Does anyone have a child or experience of King's College Wimbledon?

[DarkBlueEyes]

We are deciding between two offers and one of them is Claremont Fan school. William Brierly, the current Senior Deputy Head of King's, has just been appointed as the new Head of Claremont. Just wanting to know what he's like really, to try to get a feel for where the school is headed. Feel free to PM if you'd be more comfortable. Thank you!

Thank you to the poster who sent me a pm. Anyone else?

He has only been SDH for less than a year and I can't say I've ever noticed him. Kings seem to be losing an awful lot of senior staff recently, the other deputy head left last year and his replacement hasn't even started yet. There's been quite a few assistant heads leave as well, 2 left at Christmas for what looks like sideways moves. Fortunately DS's last year or I'd be worried.

My DS is at King's. He's very happy and doing very well. Lovely school, great results, but not a hothouse. Staff are always leaving and joining, as in any other large organisation.

We also had a substantial scholarship offer from Claremont, but it was our fallback school and it was no contest once we had an offer from King's.

These are really quite different schools . KCS is a very academic school and will have far more academic pupils than Claremont. Only you know whether your DS would be comfortable in this environment.

Which other school apart from CFC are you trying to choose from?

It's not clear from your post if your two offers are CFC and King's or CFC and another school and you are just asking about King's because you are wondering if the new Head will bring some of the King's ethos with him? I don't know much about either school but does anyone else think that a move from King's to CFC is "interesting"?

It is normal career progression for the Deputy Head of a school like KCS to become Head of a school like CFC.
He is in his early 40s and taking the next step!

Agree letbygones Deputies at 'top' schools often get a headship at smaller or less 'big name' schools to then move on in 5 years or so to a 'top' or 'big name' school (if they want to).

If you look at schools like St Paul's, City of London, Wellington, LEH all their recent heads have been Heads from other schools rather than deputies being promoted.

Indeed, PugDoug.
Or KCS - Andrew Halls was previously the Headmaster of Magdalen College School.

I think Claremont Fan Court School will be one to watch. It does not get worse results than elsewhere, if you look at the number going at Oxbridge, similar to Reed's, etc. It is such a beautiful looking school. It has a very polite, old fashioned air about it. Be interesting to see how the new head takes the school forward. Interesting appointment.

I agree re Claremont, with St John’s being so oversubscribed this year and Reeds now a back up to Hampton and RGS I know ds's going to Claremont in September who would have previously gone to Reeds/St John’s. Halliford will also benefit from the continuing shortage of places for boys in South West London and Surrey. It will be interesting to watch their results over the coming years.