Tunbridge Wells Prep Schools thoughts

[TWCurious]

Hi all
We are looking to move to Tunbridge Wells in the next year and I'm hoping for some up to date thoughts on local prep schools. Any up to date info on Holmewood House and The Mead would be very much appreciated. We haven't ruled Rose Hill out completely but we've heard some quite unsettling rumours via friends of friends about viability and the popularity of the Head - as in she's really not! However, I'm keeping an open mind.
My children are currently in Reception, Year 1 and Year 3.
Many thanks in advance.

Your friends are correct - such a shame about Rose Hill. The Head is awful.

The Mead is definitely the most academic of the 3 mentioned however all pupils leave at 11+ (not an issue unless you want Tonbridge school at 13+). It's definitely the best at preparing for grammars. However, despite being perhaps the most academically rigorous of the TW preps all of our friends with children there also say how nurturing it is and how supported their children are. My godson absolutely adores it and his parents always say it feels like a village school in the centre of town. However, less impressive grounds.

Holmewood only really feeds to 13+ schools (leaving earlier is strongly discouraged) and in our experience is no longer as academic as it used to be. Very, very few take the Kent test and I can't say the success rate is very high. We are very torn about leaving as we have lots of lovely friends and our children are settled (we are currently researching and visiting alternatives). The community as a whole is really warm and supportive - everyone knows everyone really quite well. It used to have something of a hot house reputation but things have perhaps swung too far the other way under the new head. Lots (and lots) of new initiatives but students now quite behind local state and independent schools particularly in literacy at Pre Prep level. We keep being told things will pick up in terms of stretch bit this doesn't ever seem to happen. We went to look at the Mead and a few of the Tonbridge Preps and were really quite shocked by the gap. One of of my DCs was telling me about singing for wellbeing/ stress in the mornings recently and I couldn't help but think my stress levels would be much lower if they actually taught phonics every week! I have lost count of how often they have told me they don't have it this week because of a play/ assembly/ preparing for sports day/mermaid day etc etc etc

Holmewood is brilliant for children who are very sporty and energetic and the facilities are top notch (pool / theatre/ sports fields) but I think you need to be very committed to the independent sector until 18. The drama is also amazing, so if this is a passion it's great at nurturing this. In our experience it also seems quite a bit livelier than other preps. Good if you need lots movement breaks, free choice and a bit more free flow but not so good if you like to sit quietly and get on with things. This bothers one DC quite a lot but not so much the other (much livelier one).

As well as looking at the Mead we are now also looking at Hilden Grange and Somerhill in Tonbridge as they also have the option of 13+ and perhaps a bit more balance between sport/ facilities/academics. Depending on where you live they might also be worth a look. There is also quite a lot of movement between preps as children's personalities emerge so you can always change your mind later on!

Direct knowledge of Rose Hill here 🖐️
We’ve had very mixed experiences over the last 6 years - as you’d expect in every school I guess. The Head isn’t universally unpopular by any means!

It’s a lovely school with a lot going for it, although there are a few ‘favourite’ families, which is actually quite nauseating for a lot of parents. And even better for the child if their parent happens to be a teacher in the school (there are a lot of those!)

But our main concern is that school communications with parents are terrible. It appears that they made more than 10 members of staff redundant at the end of term. But - there has been no acknowledgement/mention of this to parents. This lack of transparency is so concerning and makes us wonder what else is happening behind the scenes.

It’s not redundancies that concern us per se - most of the names touted are certainly staff you can understand being up for scrutiny given difficult financial times.
The issue is that there was no mention of these departures, no thanks or farewell. If this is the case and these staff have all left then it’s an appalling way to treat them - and us as parents. We all know the pressures the sector is facing and some honesty would be appreciated. This is where the school falls down, not on teaching, facilities or pastoral care - all of which are outstanding.
Don’t completely rule out RH - as PP says, there is a lot of movement as you realise what does and doesn’t suit your child. And I don’t know how well you know TW, but getting around the town at school drop off/pick up time is a nightmare so you will probably my also want to think about proximity to where you’re living!
Good Luck with your decision.

I think it really does depend on your longer term plans. Are you wanting to move into the grammar schools from Year 7? Or stay independent?

There was definitely some concern this year at the Mead over the lower numbers of their cohort passing the 11+. Getting kids into the grammars is essentially their USP so definitely worth you asking some probing questions about this.

