Dear All,
Like many of you before we've started to search for a primary school for our children (daughter to start Sep 25 and son to follow 2 yrs after). We're based in West Hendon so looking at anything in the adjacent areas (Hampstead, Highgate, Mill Hill, obviously Hendon too). Our pre-defined criteria are:
- independent, co-ed and with no religious associations (regardless of how good those schools may be)
- whilst we're keen on academic performance and aiming for grammar or top secondary indie school, hence outcomes are important, at this stage we would value friendly and nurturing environment, keen to avoid places with rat race, full of tiger parents and obsessed leadership
- keen on good international mix of children, I would like to avoid places where one cultural/racial group predominates, just looking for a healthy mix
- some preference will be for school that has 3+ pre-reception )starting at 2 would be even better given our younger son)
I visited Heathside School in Hampstead which made a really good impression on me, though I have some concerns around really tiny space they occupy. Others on my list to visit are:
- Devonshire House School
- North Bridge Schoold West Hampstead/Hampstead
- Hampstead Hill - they give me bad vibes though, unlikely to be able to organize open day before intake (haha!)
- Mulberry House
- Southbank International School, Hampstead Campus
- Hendon Prep School
- Highgate Primary (though they do not have 3+ classes)
Are there any other schools in the area that I should look at? Or perhaps some of you have some personal experiences with the ones on my list? Whilst I appreciate ultimate choice would be down to our feelings, perceptions along with some logistic factors, I'm keen to see quite a few schools to benchmark my expectations and observations as neither myself nor my partner were educated in the UK hence completely new to the system.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.