Hitchin - state school in year admissions or private?

[Irishgal11]

Hi ... hopefully posting in right place!
We’re moving to Hitchin from London, yr 3 girl and year 4 boy. From my research it’s going to be nigh on impossible to get them both into a good/outstanding state primary so we’re considering going private until they get to secondary school age. Couple of questions...

• does anyone have any experience of in year admissions in Hitchin? What are the chances of getting them both into one of the good/outstanding primaries?

• if we end up sending them to st Chris or kingshott, does anyone know if many kids leave after year 6 to go to hitchin girls/boys? Just trying to gauge how their friendship groups might be impacted.

Thanks all

You can always apply for in-year admissions and see which schools you’re offered (legally, you must be offered something) and take it from there.

If looking at preps, they generally share their leavers’ destinations. I don’t know about Hitchin specifically but it’s rare to pay for a prep and then continue to a comp. Parents are more likely to do it the other way round.

Yeah I know they have to offer me somewhere - I’m just worried that the ‘somewhere’ won’t be decent. We’d prefer for them to have a state education all the way through but would rather send them to private for a couple of years and then on to the outstanding comps than to a poor school.

Am I overthinking it? Has anyone had experience with in year primary admissions in Hitchin or elsewhere and actually it’s worked out ok?

@Irishgal11 I worry about this too! We are planning on moving to Hitchin, I will have a Yr 2 and Reception aged kids and was thinking of private until secondary as the chance of getting good primaries willl be unlikely! It’s so hard isn’t it. Where you moving from?

All primary schools in Hitchin are either good or outstanding so shouldn't be a problem.

All Hitchin schools, primary and secondary state schools are brilliant we are so lucky and spoilt by choice here. My daughter went to Wilshere Dacre and was in the waiting list for St Andrews, we had a place available when she was in in Y6- I moved her and glad I did- St Andrews is a brilliant school. Others are Mary Exton, Samuel Lucas, Whitehill, William Ransom. My daughter is now at the girls school- it is also a brilliant school. Good luck with your move!

I’m from Hitchin, born and bred here, moved away and come back, but not privately educated so can’t comment on that, but i just wanted to add - Hitchin Boys and Hitchin girls schools aren’t necessarily the perfect holy grail schools that people who move to Hitchin think they are. Not saying that they are bad schools, but they have their issues (I know a few teachers in each and I know students who have gone to the schools). Some kids I know have done very well. Some have done awfully there. One girl from my church had a horrendous time of racist bullying at HGS recently and had to move to another nearby school because the school handled it awfully. A teacher who works there has also admitted that their is a general culture in HGS to ‘favour’ or prioritise the academically bright girls and less acedemic girls seem to just get left to it. Similarly, my nephews go to the boys school, and are thriving there. I also know of some other boys who have had very bad experiences.

The other Hitchin school (The Priory) seems to get snubbed by Londoners, but it is still a good school and has a great pastoral department and is quite all rounded. Of course it has its issues too, all schools do. There are also some very good schools around the vicinity of Hitchin which students often travel to. I’m just trying to make the point that the fact that your children are still several years of secondary and you have already decided on the girls school or boys school when actually, you may also want to consider other options as well.