easier to get a school place and movement is high as people relocate or simply drop out of private due to cost pressures. So you really can keep your options open.

Start local and you can move when older if you so wish. Your DC has amazing parents that want the very best for them and that is what really matters, not the perceived marginal gain of one highly regarded private school over another.

Go local! You can always change as your children grow too. When you’re little, all that matters is a nice safe and stimulating environment with nearby friends for play dates.
Our son attended two nurseries on different days of the week - one a fabulous forest school which he loved. Then he attended a local state primary for Reception for a few years. This was great at the time, two minutes away and from which he’s made many local friends. Now he’s at Hurlingham Y5 and academically just about where he would be had he been there all along.
Don’t sweat it! Let your daughter have a childhood and if she’s of the right ability she’ll get in to one of those top senior schools with a bit of tutoring or a good prep education from about Y3/4. All the ones you list will give a fairly equal chance to her so where would she be happiest?

The girls we know from WHS and Putney that gone to super selective secondary schools had been tutored either parents, grandparents and private tutors. Therefore any schools, private and state as long as the fit works for your DC. Those with sport and music scholarships levels have paid extra outside school, netball camps, coaching, top music teachers etc.

Bute and Faulkner girls seem to have more guidance and in-school prep. If you have boys, the boys prep schools does give better advice and more information to parents.