Also location is important. If you need to be near the train station/ in the village area then Mead would be a good option. But definitely look at Sommerhill and Kent College along with HH and RH.

They gave redundancy letters to affected staff in front of Pre Prep children, in the classrooms, as they were teaching. Other letters were delivered to Sports teachers on the field when they were teaching and in full view of other staff. Tells you all you need to know about how the support staff are viewed by the Head.

Thanks all for taking time to respond, much appreciated. Very early days for the children so hard to say if they'll be grammar material but will bear in mind.
I don't like the sound of how the staff have been treated at Rose Hill, your staff are greatest asset in any business and that all sounds pretty appalling to me so I think that's ruled out.

That’s really appalling - I have to assume you’re a member of staff to be so sure about that information. I’m sorry.
As a parent, I can appreciate the challenges that the school is facing and it really must be a nightmare for them at the moment. Some of the names mentioned will be a great loss. Others, not so much and should have been considered for redundancy before this summer.
But completely agreed this sounds like an appalling way to have gone about a necessary exercise and it’s very sad the transparency hasn’t been there.

Just wanted to share our experience in case it's helpful to anyone considering Rose Hill. Both of my children were educated there, with one leaving at the end of year 6 and one at the end of year 8. They are now both thriving and very happy in their respective senior schools, and I do feel RH prepared them really well for the next stage.
Like any school, RH had its ups and downs, but overall, we had a very positive experience. The Head is fine—we never had any issues—and the Pre-Prep is absolutely gorgeous, especially since the recent facelift (I only wish my two had been able to benefit from that!).
The academic standards were solid, and I think that helped my eldest settle quickly and confidently into their grammar school. The Prep school teachers were unbelievably supportive, always offering extra help and guidance when needed.
Pastoral care is also a real strength. They even have a school dog that the children can walk, which I thought was a lovely touch.
Sport is a real highlight—the Head of Games is brilliant—and while neither of mine were especially into music or drama, they still had so many opportunities to perform, which really helped their confidence.
For a smaller school, the facilities are fantastic: an indoor swimming pool, a full sports hall, a theatre with tiered seating, and impressive art and DT rooms.
I know RH sometimes gets a bit of a hard time, but we were genuinely very happy with the education and support we received. Definitely worth a look—it won’t be the right fit for every child, but it was absolutely the right place for ours.

Our experience of HH is mixed- as I imagine it would be at most schools! Generally very positive at prep (y3 up) although English teaching has been a bit ropey this year and we have got a tutor to help compensate. Pre Prep we haven't been impressed so far (reading progress I would say is worrying right across our youngest DCs class as most children have barely moved up the phonics levels) but we are comparing this to DC1s London Pre Prep! I think they also adopt a v slow and steady approach to reading and writing at HH so may just need to see how this plays out in the long run. Can't comment on other TW preps and can't comment on grammar admissions. Hard to say if our pre prep experience is due to a very feisty cohort with a fair few children needing extra support (overstretched TAs), bad luck with a less than stellar teacher or DC2 being a little less academic and quieter than DC1. Probably a mix! I am also hopeful that the shaking up of classes and a more "on it" teacher will help next year. I would agree with comments about the new Head being an acquired taste and the focus having shifted somewhat away from core academics. However, most of the teaching staff of old are still there which balances it out a bit. I do also think variability in teaching likely exists in all schools and the practical elements like drop off/ pickups/ sibling school runs/club logistics also need to be factored in. I am a firm believer that the wellbeing of the whole family has to be a priority otherwise everyone ends up stressed, tired and grumpy. We are also pretty committed to 13+ schools and HH caters well to this. As frustrated as I know some parents are in one of my DCs classes I think you have to play the long game sometimes. I don't plan on moving to either Tonbridge or Sevenoaks although I am sure they also have lovely preps (stamp duty alone brings me out in chills 😂). Our London prep was fab but we could afford a v different house/ lifestyle and the pressure surrounding secondary admissions to schools like St Paul's/ City of London/Westminster etc we felt wasn't for us. On balance my children are very happy and I think moving a child can be incredibly disruptive, you need to be very certain of any gain. My biggest grievance is communication around kindness/unkindess issues as I think the parents of all the children involved are not always fully informed of what went on. I also don't always agree that the sanctions given (if any) are appropriate for what I would view as more serious things, but I will admit to being more old school. However, on the whole loads going on, great sports, happy children, lovely parent community, manageable school run and feeds to the 13+ schools we are interested in (which although competitive are not as cut throat as London). I think anyone looking for a perfect school in a perfect location will likely be looking for a while. To some extent I think the sweet spot for joining HH is at Prep in y3.

