virgo fidelis preparatory school (west norwood)

[franny671]

hi we have just found out that our ds did not get a place at the local state catholic school and considering the above school. I would love to hear from any parents that send their child/children to the above school for their views of it.

Thanks

I'm not a parent but I have a friend whose son goes there and he's told me that his ds is happy there. I saw a class photo and there were children from many ethnic groups; I remember that the children all looked very happy in the photo.

The name of the school would be enough to put me off!

Hi one of my ds goes to this school due to a similar situation as yourselves, we didn't get a place at our local school a few years ago. I would be happy to talk to you about the school and share my views.

Hi Liners and others,

I am also interested in parents reviews of Virgo Fidelis Prep. Any further feedback? Feel free to contact me via PM also.

Thanks in advance.

Both my children attend Virgo and have been extremely well looked after there. We are not Catholics but have felt completely welcomed, included and equal. My dd has just been accepted at all the independent schools we applied for and been offered a scholarship at one. There is a great international mix of children and and a range of abilities in each class, as it is academically non selective. To me, it is like a very good state school outside of London, where children learn to respect each other, no matter how clever they are or how rich they might be.

Thanks for that update boffins. How long have your children been with with Virgo Fidelis? Is there a reason why you did not choose VF Senior school for your DD? - (assuming thats the case since you said she was accepted by independent schools).

Hi,
my daughter's been with Virgo for over a year now and she's been very happy. I'm also satisfied with the choice we've made: it is a multicultural school (not even confession limited) with a warm environment. Teachers are very nurturing, yet determined to prompt children to reach their full potential. It's a good balance between discipline and fun. It is a very loving environment, where children learn to share, learn to encourage one another. One incident my daughter told me about and which really impressed me: she was doing PE (she's not a fan of) and she was struggling to climb a rope. She just couldn't do it. So, instead of leaving her to abandon the task and children laughing at her, the teacher encouraged her best friends in the class to help her out, which they happily did. At the end of the day my daughter was happy about it and confident enough to recount it to me.
As soon as she turns 2 and ready for nursery, my second daughter will join her sister at Virgo, no doubt about it.

"They take children out of year or with special needs.

Re above post: Virgo Fidelis prides and markets itself on its inclusive culture where every child is supported and encouraged to reach their full potential. Let us not forget some of our biggest business brains and sporting heroes (e.g. Richard Branson - dyslexic) would have been classed as 'special needs' at school. This has not stopped them going on to be incredibly high achievers. I applaud Virgo for this policy and it is in fact one one of the reasons I am choosing it as a school for my children.