Newland House vs The Mall + Jack & Jill advice please

[cranbury]

I have a girl and a boy. They have places at all 3 schools and now we have been asked for our first big deposit.

Downsides of Newland House - only a third girls and seems very geared to boys, and fewer facilities than The Mall for boys for sports. Upsides same school and one school run and much closer to where we live a 5 minute drive but parking a nightmare. We loved the pre-prep thought it was very unpressurised and the children seemed very happy.

Downsides of the Mall, Jack & Jill (and hopefully LEH Juniors afterwards) - 2 car journeys and potentially 6 years of commuting to Hampton for the girl. Jack and Jill girls are being groomed to pass the LEH exam at age 7, too much pressure at such a young age perhaps.

I like single sex schools but ferrying them to two separate schools, when they overlap for 5 years may be a waste of time and commuting to Hampton could limit my career options and I need to go to work at some point to afford it all.

Any advice. We have ruled out Twickenham Prep we visited and it wasn't for us. We are very unlikely to get any state school for our 3 options where we live for 2011.

Help we can't decide.

Newland and Mall both excellent. I would say if it means one journey, do Newland House.

I would be a bit nervous about Jack & jill's - they really do push the feeder to LEH Juniors for girls, but LEH is very competitive entry and is only suitable for top end ability. The entry test pressure is enormous and if LEH is not the best school for your DD the sense of failure if she does not get in and lots of her friends do must be enormous. She can try for LEH from any number of good pre prep schools and there really is no point going for the high stress preparation route as if your DD has the aptitude she will get in. ( btw my DD is at LEH Juniors, never needed any more preparation than that she got at her lovely, nurturing local pre prep - out of 4 from her class who went for the assessment, 3 got in - and that was from a completely non selective pre prep). Of course, there are lots of ex Jack & Jill's kids in her class but they seem to be the ones who struggle most.

Have heard lots of good things about Newland House (mum of one of the parents in DS's class teaches there and lots of kids from their pre prep go there). As it is co-ed and so close to you I would see it as favourite. Never underestimate the stress of a long complicated school run!

Am not sure I entirely agree with your comments on j and j - it's old fashioned in that it's academic in focus but I would not say it hot houses any more than any other pre prep in the area.

Noe do I agree with the struggling jack and Jill as can give you egs of very bright j and j who have had great success. Although you do have a point that comes up a lot re pre prep and tutoring generally that it might coach a hold Ono a place at a school that ultimately is not well suited in it's approach to that childs abilities.

Neighbours have done what you are planning with their girl and boy And seem happy with it but it really is a very personal thing about schools approach staff facilities balanced with the practical side. None of the schools are a bad choice.

The main reservation I have with Jack & Jills is that it is seen as THE feeder school for LEH Junior school for girls - puts a lot of pressure on DCs to get a place there and LEH is not a school that is going to suit any but the most academically high performing. I would if I was in OP's position prefer a school that was not seen as a feeder to any particular school - how can you know at such a young age what school will suit them at 7?

As I said, my DD did not go there, so don't have direct experience of it as a parent, but a lot of her classmates did and I know its local reputation.

It's a fair point to say it's difficult to pick a school at that age as things may pan out very differently over the years til 7. I do have experience of j and j and like it - the teaching staff were very supportive and definitely started kids on the right learning path. Is your dd enjoying LEH Yorkshire rose -sounds like she is?

That said sounds like newland house may be right house for op. Out of interest what was it about Twickenham prep that didn't suit?

Twickenham Prep have a very territorial secretary!

Yes, poppy, DD loves it - though they work at an academically advanced stage the school is very nurturing and friendly and very strong on the arts, drama and music. It is great for girls who are comfortable working at that level but some girls do struggle - mainly the ones who were intensively coached for the entrance assessment. So you really have to think carefully if it will suit your DD, we certainly thought long and hard about it and it has worked out so far.

Deaddei - I'm intrigued - what did the secretary do???

She's just VERY protective of the staff when you call
"can I speak to x"- no
"can I leave a message"- no
How the hell do I speak to someone then? For all she knows, I'm a prospective parent, and that attitude really gets up my nose!

have friends at twick prep and newland

have heard of the girls issue at newland (and I think it reared its head for our friend) but the parents have kept her there and are generally happy. Just for info, both mine at state school and ds has under 40% boys in his class so wherever you are, you're probably not going to get the perfect 50 50 mix.

twick prep seems v popular - a cater for everyone type place. Often see the kids around who seem happy and polite (not that this should matter but ykwim!)

Yorkshire rose- already have d at LEH and she loves it and echo your comments but was interesting to get a perspective from someone else. Twick prep sec sounds like she has missed her vocation working at a gp surgery.

Thanks for all your comments they have been very useful - any more would be great too as you just can't enough info in making this decision.