The Mead is excellent. HH is more snooty 'eton' types where as Mead has great community and very down to earth. All fit in! Great grammar results too.

Hello, thanks for the useful information. Would you mind elaborating on the viability concerns regarding Rose Hill (and thoughts on Rose Hill generally)? Thank you!

Rosehill seems to be in trouble. Lots of redundancies and small numbers. I would say that’s the worst bet. I would go for The Mead! We are really happy there. The quality of education is superb and they use places round town. Everyone is really lovely anf I don’t worry at all about the viability

I don’t recognise Rose Hill as being in trouble. Yes, there were redundancies that by all accounts appear to have been handled terribly. The Head and Bursar handing a redundancy letter to a TA in the classroom whilst she is teaching is callous, unnecessary and unprofessional. But, we see it more as the school trying to stay on the front foot with efficiencies rather than a viability concern. It is sad when there are redundancies, but as someone else said above, a couple of those who have left are very unsurprising.
I also don’t recognise small numbers. DS’s year group has 40 children, with 4 new children joining at the start of the year. If anything, it’s a problem the other way - especially with games. The other local schools aren’t able to field equal sized teams which isn’t great.

Basically The Mead and RH are built on different models. The Mead is a profit making company, Rose Hill is a not for profit charitable entity. A Companies House search will give you more info on the background finances of each (although the Mead obviously has to file less being a small company rather than the obligations RH has as a charity, so their finances are somewhat more ‘opaque’)

It’s just a shame that there seems to be a small contingent intent on talking Rose Hill down. We saw it a couple of years ago with a group of families who tried to stir up trouble before moving to Holmewood (seems said parents aren’t happy there either now!)
Rose Hill obviously isn’t perfect by any means and won’t suit everyone - but the facilities are great, teaching is generally really good and most importantly it’s a down to earth, happy community. Come and visit and see for yourself - ask the questions you want to ask directly rather than taking the word of contributors here (some of whom have axes to grind!). Ultimately you will know whether it is the right school for you when you come and feel the atmosphere, talk to the staff and see the school in action.

The Mead is a private company, ultimately owned by another parent company (Wishford Schools) as opposed to Rose Hill's not for profit, charitable status.

Pros and cons of both obviously.

You could say that The Mead has potentially greater resources behind it as it is part of a bigger group, whilst Rose Hill is standalone, making the Mead possibly more viable.

Equally a quick check of The Mead's 2024 accounts shows that they are owed £3.2m from other companies in the group (up from £2.3m in 2023) and there is an omnibus guarantee across all the schools in the group, making it a target for the bank if any of the other schools in the group fail. Plus it has to be said that the fact that they are profit making adds a different dimension/motive to the school.

Rose Hill, standalone and not for profit, so at least all the resources are ploughed back into Rose Hill. Less weight behind it, perhaps, without other schools in the group to provide support / loans if necessary.

Personally though the not for profit model sits much better with me as a fee paying parent. It's also good to see greater transparency with what is filed at Companies House because as a charitable entity, Rose Hill files full accounts.

As Happywanderer says - different models entirely. I guess the answer is to find out as much as you can about all the schools. Visit them and see/feel which is best for your family. Don't rule any of them out based on rumours from mumsnet or from friends of friends!

All schools are businesses even if they are not for profit. I would prefer the security of a big group personally than 10 of my child’s teachers been made redundant. I think one of the most important things in current times is to look at the future of the school and make sure it will not go “under” as birth rates are low and VAT means less children to go to these schools

Have a look at the schools in Tonbridge to if the driving time works for you.

