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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Marylebone Boys’ School

14 replies

doingthebesticanover40 · 23/08/2019 19:27

I have noticed Marylebone Boys’ School doesn’t have a very big presence on mumsnet and felt I should add to it as I my eldest son just achieved very good gcse results at the school! He was in the first cohort and I feel the school has been brilliant for him and for my younger son too ( who goes into y10 in September). They are very different boys but both seem to have thrived at MBS. I have always felt there to be a very good atmosphere in the school - good behavior and some excellent teaching. The head - Mr Ardron seems to maintain a very good relationship with all the boys and I think it is his fair but warm leadership that marks the school. There are some problems ( no playground!)

OP posts:
Original poster
doingthebesticanover40 · 23/08/2019 19:30

Whoops! I think I posted that before I finished! I just wanted to post something because I know how useful I found mumsnet when doing secondary school research!

OP posts:
Zinnia · 23/08/2019 23:08

Interesting to hear from a MBS parent and congrats to your DS! There was a thread on here in the spring wondering about why it was undersubscribed this year. Do you have any ideas why that might be? I ha e girls but know many of my friends with sons would be keen to know more about the school.

Emilyscribe · 28/08/2019 18:49

I echo the comments above. My son had just completed his GCSEs at MBS and achieved excellent results. Staff know how to nurture, encourage and guide, whilst keeping the boys in line! There is an atmosphere of quiet studiousness...success is celebrated and rewarded and disruption managed out of the classroom. Bullying is pretty non-existent and the school celebrates a diverse range of talents. There are countless opportunities for extension; DofE, The Brilliant Club, visiting speakers, opportunities to see business and enterprise in action, the Jack Petchey. The school had a tricky start - 2 different sets of temporary accommodation, but now it is in a purpose-built facility in an amazing location. I hear that the local community are becoming increasingly engaged and so I see the school going from strength to strength. I couldn't recommend Marylebone Boys' enough. It is a hidden gem and so if you are lucky enough to get a place - snap it up.

Original poster
doingthebesticanover40 · 04/09/2019 23:42

My eldest son is actually a very strong character and could potentially have got into trouble in a different school environment but MBS really knew who he was and have worked with him to achieve these great results. His younger brother is very different - more musical - much better behaved - but again MBS really understood quite early who he is and not only is he very happy at the school but I am certain he will do very well. As the mum above says -bullying seems to be non existent ( and even a whiff of it stamped out fairly firmly) and most of the teaching is excellent.

OP posts:
JAK10 · 16/12/2019 22:56

I put this school at the top of the list for my son, I’ll find out in March if that’s where he’ll go. It is very nice to hear some good words about it, I’m absolutely petrified of sending my child into a horrible environment!

OMVM2 · 03/03/2020 08:22

We got a place! Very happy. Anyone else on here accepted?

JAK10 · 03/03/2020 10:10

Yes!

Verite1 · 04/03/2020 12:49

This is really useful as we are considering applying for September 2021. The lack of playground did put me off though. @emilyscribe and @doingthebesticanover40 - did that bother your sons. Also, does the fact that it is a free school have any effect (good or bad)?

Emilyscribe · 04/03/2020 15:12

@Verite1 the lack of playground is not ideal, but the Head is very keen on sports and so the boys are regularly bused to sports grounds to train. There is no easy fix for the lack of space. However, I think this is increasingly true of many free schools. The fact that it is a free school that is still relatively new, means that there is the onus on the school to do well - better in fact. The leadership are not jaded and are enthused by the possibilities. There is the sense of being pioneers - the boys picked up on this and were proud to be part of something new.

hoxtonbabe · 05/03/2020 22:14

Grrrr reading this is upsetting me. My DS got a place in September but turned it down partly due to distance but mainly due to nothing to go on. My DS wanted to go but on weighing it all up, it didn’t seem right at the time.

I didn’t dislike the school but equally I wasn’t overjoyed, I was on the fence I guess, anyhoo he got into a school nearer home and it’s been horrid and funny enough for the last month I’ve been battling with myself if I should see if they have spaces as I can’t keep him where he is. He has become so anxious etc he’s stopped eating at school and at home, I submitted a letter from GP but the school couldn’t t give a toss, and they aren’t even trying to support him.. it a school can lack such basic humanity then I need to ship him out, it’s just a matter of where!

OMVM2 · 18/05/2020 17:45

@hoxtonbabe which school is the horrid one? we've been offered a place closer to us (UCL) and as much as I would not like my son to go there, most of his friends are going there so he is thinking about it..

hoxtonbabe · 18/05/2020 17:55

@omvm2

My neighbor is a teacher at UCL and the person said it’s not a good school. Many people think UCL = excellent school, but apparently not.

Back to the original question, the school my son attends now is horrible but I’m nowhere near MBS Or UCL so the school my son is currently at wont be any of the ones near you.

OMVM2 · 18/05/2020 18:03

oh really? people seem to rave about it a lot and it's very oversubscribed so I wondered. I never warmed to it though, kids seemed to lack discipline a little during open day. I did like the building itself. Thank you for the comment, I will convince him it's not a good idea to change the choice :)

hoxtonbabe · 18/05/2020 18:26

@omvm2

I didn’t ask the ins and outs as to why he doesn’t think it’s good, it could be behaviour, the way they teach, the senior management, I really don’t know, but the school my son is in was supposedly up and coming, new head turned it around and all sorts But it was an absolute load of bollocks and I cottoned on within the first term the school was not fit my DS plus he has the added misery of not being with any of his friends. He got a place at my local catchment school which he really wanted but like you I didn’t think they were disciplined enough etc even though they are an above average performing school, and all his friends went there so was worried about him getting too distracted or getting bullied .. but It was the biggest mistake I made not allowing him to go there as the school has so much more to offer my son, and it almost as if the school he is in now bamboozled me as so many things they said they would do basically didn’t happen and won’t happen and now I can’t even add him to the school list to move him due to corona, so be careful, sometimes the kids actually get it right and we parents get it wrong

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