Radnor Sevenoaks v Farringtons

[RobEmily]

We are considering both of the above schools for our daughter and then hoping her brother will join her at whichever one we choose.

My daughter is a hard worker, but she has dyslexia so spelling is a challenge (she reads fine). She does ok at school, but I would say her biggest talents lie in sports and art. She certainly prefers Co curricular activities to studying and wants a school with lots of clubs and opportunities.

She didn’t come on the Radnor tour with us, but loves Farringtons due to the Floreat programme, which looks brilliant. Does anybody know if there are as many opportunities as the video and school suggest? Farringtons also mentioned they go horse riding to my daughter’s stable so that was a big win for her. But does anybody know if that actually happens on a regular basis?

I have seen some really awful reviews of Farringtons on here and aware of the strikes, is anything likely to change soon? My daughter is only year 5 and son year 1.

I really like the small feel of Radnor and their ethos of making children ready for the world, including the outdoor learning. I could see her being nurtured there and it sounded like her dyslexia would be very well supported.

My kids are currently in a state school so for either I’m worrying they will feel a bit out of place at first / won’t have had the same prep school experience as other children. Would this matter more or less in one of them? Thank you for any views.

Thank you so much for that detailed answer - I think this concurs with my gut feel, but it’s so hard to tell unless you know someone who knows!

I will spend some time trying to sell Radnor to my daughter. It should be helped by the fact horse riding is not as big a thing as suggested!

If I think of other questions I will certainly DM you, thank you

Have you considered Russell House in Otford Sevenoaks? Co-ed and age 2 to 11 with great SEN. They have a strong academic reputation but are a smaller prep school than some of the others in the region and their main focus is on the child’s individual potential, wellbeing and nurturing.

We’ve just moved our kids to Farringtons and couldn’t speak more highly of it. I was really apprehensive because of the negative reviews I’ve seen as well, but honestly it’s been the best move. My kids get such great support there and especially if your kids or one is dyslexic, they will get great support there. If you haven’t been already, I would recommend going to see it and speaking to the new head. Personally, I really recommend Farrington’s. I think the negative reviews we’ve seen are outdated and old or just disgruntled parents or former teachers my experience there so far has been fantastic and my kids love it they even say prefer it more than their old school. (They are also in the prep school) All the best with your decision x

I was also really worried about Farringtons because of the reviews here. However, my son is in Year 7 at Farringtons and is very happy there. He also came from a state school but has settled in well and made lots of friends.

I’m not sure about the horse riding, but there is plenty to do, and he is really enjoying Floreat. There are lots of clubs on offer, including football, netball, tennis and swimming. So far, the lessons seem very well taught, and my son is well supported.

The school runs many fun days, including dress down days, wear a colour days, etc. Even my other son, who attends another independent school, is envious of his school and extra enjoyment they provide.

I definitely recommend this school!

Radnor aka Combe Bank was usually for those who were not terribly academically blessed. I would never send my children to a school owned by an venture capital company.

Russell House is a lovely school but only goes to 11.

Well my daughter isn’t terribly academic so that’s good news!

I hadn’t thought about the ownership actually - do you mean because it would be run more like a business? I did look up their annual reports and it didn’t make for great reading.