I would say we are finally starting to see signs of Holmewood trying to fill the academic gaps (things like setting homework to go over obvious gaps in knowledge from last year, changing over reading books once finished which rarely happened last year, rolling out new apps etc.) but it does concern me that so many of my DCs peers are now having to pay £300 a month at Mathnasium in TW for 3hrs of maths a week. Not just because this is yet more money, but because I think young pre prep/ prep children should be able to relax and unwind at the end of the day. School should be for learning time and the end of the day should be for quality family time. This isn't pushy parents signing up this is worried parents who have children working significantly behind average national expectations (children you would consider quite bright and more than capable of working above average). When you have teaching staff members recommending Mathnasium to ks1 parents you have to wonder what you are paying fees for? Surely it's the schools responsibility to fill the gaps they created with relevant booster groups etc?

I would agree it's worth looking at the Tonbridge preps. A few of them have new heads so we are in the process of meeting with them before finalising our move. We want to be absolutely certain that no matter how many bells and whistles the school has, core subjects remain a priority.

But 10 teachers weren't made redundant at RH. It's sad for the support and admin staff who lost their jobs, but it would be disingenuous to say that it was "10 of my child's teachers". Every organisation (not for profit, big group, small business) has to look at running as efficiently as possible and staff levels in different sections of the business is a key part of that in a school given that salary costs are one of the biggest expenditure items.

If I was a Mead parent, I really wouldn't be happy that we had loaned £3.2m to another independent school (or schools) - have a look at the accounts of the other schools in the Wishford Group that have been given loans from The Mead and you'll see what I mean.

I prefer that any surplus from the fees I pay goes back into the school I have chosen for my children, rather than propping up a different - possibly failing - independent school or providing dividends to a shareholder. But I get it's a personal choice as to which model sits better with you as a 'customer'.

The three Tunbridge Wells prep schools that are mentioned above are all very different and have their own characteristics, largely due to heads, facilities and year groups. You need to think about location as the TW traffic is pretty dire at rush hour, but also what your intentions are for your children's next steps. Ask direct questions of the schools in terms of pupil numbers and destinations at 11+ and at 13+ - this will tell you a certain amount about how they prepare the children, but remember grammar schools are not right for everyone and everyone in Kent uses tutors for the 11+. Schools legally are not allowed to prep pupils for 11+. All children should sit CAT4 tests or equivalent from Year 4 upwards and your school should share these with you as a guide to their individual potential - and next schools. You can also look at Hilden Grange and Somerhill - both towards Tonbridge though, so best to be on that side of TW in terms of traffic. Somerhill new head won't start until April 2026, so a bit of an unknown as she is coming from Windsor and HG head has just started (she was head of Derwent Lodge at Somerhill before they moved to the one head structure). Both very different schools (HG is also owned by Inspired Schools) and play to their strengths. Happy for you to PM me. I know all of these schools well and can give an independent view with no axe to grind!

This is really interesting, thanks - Rose Hill refuse to share CAT scores with parents. Is this something we should be challenging?

@BlueKitten4 it is unusual to not share them. Schools are sometimes reticent as they aren't the only way of evaluating aptitude/potential, so shouldn't be read as a standalone figure (and parents can get fixated on them) - but they can guide future school advice. please PM me if you'd like some help with this!

Thanks everyone for the very helpful information. I have visited all the TW schools and am leaning towards Rose Hill for my son in Y3. I asked the school directly about the staff redundancies and they said they had let a number of teaching assistants go due to increasing costs (especially energy charges) but assured me there were absolutely no concerns around viability. I may DM some of the current RH parents before I make a final decision if that’s ok. All the best to everyone grappling with this!

@Staster I have a DC in Y3 at RH and we are very happy with the school.

I would definitely be asking for the test results. At The Mead School we get CAT tests twice a year from Year 3 and Incas too. If you ever need to appeal ISEB/Grammar you need evidence, plus to know where your child in benchmarked.

A bit outside TW but have a look at Sacred Heart Wadhurst. It doesn't have fancy facilities but the fees reflect that. Very nurturing, fantastic teachers and the new sports teachers have transformed the PE department. Their 11+ results are amazing, they've had two dcs with the maximum mark possible in the past few years and for a tiny school out perform in the numbers they get in grammars and selective privates. It's worth a look. My dcs both went there, they left well rounded and happy but a good solid academic foundation behind them.

It's a RC school but they welcome all faiths and none.

The school had a bit of a rough ride a couple of years ago when some parents left and bad mouthed it on-line. Ignore that, very niche problems which weren't dealt with particularly well as the Head was on Mat leave.

edited for typo