Private schools in Putney- thoughts, views, comments??

[tvfriend]

We're hoping our DCs will get into the local (church) primary school but it's a slim chance so considering private as well.
Anyone have children at the Roche, Lion House, Hurlingham etc? Are your children happy there? Just after any info really. Thanks

I went to Putney High and loved it but went at secondary level. I would say it only really suits a more outgoing child but does encourage other abilities despite being very academic (music, drama, sport)

The junior school has no homework which is a positive but obv only girls.

Reputation of Putney Park was very much as a not very academic and a bit sleepy school but that seems to have changed.

Also sorry - lots of friends that went to Merlin and they are all lovely people, outgoing, confident and non consensual.

crikey yorkshirerose, that's terrible

Portandlemon - yes, I bet that's what PP were trying to do, silly them. When will schools learn that if they're snooty it puts you off, I decided not even to bother with a very sough-after school after its receptionist laughed down the phone when I asked about a place. Since then several people who applied after me got their dcs in.

Yes- that is awful Yorkshire Rose! I heard a similar story about Kensington Prep but that was because the girl 'wasn't clever enough'- she was 7...
Well Putney Park were happy to show me around and they are doing visits now for 2011/2012 entry. I also am getting the vague impression that it is very nice but not very academic. But as I don't really have a clue what DD will be like it's hard to know whether that is good or bad!

I swore to myself I wouldn't get hung up on all this schooling lark and so far today I have arranged 4 visits!

TVfriend - don't want to sound obsessive about P Park [smile} - but the good thing about it is in the junior section it's academic if you want it to be and not if you don't, iyswim. I think the senior school's where it becomes a refuge for girls who found other schools too full-on (all the ones I've met love it there, though)

~But in junior dept they'll prep your children for their next school according to their level of ability and not make them feel like losers if they're not super brains, which is the way with some of these preps. I'd go by your gut and also go for one of the closest schools to you to make your life far less stressful in the early years. See what you think.

Jujumaman & tvfriend - yes, I was pretty shocked when it happened! I usually hesitate to criticise a school, but i can't see any excuse for their behaviour.

A state school would never be able to get away with it and some independent schools do seem to have a worrying habit of acting on a whim.

Jujumaman- sounds good. Basically just want a school that DD enjoys, can walk to, will be academic if she needs it and is not full of extremely posh braying parents!
I went to a v academic boarding school which I enjoyed, most of the time. There were quite a few girls from London and even at the age of 12 they all thought themselves v cool and a cut above the rest of us . So even though DD is being bought up in London I want her to avoid being one of those types iyswim- although I think all girls now are a lot more sophisticated than we ever were. Think a lot of them hailed from Chelsea way though- think Putney is much nicer

Come to think of it. the only children I know who've gone to Prospect House have been extremely girly girls. Maybe they just can't cope with anything else?

Putney is (gasp) South Of The River, so a fair proportion of posh braying parents won't deign to set foot here .

re Merlin, we spent a reception year there and left for another school right after as I wasn't happy with it.

It depends on one's preferences though, I find their curriculum/teaching lacks structure/system. They jump from one thing to the next, it's difficult to keep track of what the goals/milestones are at each stage, etc.

Also, huge turnover of teachers lately. Lots of old-timers have left, some new ones left after one term (!!), some after one year, etc. It sent me a message that something was not right, and together with my own thoughts on structure (or lack thereof) made my decision to leave much easier. Also, in our year they put together 4 (!!) reception classes, so much for a small school. People were livid as that's not what they bought into. Apparently, they won't do 4 classes again.

Also, there is no playground, just asphalt backyard so if your child is not outgoing,just running around type, difficult to have pleasurable playtimes.

Science is great so is art. They make much of their maths teacher (male), but he only teaches the top group (which they don't tell you at the beginning).

A lot of these things don't matter to a lot of people, some parents are blissfully happy with the schoool. So it really is a very individual choise. I am much happier with our current school and glad we had the courage to pull DD out after one year.

Have you thought about Ibstock?
Supposed to be v good now

I know a few people who went to Putney Park they all loved it

Putney High Juniors is a bit scary. DD got in there but luckily she also got into the state primary of our choice so she went there. I found the head rather overbearing and the atmosphere a bit intense! I have no doubt it is a good school though, it just depends on whether your dd suits a very nurturing environment or not I guess

I know people at Putney Park who are very happy, and fwiw dd was offered a place there last year with only a few months' notice - not a long waiting list. She didn't go, because she got into a state primary that we preferred, but we had a good experience of their admissions process, overall. Didn't totally love it, but did seem nice, fairly open, and nurturing.

I also know a few children at the Merlin, who all seem to love it there, but I don't know them well. Good luck, wherever you go and whatever the uniform

We did also look at Ibstock, but personally I liked it a lot more a few years ago. Academically it has gone 'up', but the ethos has changed...and I was shocked to hear their philosophy on children with SN or behavioural problems, tbh.

That was a year ago, though, maybe things have changed again...hope so! I do know a couple of boys in Reception, and they seem to be quite happy, so no doubt it depends on the family/child as well - but definitely not for us.

Thanks for all your help!
Haven't considered Ibstock Place as def can't walk to that and that's quite important to me. Visiting most of the others over the next month so we'll see...

