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Original poster

Halliford or St. James school better ?

18 replies

summerissooncoming · 23/01/2020 15:34

Hi,
Pls can I have reviews about Halliford and St. James boys school from past or present parents, which one is better. My DS is middle set at school and will need the extra push to perform.

OP posts:
Onceanexpat1 · 24/01/2020 14:21

Hi, I don’t know Halliford I’m afraid, but I have friends with sons who are either at St James now or have left recently. They both travel in from SW London as their boys were really into football. The boys always seemed really happy and enjoyed the meditation and focus on being your best rather than being the best. Good luck with your choice. Hopefully someone will be able to comment on Halliford

NoWayNoHow · 24/01/2020 15:36

I've got a DS at Halliford and we are really, really happy with the school. They're caring, considered, but still help the boys be really independent and focus on growing their ownership over everything they do. Sports good (rugby, cricket, football, and athletics) and they have an amazing music and art dept.

Generally, it's a great, small all round school for boys - DS is flourishing there.

His really good friend is at St James, and is enjoying it there too though so I don't think you can go far wrong. Go with your gut and how you feel about each school when you see it.

confusedparent12 · 25/01/2020 14:47

Have heard good things about both, ds applied to St James in the end but it was mainly transport that was the deciding factor between the two.

Original poster
summerissooncoming · 27/01/2020 15:26

Thanks all for the feedback Smile. DS passed the St.James exam with flying colours and has been offered a scholarship interview.

OP posts:
ticking · 28/01/2020 12:30

This isn't personal experience but I have close friends with Ds's at these two schools - both are very happy and each would recommend.

St James I think suits a more quirky child, with the veggie menu and focus on meditation, Halliford has a more 'standard' air to it. The new head at Halliford is a vast improvement.

I would go for the school you like the feel of best!

confusedparent12 · 29/01/2020 18:31

Ds also offered a place today, we were impressed by the headmaster. Waiting for a couple of other schools but ds has liked St J from the beginning so quite likely to accept.

@summerissooncoming is it an academic scholarship your ds is going to try for?

Original poster
summerissooncoming · 29/01/2020 18:48

Confusedparent2 yes it's academic scholarship

OP posts:
confusedparent12 · 29/01/2020 18:49

Wow he must have done really well in the exams. I like the way they actually tell you the results

Original poster
summerissooncoming · 29/01/2020 19:51

It's such a relief for us, indeed DS did very well. We like the school too and have heard good things from posters here on this thread.

OP posts:
confusedparent12 · 08/03/2020 09:19

@summerissooncoming did you accept your St James place? We accepted ours last week.

Original poster
summerissooncoming · 08/03/2020 09:43

Confusedparent12 we are going to St. George's
Weybridge. It was difficult to let go of the scholarship and we were so impressed with St. James on offers evening though.

OP posts:
confusedparent12 · 08/03/2020 11:07

St George's is a lovely school too, we didn't try as too far. Good luck with it all x

Mumchumof2 · 18/12/2020 08:36

Curious to know what school you all went with? How is it going so far?

blueblueblue4 · 22/12/2020 10:09

St James, ds loves it so far.

blueblueblue4 · 22/12/2020 10:10

Sorry I was confusedparent on the original thread!

After8itsgrownuptime · 22/12/2020 11:31

@blueblueblue4 we have an offer fir this September for st james. It would be great to get both positive and negative feedback as we are also going for halliford

blueblueblue4 · 22/12/2020 11:45

@After8itsgrownuptime I think St J and Halliford are both quite different schools so it depends on your child. We didn't try Halliford as the journey was too far. The things Ds has enjoyed about St J are the pause (mindfulness) they do at the beginning of lessons which helps him feel calm and the site, which is very large for the number of children (he came from a small London school on a tiny site). He is into music and drama and despite covid they have done quite a lot but he has found new interests in sports and sciences that he didn't have confidence in before. We were worried about friendships as he knew no one in Y7 but actually it was fine. We had the impression from a few local parents with offers from more academic schools that St J was not up to much academically but this has proved false and we are aware of some very bright boys in the current Y7 intake.

Bakeachocolatecaketoday · 23/12/2020 07:10

@ticking

This isn't personal experience but I have close friends with Ds's at these two schools - both are very happy and each would recommend.

St James I think suits a more quirky child, with the veggie menu and focus on meditation, Halliford has a more 'standard' air to it. The new head at Halliford is a vast improvement.

I would go for the school you like the feel of best!

My previous comment stands, two friends (St James) have a child in y11 &y8 and two (Halliford) a child in y10 &y7 and both happy.

St James - supportive of dyslexia and other additional needs. Suits the quirkier child.Very possible to do well academically in both, but supportive.

Halliford - More of a standard school.

I have to be honest and say we didn't particularly like either school and went with Radnor House - very pleased with choice, it's been fantastic.
We discounted St James a DS was definitely not quirky, and positively horrified at vegetarian lunches (he loves his food and is a definite meat eater). Went for Halliford, Radnor House and a couple of others. Radnor was our preferred choice all along as at the time Halliford had a slightly strange headmaster....the new one is a lot better.

With DS2, we had a sibling priorty place at Radnor, so put him in for Halliford just in case, but got Radnor.

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