If there was a Mall equivalent for girls from 4-11 locally I would go for single sex as I do think there are differences in learning styles. I'm wary about Jack & Jill and DD being pushed through the exam and then being pushed down the LEH route which may not suit her or not getting in and having to go to surbiton high (even worse commuting).

I was a late developer and definitely did not stand out at age 7 but then went on to SPGS. DD may well be as academic as me but who knows at age 3. Newland preprep seemed very relaxed and the children seemed to be really happy and having fun.

Headmaster retiring at Newland which adds uncertainty but you get the impression that a change might be a good thing to shake it up a bit. Everybody thinks the Head at the Mall is fantastic and has done wonders at the school but he may not be there in 4 years time when DS starts reception.

Twick Prep - maybe we caught it on a bad day and it was a Friday. Everybody was very friendly but the kids seemed spaced out and not enjoying or engaged in their lessons, and we saw at least 10 classes and 9 were like it. The headmaster seemed downbeat and all the kids seemed to be scared of him. He twice told us J&J and LEJ Junior may be a good option for us! Preprep did seem good though but prep was taught in such small rooms the kids seemed so squashed.

I have a friend at St James's catholic in one class they only had 6 girls and 24 boys in reception one year so yes there is no guarantee

Have a look at school coaches when considering travel. I would have thought Newland House stronger than the Mall for sport (they almost always beat the Mall at football and rugby!). All are good, really depends how important it is for you to have them at the same school and how keen you are to avoid 7+ exams (bearing in mind that if you want LEH seniors probably easier to get in from LEH juniors).

What ages are they - are you having to decide for just one of them at this stage? Could you, for example, decide to start your daughter at NH and make a later decision about whether to send your son there or to the Mall (possibly at the same time as trying her for LEH juniors and she could stay at NH if you decided against or she didn't get in).

I would have said that NH a bit socially smarter than the Mall (not that it matters but you are looking for differences and there aren't that many!). Appt of new NH Head will be crucial; Mall head very good at PR, substance I am a little less sure although changes have all been for the better.

Roquefort - LEH juniors have just started a guaranteed places system for moving to senior school so most junior school pupils will not have to take the entry test to move to seniors if progress is satisfactory. Guaranteed places offered at end of year 5 (I think that's what they told us! ) For the last lot of yr 5s I think only about 4 out of the whole year group were not offered a guaranteed place, and those few can still take the entrance test if they want to.

Poppy - ah your DD is already at LEH - wonder if I know you?

Thanks roquefort LEH junior don't think do bus from us as there is a normal bus at the end of our road that goes there, but wouldn't want to put a 7 year old alone on any bus to be honest.

DC are 2 year apart, 3 years would have been a bit more useful!

Not sure when NH head will be announced.

just came across this thread ... really surprised to see Jack and Jill mentioned, brought back excellent memories I had of the place .. I went there back in the 70s and my Mum was school secretary! It was a fantastic school back then. I went on to The Old Vicarage in Richmond which was also brilliant. Many of my friends went to LEH, Putney High etc and a couple to Surbiton High. Good luck with your decision!

Well if LEH junior have starting guaranteeing places that will mean that competition for places at 7 will go up even further. I'm definitely leaning towards NH after these comments.

why do you think you will not get a good state place? Collis/St M&P are both really excellent and if it means you having to go back to work don't rule them out imo. It has become much easier in teddington in the last year since they increased the entry.

the other thing to take into account is how well your dd will get on with girls only. I had a place for dd at St. Catherine's but didn't take it. Thank goodness, she gets on so well with the boys in her class it would have been such a shame and a disadvantage for her in a single sex class.

cranbury - the new policy is just to avoid the charade of forcing all girls to take the entry test - the vast majority have always been offered a place at the senior school. So I can't see it causing more competition for places in the junior school.

I'm in Twickenham and I will unlikely get anything better than 20th place on the waiting list for the local schools - st marys bulge class means there will be practically no places in 2011 for non siblings and church places as they state on their website! Sorry don't want DC to go to Chase Bridge which is what we would probably be offered. We don't want to move which is the other alternative.

Agree Cranbury wouldn't be v happy with Chase Bridge. Are you close enough for St Marys or Little Orleans then St Stephens?

what about Trafalgar?
I guess you are over by Twickenham station. Many of my friends living that way have all got into St Mary's the last few years (mixture of church places and proximity) so it may not be as dire as you think.

i remember being in this position a couple of years ago (DD1 is now year 1) convinced we wouldn't get offered a good enough state place and i was 100% up for paying for private as were most of my friends and only one ended up "having" to due to school offered.

I went to Trafalgar

St Marys have an extra class this year too so some of my nieces friends who'd previously been refused got their places.