Haydon school Ruislip your thoughts please

[Usernamesake]

Do you have a child at the school?
Are they happy there?
Pastoral care Ok?
Do you wish you'd selected different school?

Husband visited last year and although seems fine academically we were put off by size of the school...
Our child is quite shy, anxious, frets about the smallest things...not sure if going to such a large school be the right option for her. Would also entail a commute of over an hr either way if we didn't drop her off...

We have an option of moving/getting into a good, smaller school within walking distance but still undecided whether that's the best option financially and whether she should just get on with it..

Hearing wildly varying accounts of the school from people locally ; bullying , high staff turnover, etc. Then, great facilities, wide range of subjects etc.

We are visiting again this month but would love to hear the inside track...

Hi, my son just started at Haydon and he really likes it. Yes it is a big school but they've taken less students this year, I think it was reduced from 12 to 10 forms this year. I was in the same position as you last year, abit of a mixed bag when it came to asking people about the school but actually they've been really good, plus the 5 minute commute helps!! They are quite strict where they need to be and I like that about them but they have also been encouraging.

Have you tried Northwood school or Pinner high school? They're both excellent too and much smaller so might suit your child better? Northwood doesn't have as many options as Haydon does but they did seem like they were more of a nurturing environment. You should visit all the schools and see for yourself which you'd prefer your child to spend potentially 7 years of his education at.

I hope that helps abit, I know it's such a difficult choice!! Good luck!!

Thank you for replying and for your thoughts on the school. Interesting to hear about reduced intake..
Yes, be doing the rounds of a few schools over next few weeks and hopefully come to some conclusions!

@Kipsy I'm not sure that's a very helpful comment for the OP as it doesn't seem you have any personal experience of the school...

I'm in the same position as you again @usernamesake as my daughter is in year 6 now so will be asking the same questions again. Haydon really suits my son but I'm not sure that it suits my daughter so I'll be looking round at other schools for her aswell.

Haydon was still undersubscribed this year despite dropping 2 forms in intake.
It's suffered badly from the opening of a new school locally and the refurbishing and resurrection of another school close by, so the kids with good learning behaviour from good local primary school are no longer going to Haydon, but to these schools instead.
This has skewed the catchment for Haydon towards areas where some of the kids are not as ready to settle down and learn in secondary school as they might be.
My friends who work in the school report a fair amount of disruptive behaviour in class in the lower years. The school is trying hard to address this but it's a difficult battle.
I probably wouldn't send a quiet anxious child there if I had other options, especially with that sort of commute.

Thank you for your insight FiveHoursSleep ... hadn't thought about knock on effect of those other 2 schools opening/reopening.
All food for thought and helpful to know

Hi sorry to revive an old thread, just wanted to know if you went with Haydon in the end?? We are moving into the area in the next few months and could be offered a Y7 place there potentially, but haven't visited the school just yet. Would be interested in new feedback about the school as I see the ofsted report is outdated.

Bumping this up as I am currently facing the same dilemma.
We will be moving to Pinner this summer and looking at Haydon school for my child (13 years) who currently studies in a private school in the Middle East. My child is thriving in this school but we have to move to London due to work commitments.
Due to the lockdown in place, we are unable to travel Out of the country to visit prospective schools. I know most schools in UK are closed too.
Can anyone help a concerned parent and provide pointers about Haydon vs Northwood school. I am looking at co-Ed schools but we can’t afford private school at this point.
It’s going to be a huge challenge for my child to start over in a new country, new school, new curriculum. I am hoping to make the best decision humanly possible. Thanks!

Hi
Just curious what you decided to do?

I’m also considering Haydon in the not to distance future so would love some feedback.

Hello everyone
Just wondering if there was anyone else with any feedback of Haydon School. It’s the only one in our catchment so we’re kinda stuck for options and my neighbours son is having an awful experience with bullying - no action from the school so it’s a big worry.

Anyone with positive experiences?

Just wondering what you decided to do and if you went with Haydon what your experience was?