The Mead School / Hilden Grange

[khotso1]

Hoping for some up to date insight into these two schools! My 2 boys are currently at Holmewood House but we are look in to move for a more academic / grammar school focus. Geographically Mead would work better as HG would be a good 25 min drive each way but I do like the fact that HG seems to do so well both at 11+ and 13+ with good links to Tonbridge if that were to be an option. Please do let me know your thoughts (good or bad) about either! Thanks so much.

Interesting. Friend moved her son from Vinehall to Holmewood House to ensure he passed the Tonbridge entrance exam to join his brother. He passed.

The Mead was a lovely school but has deteriorated massively since it became part of the Wishford Group. The good teachers have left and it's now got a high staff turnover. It's not particularly academic either. Hilden Grange has better facilities but getting from TW and back is an awful journey. Rose Hill has excellent 11+ results.

I agree re Rose Hill. It’s a really lovely school. Academic but still genuinely nurturing, which is quite a hard balance to get right. Excellent 11+ results this year, with many achieving super-selective scores... and always the option of staying till 13+ if that suits the child better. Definitely worth a look.

I'm very happy to help as I know these schools well. Do send me a PM and we can go from there!

Thanks so much! Are the Rose Hill 11+ (and 13+) results for 2025 available? I can't seem to find them. I see there is also a new Head incoming and wondered if you had any thoughts on that.

We made exactly the same move, for very similar reasons. Like you, we wanted to keep Tonbridge as an option (which I think is wise with boys; several friends whose sons missed out on the super-selective grammars have still secured places at Tonbridge). Holmewood was virtually on our doorstep, but we became increasingly concerned about whether it was the right fit, both in terms of academic expectations and behaviour.

Our children have transformed since moving to Hilden Grange. I’ve gone from being genuinely worried about their lack of progress to feeling completely confident and relaxed. If you compared their end-of-year books, you wouldn’t believe they belonged to the same children. Work is carefully and regularly marked with meaningful feedback; maths and English are stretching and well differentiated; phonics is taught consistently; boosters are provided when needed; and progress data, along with guidance on how we can support at home, is shared transparently. The children feel seen, and pastoral care is excellent.

Sport is very strong, particularly athletics, as well as team games. The school has its own grounds and also uses Tonbridge’s outstanding facilities. Newly hired staff are experienced, long-standing teachers, rather than unqualified nursery staff or newly qualified teachers straight from training, and the difference in the classroom is evident. This is reflected in their excellent leavers’ destinations. Hilden Grange invests in high-quality staff, and they stay. We are also delighted with the new headmistress, who is experienced, involved, academically focused, and genuinely caring.

It may not be as strong in swimming or drama, but for us that is a small price to pay, especially with so many excellent drama schools and swim clubs on the doorstep. We find the drive entirely worthwhile. I wouldn’t hesitate to make the same decision again, though I appreciate how difficult the choice can be.

Just to add another option into the mix for the OP, has anyone looked at Somerhill and, if so, what were your thoughts? We’re still researching locally and it’s one that’s come up alongside Hilden Grange (which we’re about to view), so any experiences, feedback or comparisons would be really helpful.

Somerhill was our second choice and would also have involved a drive from TW. We have friends who are very happy there, with children going on to The Judd School, Tonbridge School, Sevenoaks School and TOGS. From what they share, experienced staff often join from strong London prep schools, having relocated with their own families.

Somerhill has a larger site with more facilities and remains a strong feeder to both grammar and independent schools, including good numbers to Tonbridge and Sevenoaks, two of the more selective day schools. Hilden Grange Schoolprobably has a slight academic edge, with more 11+ passes and pupils moving on to Tonbridge, often with scholarships, at 13. Somerhill stands out for facilities and co-curricular breadth. Its larger cohort allows for economies of scale, themed days, visiting speakers and authors at lower cost per child, while Hilden Grange offers more of a small, close-knit feel where everyone is well known.

Sporting strengths differ, Hilden Grange is particularly strong in athletics, while Somerhill may appeal more for swimming. Both schools are, in my view, stronger than the TW preps for families targeting selective 11+ or 13+ entry.

Somerhill has a new head starting in April, coming from a traditional academic prep in Windsor, so a consistent ethos is likely. They are also appointing a new Head of Pre-Prep as the current one moves to a headship elsewhere, which brings some change but also fresh energy. Some friends feel Somerhill suits girls especially well, and boys who are academic, sporty or passionate about a particular interest thrive, while quieter boys sometimes prefer the smaller environment of Hilden Grange.

Ultimately, both are excellent schools, and the right choice depends on the balance of academics, facilities and atmosphere that best suits your child. Visit both several times and do taster days at both.

Hilden Grange leavers
https://www.hildengrange.co.uk/our-school/destination-schools

Somerhill
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/668994db694ea37aa76e72cf/t/6967bf64c055e87ab265dff7/1768406884980/Somerhill+Destinations+and+Scolarships+202425+%283%29.pdf

Although only one thread of the decision making process. Good luck!

