SW London Independents - good pastoral care?

[WhatMeghanWants]

Hi - we're shortlisting schools for DD (just started Y6) and I'm trying to find out how the following schools fare on the pastoral side.

DD is bright but is a bit of a worrier and can lack confidence, so a supportive environment will be key. She's not musical or especially sporty but is interested in drama.

We've been recommended a (long) list of schools and I'd be really grateful if anyone can shed light on which are particularly hot on pastoral care. Or if there are others I've not included.

Wimbledon HS
Putney HS
Francis Holland SW1
G&L
Surbiton
Emanuel
Ibstock Place
Kew House
Kingston Grammar
St James' Girls
Harrodian
St John's Leatherhead

Thank you v v much!

OP, LU is a fantastic school in many many respects and there is nothing essentially wrong with the pastoral care, but it’s a huge school with a campus feel. They seem to put a lot of emphasis on the interview, so they get a lot of DC who are adjusting from being a “big fish in a small pond, to a smaller fish in a massive pond”, if I could put it thst way. Coupled with the fact they are treated as very independent from day one, it can be quite an adjustment for many. It’s fantastic as they grow up through the school because of all the opportunities; the larger year groups and the very forward- thinking curriculum and ethos. I can’t fault any of it at all for my older DC now. But it’s a big school with an urban vibe and might not suit everyone.

I also have a DD at G&L which feels more “school- like” from day one. It’s a smaller year group (about 100 compared to 180 at LU). They do a lot more events to enable parents to get to know each other in the early years. Very friendly vibe and easier to feel involved in the school for parents, I would say.

Could I also strongly recommend Francis Holland SS? I don’t have DD’s there, but I was very impressed when visiting last Jan. I heard their results have been 90% A-A* this year - this is quite a bit higher than PHS! The head seems really switched on and friends say the pastoral side is excellent. Definitely worth a visit.

St Cats has recently had a new head. They no longer have SEN support sessions. There was no consultation about this whatsoever. It’s a much smaller year group (less than 50 per year). I think an averagely bright child with no SEN would do quite well there, but there’s not much flexibility of approach, put it that way.

I don’t have DC at Ibstock, but know many who are there. Again they don’t cater for dyslexia etc (but at least you know this at the point of application)! I have to say - and this is only hearsay from maybe 15-20 DC I’ve known who go there over the years - they don’t exactly enthuse about the school. They find it very strict and a bit rigid. I’m sure there will be a whole myriad of experiences, but that’s the strong impression I’ve got.

Harrodian is lovely in the early years. I met with 4 parents who have DC in the upper years there and they are all dealing with DC drug use. Again, that’s will be an element of this at all schools; year groups will vary and maybe it’s not fair of me to single Harrodian out, but I’m just being honest about what people are talking about.

Good luck!

Thank you espressos for a very thoughtful, candid and useful response to the OP. Your summary of all the schools is very much in line with what Ive gleaned from various conversations and open days over the last year.

Since you seem so well informed, may I ask for any impressions you might have about Alleyns or Emanuel?

I agree with expressOs that LU put a lot of emphasis on the interview and that it has a very urban feel. In my experience it’s a bit like Marmite - parents I know are either evangelical about it or really don’t like the feel of the school for their kids. It clearly depends on the child - I’d say trust your gut reaction in relation to Your Child as you’ll probably know whether your DC will enjoy it or not.

Thanks so much espress0s for your insights.
I'm having another look around Francis Holland. Really liked it, but the Sloane Square location makes me worry that there will be a large contingent of super rich kids. Does any know if this is the case or if I'm overthinking it?!

Thankyou slugs - god knows how “well informed” I am, but glad if it’s helpful in any way. I’ve had 3 (all very different)! DC go through this 11 plus over the last few years, so these are just my experiences.

I’m afraid we never applied to Emmanuel or Alleyns though as they feel a bit out of our area (I’m Barnes way too).

OP - I had exactly the same reservations about FHSS, but was surprised to find it very down to earth tbh. The teachers obviously come from all over. I thought the head was very switched on. The thing is, there are super-rich in all these schools tbh, but the kids don’t really care. My DC at LU has some friends who are to all intents and purposes “super rich”, but, if anything, they’re a bit embarrassed about it and play it down. Equally he has friends in this same group who are on full bursaries, etc, but they all genuinely just take each other as they come and make friends according to their interests etc. All nationalities and all types really. The fact FHS is near the District Line will encourage students in from all over London. Also, they’ll be applying via the Consortium exam and there are Consortium schools in North London etc - quite often, you go where you get a place and make the travel work. When you take them to the exams / interviews, you start recognising people and realise it’s more of less the same cohort of girls going round all the schools!

Basically it’s all a bit of a lottery and even if you think you’ve found the perfect school, so much of their experience there will depend on the friendship group in that given year and this is so unpredictable.

What I did like about the Consortium exam is that you can’t really prepare for it because even though it’s kind of NVR and VR type questions, mingled with some maths and English, there are no sample papers (except for the brief examples they send you) and it’s not like the Bond-style books. If all schools did that, it would be a lot less stressful!

As someone who has very recent experience of St Catherine's, I would thoroughly recommend it for its pastoral care. It's not a hothouse but the teachers are highly ambitious for the girls and it's small enough to feel warm and nurturing.

slugs I have friends with kids at both Emanuel and Alleyn’s and there are very few bad words said about either (pastorally or otherwise) The difficulty is getting into them!

The ‘new’ head at E has ruffled some feathers but others like the fact it is becoming more academic. Increasing numbers are joining in year 6 these days but a lot of care seems to be taken to integrate them all in year 7. (Parents also!)

Personally, I like Alleyn’s approach of giving Y7/8 their own building and minimising the amount of stress faced by moving around. The school coaches also reduce commuting stress. This year’s Y7 came from 62 different schools (broadly 100 external and 50 Alleyns juniors) so again a lot of work is put into settling in.

Both schools seem v down to earth and have a good mix of state and Indy intake. I would argue that historically Emanuel was very ‘white, middle class’ but recent advertising seems to suggest they are working to increase diversity. Alleyns make a big deal out of offering a huge amount of bursaries but I’m not sure how this translates in real terms.

To cut a long ramble short I think most parents would be thrilled with either option but the sheer volume of applications is daunting.

OP, you've had some really good thoughts here - have you looked at NHEHS at all? They're in Ealing but have now started coach routes, one of which stops at Chiswick rail station. My friend lives in Barnes and her daughter has just started there in Year 7; she takes the train two stops to Chiswick in the morning and is then picked up by the coach, so it's a very smooth journey. My friend is really happy with the school and their reputation for pastoral care in excellent

Thanks Foxes. I hadn't considered NHEHS because the journey seemed a bit tricky. Good to know about the coach, so will definitely have a look.

Hi OP,

Re NHEHS please think about how your dd's journey will be if she is taking part in after school activities and there is no coach back. Taking part in drama will involve rehearsals after school and there are a lot of other activities too. My dd is at NHEHS and there is a lot going on after school.

For pastoral care I would not say that this is a particular strength of the school. Certainly not worth a long commute. Not that I've noticed any issue but I haven't seen anything that makes me think a reputation for good pastoral care is well deserved, unless other schools are setting a really low bar.

Thanks for your info on Alleyns and Emanuel stircrazymum

Good point thanks @QGMum. Will factor that in too.

Francis Holland seems very good on pastoral care

Thanks @Doryhunky. Going to see Francis Holland SS again this week - really likes it, as does DD.