LEH

[anonSW]

Hi

We are lucky to have been offered a place at LEH in the 11+, but are worried about transport for after school clubs/away match fixtures and whether or not it is feasible for us.

We are based in Barnes/Putney and so are covered by the coach and 6 pm late coach service. However, we have been told there is no guarantee after school clubs/away match fixtures will finish by 6 pm - realistically we will not be able to drive over to pick our daughter up in those circumstances so she would have to rely on public transport.

Can any parents with daughters at LEH provide an honest assessment as to whether it is feasible to send our daughter there and rely wholly on the coach/public transport, especially in the younger years? Is it possible to only do clubs/fixtures that pretty much guarantee you'd make the late coach service. Also on top of all this how much homework will she be looking at in the evening afterwards?

Any helpful comments would be gratefully received.

Thank you.

We live in Putney and I have a few friends who sent their DDs to LEH. I got the impression it was more of a struggle than they had anticipated. One of them had a DD who did rowing. They ended up hiring a driver to collect her from rowing as she always missed the coach home.

Another one complained to me once about having to go ‘all that way’ for parents’ evening. I was very tempted to remind her that her DD had to do the journey twice a day, every day.

My husband actually asked this very question when my DD went for interview, as we would find it hard to pick her up, due to work commitments and other children.

He was reassured that the late bus would leave after all the after school activities were finished. I will actually phone the school next week and double check this.

We really love LEH and I think it would be perfect for my daughter but we have decided that we will take our first choice state offer if we get it on 1st March for financial reasons.

However if we don't, I think we have about 48 hours to get our forms and deposit to LEH.

So I am going to make sure I have found out all the information and have everything filled in and ready to go.

I also think OP that some LEH mums have posted on another thread to say that the late school bus works out fine and they don't have to drive down there often.

I think you have to pay extra for the late bus on top of the normal bus. It may not be a problem, but worth checking out to avoid any surprises when it come to paying the bill!

My dad has several friends from Barnes/Putney region at LEH. The reality is 95% of the time they can rely on the bus network and sports/music/ drama staff are expected to let them go in time for the bus. Very occasionally there might be a late drama performance or a late return from an away sports fixture and there is always someone to share lifts back to sheen/Barnes/Putney with or jump on the R70 to Richmond with or go home with someone else and get collected later. It just gets worked out.

Dad - dd . They wouldn’t let my dad in!

Thank you so much for the helpful responses. For missing the late coach scenario, I have checked out the R70 bus timetable - it seems to suggest circa 40 mins from LEH to Richmond. I wanted to check this is roughly correct (the route is a strange loop and journey planner doesn't seem to cope well with it). Thank you.

That sounds about right for the R70 in rush hour. You can cut out the loop by walking up the road to catch the bus from a stop which is post-loop. A lot of the LEH/Hampton pupils do that.

A friend of mine who lives Sheen/Putney borders used to have a taxi share arrangement going on, and with a few of them, it was only a fiver each. That was pre-Uber, it could probably be done even more cheaply now!

Yes by walking back on yourself one stop you can miss the loop. Also I believe the school run a late minibus service to one of the local train stations . Ask the school!

Hi there, my DD is at LEH. Late bus is brilliant, we’ve had no issues. About £3/trip I think. After school Drama/netball/ lacrosse and rowing on ergos at school all end in time. She has never missed a bus either there or back and I wouldn’t say she is especially organised! We couldn’t have considered LEH but for late bus, she would have required a parent at /working from home and no siblings with clashing activities! Saturdays are a pain as you are trekking places for games but I think you get that anywhere! Good luck with decisions, it’s a lovely school and school buses mean for easy and predictable journeys and they also meet the local Hampton boys.

My DD left a few years ago but ask about situation if she intends to be a rower. When they're out on the river, it used to end late several nights a week (and there were early sessions on the river before school as well) (and at the weekend). They're also v. tired and damp (even if they change) after evening sessions. Loved the school btw; perfect for my kid.