As a current Rose Hill parent, I'd say be wary of considering that one. We're feeling really disillusioned and really could not recommend it. So much of what made it a lovely little school seems to have gone - and many of us are now questioning what we are actually paying our fees for. No librarian, a cull of TAs (which is really not ideal when you have nearly 40% of the children deemed to have special/additional needs) along with talk of changing well established practices/events clearly in an attempt to cut costs further.
When the new Head is appointed things will probably have a big overhaul and hopefully improve, but I would say it's a big risk for anyone coming in at the moment.

Thanks so much for all your inputs. It's so helpful.

I have had quite a lot of private messages from different people regarding moving to Tonbridge based prep schools, so just a reminder:

Somerhill Open Day – 7 March
Hilden Grange – 13 March

These events are very good for getting a feel for the whole school and also allow you to meet lots of parents and staff. You can then follow up with individual tours, meetings and taster days once you have a strong shortlist (ask for as many as needed to feel confident in your choice).

I am sorry I have not been able to get back to everyone. Whether one school is better than the other, or worth moving to from one of the TW prep schools, will vary considerably depending on the child and the family’s priorities. It was definitely worth moving for us, but each child varies.

I am happy to chat to anyone considering Somerhill, Hilden Grange, Holmewood House, Rose Hill and the Mead as I know their strengths and weaknesses well. The new head arrives at Somerhill after Easter, she is from an small, academic school in Windsor which sends children to the big, well known UK private schools. One of the Deputy Heads is moving on as is the Head of the pre-prep - so lots of change on the cards there. The Head at Rose Hill is leaving after an unsettled academic year which has resulted in quite a few staff changes. Hilden Grange's new head is experienced and used to be the head of the girl's side of Somerhill, so knows Kent schools well and she's a great safe pair of hands - although the school is owned by Inspired Schools who will call the shots on some aspects of school life. HG is ambitious for the 11+ but much smaller in size than HH and Somerhill and significantly so in years 7&8.
Be cautious of just looking at 11+ results or scholarships as these really don't tell the full story of a school.
Happy to chat more - do DM if you want a more detailed view as each school suits a different child and family!

@SchoolsMum which would you recommend to those moving from more selective London preps? Keen for a similar level of stretch. Holmewood did not seem the right fit for us academically, although it clearly has many strengths. We are open minded about selective independents or grammar for secondary later on. Flexible location wise as house hunting. Thanks so much!

We have a DS and DD at Somerhill and are absolutely delighted. It is worth noting that, in terms of the classroom environment, it operates very much as two single sex schools at Prep, Derwent Lodge for girls and Yardley Court for boys. It may not suit those seeking a fully coeducational experience throughout.

We have found it offers a good balance of academics, sport and co curricular activities. We moved from a selective school elsewhere and have not been disappointed. We were torn between Hilden Grange and Somerhill, but DD had a strong preference after her taster day. Although we initially thought the smaller environment at Hilden Grange might suit our quieter DC, the larger cohort has been a real advantage, as they have each formed lovely friendship groups quickly.

The Mead also looked strong academically, but we wanted Tonbridge as an option. We also considered Holmewood, but it did not align with where my DCs were at their previous school.

Vote for The Mead! I do not agree with poster above- The Mead is very academic with a large majority going to grammar schools/scholarships to independent schools. The teachers at The Mead are excellent! The children all are known and succeed. I wouldn't touch Rosehill, nor Holmewood (if you want academics as found they are very behind). Sommerhill had a fair amount of bad press with the old head (for reasons I can't say on here) being fired. When we toured it was like an old man's club and only seemed focused on boys!

I don’t think anyone criticised the Mead academically, more that it’s a shame it doesn’t go to 13+ if considering Tonbridge. I think perhaps that got confused with comments about Holmewood not necessarily suiting families if they are used to more selective preps.

We’ve been really impressed with Somerhill, especially Derwent Lodge. The girls definitely don’t feel like an afterthought, they do very well academically, with lots going on to Sevenoaks and grammars ( 41 grammar places this year at SH), but what stands out is how well the school understands girls and builds confident, happy children. Our DD found Derwent Lodge had a similar classroom feel to her London girls’ prep, ambitious but incredibly nurturing, with the bonus of coed play and clubs. The teachers we’ve had have all been excellent and very experienced.

The grounds are gorgeous and encourage imaginative, open ended play, girls’ sport is taken seriously, and the female coaches are fantastic role models. The boys’ side is excellent too, though perhaps better known for this already. The atmosphere feels more Mallory Towers than stuffy.

We’ve been absolutely delighted with Somerhill, our children race out of the car each morning. We also prefer the new headmistress, but the reason the previous head left never worried me.

The Mead and Hilden Grange are also excellent options. I imagine a lot would depend on drive time and the importance of 13+.