Hurlingham or The Roche?

[Martini1908]

We have a girl who will start reception in 2025 and a son who'll start reception in 2026. Both are confident kids.
We live in Wandsworth Town so about a 20 min walk to The Roche and around a 32 min walk to Hurlingham.
We are torn as to which school suits our children and family.
We would love to hear personal views on either from anyone who has any recent experience with either please.
Also the commute to both is only on foot and I do worry what the 30 min walk looks like in the dead of winter in the icy rain after clubs! Is a 30 min walk silly to even contemplate?
I want a nurturing school with a focus on sport and academics. I'm leaning towards Hurlingham as its facilities seem better but I don't know what the underlying feel is and how happy the children are there.
Also 3 form entry (Hurlingham) vs 2 form (The Roche) any thoughts?
Ultimately if the kids got into Emanual for a secondary we would be very happy as it's co-ed and local amongst other things so we aren't pushing for St Paul's as an end goal.
Sorry for the long post I'm just trying to anticipate any questions that may be asked.
Thank you in advance

Hi, my eldest daughter just left the Roche and is starting her second year at Emanuel. Our youngest daughter is now in the Upper school at the Roche and we hope she will go to Emanuel too.

We live a 20 minute walk away from the Roche and had a similar choice vs the Hurlingham which was further away from us as well.

We chose the Roche because of the community and spirit of the school, and the high standard of teaching. The facilities mattered less to us as the school results are excellent and they do alot of sport locally; my daughter currently in the upper school does sport for 3 afternoons a week and is always going on trips.

The parent community is wonderful with very down to earth families. We have a lot of parent events each term which are always well attended and popular. We have a really great circle of very good friends at school which was not something we expected as my husband and I both work full time - but the school PTA organise a lot of great parent/children/family events which have really helped us get to know everyone.

My older daughter's year got 8 offers from Emanuel, some had scholarship offers from Emanuel too. The Roche is non selective yet her year got 35 scholarships for the 11+ across all areas which is amazing for a non selective school.

The academic preparation is excellent but in a kind and supportive way - my daughter never felt stressed or pressured. Music, sport, drama and art is well supported by the school and alot of children got scholarships across these broader areas as well as the academics.

I can honestly say we have had nothing but a great experience for both our daughters at the Roche and we will be gutted when our youngest leaves - it's a wonderful school and community we feel lucky to have been part of.

Good luck with your decision!

Thank you for your reply EA1999. It sounds like it ticks a lot of boxes.

Could I pick you brain a little further please? Thinking back to reception, year 1 & year 2; do you think there was much value added in your girls attending a private school vs attending a State school? I'm just thinking that many of the additional sport and extra curricular activities, and prep work doesn't really gain momentum until year 3 and wonder if it is possibly worth considering State till 8...? What do you think?

The fees are becoming extortionate and I did read that one year Roche put fees up 5% and then an additional 7% (12% in a year!) I'm thinking that this plus the new 20% tax is a frightening prospect! What's your experience been on Roche's annual fee increases?

Thank you again

Thank you for your reply @EA1999. It sounds like it ticks a lot of boxes.

Could I pick you brain a little further please? Thinking back to reception, year 1 & year 2; do you think there was much value added in your girls attending a private school vs attending a State school? I'm just thinking that many of the additional sport and extra curricular activities, and prep work doesn't really gain momentum until year 3 and wonder if it is possibly worth considering State till 8...? What do you think?

The fees are becoming extortionate and I did read that one year Roche put fees up 5% and then an additional 7% (12% in a year!) I'm thinking that this plus the new 20% tax is a frightening prospect! What's your experience been on Roche's annual fee increases?

Thank you again

Hi i think the timing of going state to private really varies by child and school. It's worked well for us since reception, there are so many clubs, great education from the start (streaming in maths and english early on etc) and the girls settled in early with a solid group of friends.

We received a letter saying fees won't go up in 24/25 if the VAT increase comes in. I think the fees jumped alot with the extra year 6 building the school invested in etc.

We also have small class sizes at the Roche -neither of my girls has ever been in a class bigger than 18 children.

i hope that helps and good luck with the decision x

Hi there,

My son joined The Roche last year as he entered Year 4, and I can honestly say that it has been the best decision we’ve made for him and our family. The transition was seamless, and he has flourished and is thriving in this nurturing environment. He has achieved so much in just one year, and I only wish we had made the move sooner.

The Roche is more than just a school—it's a close-knit, community-driven environment that truly cares for each child. The nurturing atmosphere is complemented by strong academics, evidenced by their impressive record, including 36 scholarships in the 11+ in 2023. The school also offers a wide range of extracurricular activities, ensuring that there is something for every child.

As a very sporty child, my son loves the three game sessions a week, along with fixtures, tournaments, and away trips. He is excelling and enjoying the variety of sports available.

If you're seeking a nurturing, community-led school with outstanding academics both in and out of the classroom, The Roche is the place to be."

Good Luck !!

Hi @AleishaW thank you for your response.
It's so great to hear your son has flourished since arriving at Roche.
Did he have any issues breaking into the friendship groups that will have inevitably formed within the class as I understand they don't mix the classes up each year?
Did you feel he had to "catch up" a lot with the rest of the class? I'm assuming he joined from the State system?

Separately I'm trying to get a gauge on what the school fees are going to look like once VAT is factored in and although they've frozen them for this coming academic year do you know whether they are planning on increasing then the usual 6% annually + the VAT 20%?. Nothing appears on their website and emailing them doesn't receive a response unfortunately.

Once again I really appreciate the feedback. It all seems really positive.

Yes, he did come from the state system, and I was initially quite apprehensive about whether he would be able to keep up. I was honestly a bit wobbly during the first term whether I had made the right choice in moving him. As my son is quite introverted, but he has managed to fit in and make friends both in and out of his class, which I think is due to the close-knit culture of the school. The children are put into sets for many of their lessons, so they do mix with other children in their year group depending on which set they're in, especially for subjects like Maths, English, and Sports.

I believe because of the sets, he didn’t feel pressured to “catch up.” If anything, I’ve found that the sets he has been placed in are with other children of similar ability, and the smaller class sizes have allowed him to receive more attention.

Unfortunately, I can't give a definitive answer about the VAT situation either. As of now, we’ve been told that it's been frozen for the coming academic year, and the school is exploring ways to mitigate the impact of VAT. I believe they’re trying to keep it at 6%, but please don’t hold me to that.

If you haven’t already request a walk around and fire questions at them!!

@AleishaW it sounds like it had been a successful transition for your son which is fabulous to hear.

I've been to see both schools twice and still feel very torn as they each have great aspects to them.

That would be amazing if they could keep the fees that low but as you say nothing has been announced yet which makes things even harder for me to decide ha!

Many thanks again for your insight 😀

My vote goes to Hurlingham. I have been a parent since 2017, it is a nurturing school with excellent teaching and great facilities. They also have recently extended their wrap around care and they also have excellent 11+ results. DM me if you’d like x

Hello @Martini1908 apologies for digging up this thread, we are considering the Roche so I wondered if you did take it up and how your children find it? Did they manage to make friends quickly? Our child would join Yr2 and is currently in an excellent but too academic state primary.
thank you!