Belmont Mill Hill & North Bridge House

[Goodluckjonathan76]

Have my heart set on Belmont for DS1 for entry in year 7. Anyone know how hard it is to get in? When we visited they said they have around 300 sit the test for 45 places which is a bit worrying. We had NBH as a back-up. Again, how hard is it to get in? Worried he might get no offers! He is bright but not top set.

Its difficult because of the weight of numbers sitting for a place -but remember Belmont wont be everyone's first choice school and some kids will be sitting 5 or 6 exams for places.

The one child I know for Belmont didnt get in last year. By contrast all 5 kids (including my son) got offered places at NBH last year (Canonbury or Hampstead sites).

If it makes you feel better, my son sat for King Alfreds - there were over 300 kids applying for 8 places there. He was waitlisted and offered a place in the end - but we'd already accepted somewhere else. Are you applying anywhere else? Our school recommended applying to at least 3 to spread the load abit due to weight of numbers - all year 6 children got into secondary schools and all are very happy.

Thanks Dinky, that's helpful, especially re NBH. Which site does your son go to and he is happy there? I looked around the Canonbury site last week and wasn't that keen. Just really worried that he's not going to get a place anyway!

I agree it's very hard to tell because of weight of numbers. A few years ago admissions told me they select from just above average upwards and that they cream off the top rather than aiming for a more mixed ability range. I suppose that must mean that at the time the number of applicants to places was more even?

Sounds like your DC stands a good chance.

DD (14) is at NBH Hampstead. Very happy with it as we like co-ed mixed ability. It's also a great building and premises in a great location plus happy, friendly kids. They also do a good number of subjects at GCSE that other local schools don't do e.g. DD is delighted to be doing Photography

My son ended up going to a differnt school but we applied to NBH Hampstead for him as we liked the vibe there more than Canonbury. We liked it for the same reasons Davros liked it.

I met a guy who teaches at NBH Cannonbury recently and was really impressed, apparently it has a very different catchment area to NBH prep. It sounded really good.

NBH are happy to take average ability kids, so unless he is absolutely intolerable at interview I think you can consider it a safe option, as we do for DD2. Relax. (If you are a hopeless worrier, apply for some state schools by end of Oct to sleep better). The NBH tests are quite straightforward.

You really should have a look at both sites.

The new headteacher at Hampstead gave us an OK/good initial impression at the open evening last week, and I am very interested in any feedback from current parents (Davros?) on recent changes, current status on turnover of kids and teachers etc.

As I said, we are happy for many reasons. I don't really have a sense of staff turnover other than noticing that some leave but many stay a long time. I'm not bothered about that because I think it's inevitable and some change is good. The new HT seems fine, DD thinks he's a bit boring, and I really like the Deputy Head. The pastoral care and system are good. I asked them recently if they are aware that DD is classified as a "young carer" and they responded immediately, asked me to go in to talk to them, made a referral to Soc Svs to make sure it's on record and can be followed up if and when appropriate. There has been some turnover of pupils, particularly going into year 10, but it's been fine. I think 8 left out of DD's large year group of 80 and have been replaced with newbies. One thing that isn't obvious, and I didn't realise myself, is that there are less girls than boys, about 30/70 but, again, it's not a problem and they all get on well. My only beef is that they used to give them too much homework in the holidays, this seems to have changed after I and others gave feedback via the online survey they send us regularly. Any other questions?!

Many thanks, Davros!

(I will give you a rest now, but I might be back with more questions later, thanks)