Hi

I have applied for my prescholer in putney high school and am worried about the type of assessment. Can u pls guide me what do they ask and how to get my DD prepared for it?

I am at present working on phonetics and she is able to write her name! what do they ask in verbal reasoning and maths?

pls help!

Thanks in anticipation!

regards
ricks

Pre-schooler- verbal reasoning and maths?
Should they not be colouring in and playing?

deaddei, I think PHS is not for you. The ethos is, rightly in my view, academic but there is a lot of fun. If you only want your child to learn via play - which is a reasonable enough view at this tender age - then go for eg Merlins and not a school that actively manages its league table results.

Ricks, the best advice I can give you testwise is to prepare your little girl for a positive experience so she is not nervous and gives of her best. I would also try to come across as an involved and committed mother, as I am sure you are by the query in any event. They like mothers who will get heavily into their children's progress and help a lot outside school hours.

The other schools I know little about save that PPark failed to get some boys of my acquaintance into their preferred schools. Whose "fault" this was I do not know.

Know lovely happy children at all the schools mentioned in this thread. Don't know if it's too late for you to apply but if you don't meet the criteria for All Saints/St Mary's, have you thought about Brandelhow. It has gone from strength to strength in recent years and I have heard excellent reports both academically and pastorally about it.

I don't know Putney, as I'm in a different bit of SW London. But wanted to say that I've heard really good things about the Roche.

Our dd is in her last year at Hurlingham. Had a great time there, really good teachers and in last 2 years really picked up its game in terms of sport and academic performance. New head is great

Hello
I wondered if anyone knew what feeder school/nursery have good results assisting girls into Putney High Juniors, do they have a connection with a preferred nursery school?
Many thanks

I have friends with children at all the schools mentioned and the only one I hear negative things about is PP - eg, recent change of head, not dealing well with challenging children, very small classes and not many boys mean that boys' friendship groups can be difficult. I've never been in though and it looks lovely.

Merlin is very focused on the 7+ for boys and hence is very academic, with a lot of homework. The teachers are not always tolerant of less able children or less confident children (in my experience - anedoctal only). PH I would say suits a certain type of girl - confident, outgoing, academic. I sense the parents don't love it but trust it to offer a good education. Square One nursery claims to prepare girls well for PH but like someone else has said, they really do assess on an individual basis (eg, there are lots of examples of younger siblings not gettting in).

I take it you are not considering Hotham? Parents are turning down places at All Saints for Hotham, particularly since it offers a bi-lingual education.

I've visited many of the schools mentioned here for my DS and found that:

Putney Park - were very approachable... a little too approachable and too keen gave away a small teddy for the visit!? I also had the impression that their strengths were more towards building self confidence and esteem as opposed to academics.

Merlin - Felt like a strong school that aspires to achieve more than it currently does (which is a plus), and were far from snooty.

Hurlingham - Funny uniform, but I met someone who wants to send all 3 of her children there (one there already) so they must be doing something right! Receptionists were very helpful.

Prospect House - I definitely found them to be the best non-assessed entry private school in the immediate area. They provided extra sessions for the weaker pupils. The facilities appeared modern, and IT was quite uptodate (although I can imagine it could benefit from do a little refresh over the coming year or two), places are limited (and waiting lists are long, which says it all). Having said that, I heard they are expanding the school and therefore doubling the number of places available, this is both a positive and negative as it could affect teaching standards. They are my first choice school for my DS if he gets offered a place (I woud happily lose a terms deposit, ouch, if we got a late offer from them... but that is primarily because it would save an hour and a half of school runs a day as my DD is at Putney High School).

Putney High School - My DD went for 6 junior school assessments and got 3 offers, she went to most of the school visits too and she said she liked it the most (assessments too) and wanted to go there and so it was a no brainer when they made an offer. Their assessments were by far the most efficiently run and parent friendly. Like most GDSTs they are academically strong but want children to be confident and open. I guess they have to be pretty confident to wear bright purple. They assigned a buddy from a older year to each reception child to help ensure they feel safe and wanted from day one, my DD loves her one. I was also amazed how many older girls said good morning to her by name during the 2nd week of her starting.

Roche - I only visited the nursery, but was put off when they said that they expected to require children to do 5 days a week upon starting (at 2 years old!?) However I have to admit I loved how well they managed they were and how calm the classroom was.

Lion House - Based in a church, the early years get to use the upper LARGE floor/room. They seemed rather nurturing and friendly. Shame about the outfit the young ones have to wear. I will be sending my DS here, he just loved the place and didn't want to leave (nothing more important than making sure your DC have a love of and wanting to go to their school).

Noddy's nursery - Fantastic facilities! I wish I went there as a child (assuming my parents could afford it). They operated hours that were longer than normal working hours allowing the parents to do drop off and pickups (and without the need of making breakfast and lunch). Just a shame the cost was much steeper than all the other places and that my DS was scared of playing with a class as we visited the rest of the nursery.

Despite your vendetta against the Roche, thank you reviving this zombie thread- I started it nearly 9 (!!!) years ago and I've had a very entertaining few minutes reading through it, knowing what I know now and having just gone through all the secondary school angst!