Holland Park School

[Oilyvoir]

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/aug/04/allegations-of-toxic-working-environment-at-top-london-school-holland-park

Interesting article if you are in the RBKC area.

Interesting article makes me very concerned. Does anyone have any recent experience of Holland Park School as I'm thinking of applying for my son.
Thanks

Like many I have read some of the press reports, on the back of all this would anyone still opt for this school?

I think this demonstrates that there should be much more to choosing a school than results and Ofsted reports. Really important to speak to current parents and pupils and visit a school to get a feel for it. It must've been really hard recently for people unable to visit schools due to restrictions. So much of our decision a couple of years ago came from that gut feel on the visits during school hours.

amp.theguardian.com/education/2021/sep/08/the-trauma-stays-with-me-ex-pupils-of-london-school-tell-of-toxic-and-abusive-environment

This is another article about the school.

@freeasabird2017

Interesting article makes me very concerned. Does anyone have any recent experience of Holland Park School as I'm thinking of applying for my son. Thanks

My teenager is a former pupil of the school . Very high turn over of teachers I must admit in quite core subjects English and science some parents complained , but overall not a bad experience just hard /sad to see some good teachers leave A large school but most teachers very good at communicating and answering queries promptly

My daughter's beat friend just started there in year 7. Will find out how she finds it, although it's only been a week

Best*

@sammyspoon

I think this demonstrates that there should be much more to choosing a school than results and Ofsted reports. Really important to speak to current parents and pupils and visit a school to get a feel for it. It must've been really hard recently for people unable to visit schools due to restrictions. So much of our decision a couple of years ago came from that gut feel on the visits during school hours.

I agree totally, we were initially seduced by the gloss of the building, results, marketing, school ‘rep’ and results, until we visited an open day a few years ago. We were able to get a real feel from speaking to students etc. Although the staff were watching with very beady eyes. Thankfully we and our child could saw straight through the whole staged event. It all felt overly regulated, formulaic and lacklustre watching the school in progress and walking through the prison/hospital like sterile building. The men in suits did not appeal and the talk from the head was just a bit overbearing and off putting. Personal opinion here.

When we spoke to friends/parents we knew with children there, we were shocked to hear of the lack of pastoral care and the intense pressure put on their children (particularly leading up to exams) to achieve against all odds. Some older pupils told us of the unfairness of the banding system and the favoured pupils. This school is NOT for everyone (same as any), make sure your child is one who can thrive on such discipline, lack of pastoral and high turnover of staff etc.

Of course there will be some who have attended in last 5-10 years who have had a positive and successful experience (have personally yet to come across any and to distinguish what their ability and background might be). I have heard there is a certain favoured type of pupil... not my personal opinion here.

Do not only visit the Open Evening, make sure you do an Open Day as the former is a hyped up marketing event made to appeal to the younger kids / prospective applicants. It is not an accurate representation of the school day to day and the nitty gritty you need to know. The Open Day will hopefully give you a more accurate gut feeling.

The head teacher has for some time been openly trying to turn the school into a de-facto free private school - he says on open day speeches "private school mums - send your children here!" and has cut ties with primary schools where the kids are either too poor, or too brown, (or both) for him to want in his school.

Those kids who are too poor or too brown (or both) to be of interest to the leadership team, but who are already in the school, get the shortest shrift possible. I just went on the HP website, which used to open with a little film of a white, blonde girl running through the school. My DC and I used to laugh (bitterly) at how few BAME children were visible in this film, despite the school being in West London and having (until the head teacher decided to change the demographics of the school) a lot of BAME children. That little film has been taken down, but it said everything you need to know about their vision of an "ideal" school.

As for Ofsted - read the former students' letter where they detail how Ofsted reports were massaged. Difficult pupils (or classes!) send out of sight, parent forms having to go through the school first before being passed to Ofsted, etc.

@doorkeeper

The head teacher has for some time been openly trying to turn the school into a de-facto free private school - he says on open day speeches "private school mums - send your children here!" and has cut ties with primary schools where the kids are either too poor, or too brown, (or both) for him to want in his school.

Those kids who are too poor or too brown (or both) to be of interest to the leadership team, but who are already in the school, get the shortest shrift possible. I just went on the HP website, which used to open with a little film of a white, blonde girl running through the school. My DC and I used to laugh (bitterly) at how few BAME children were visible in this film, despite the school being in West London and having (until the head teacher decided to change the demographics of the school) a lot of BAME children. That little film has been taken down, but it said everything you need to know about their vision of an "ideal" school.

As for Ofsted - read the former students' letter where they detail how Ofsted reports were massaged. Difficult pupils (or classes!) send out of sight, parent forms having to go through the school first before being passed to Ofsted, etc.

Oh yes I think I saw that video. Ridiculously arty and pretentious.

I know 3 teachers from this school and I can confirm that it has a toxic atmosphere for staff.

Someone very close to me worked there and, after leaving, spoke of incredibly toxic working conditions. They gave evidence in court for another former member of staff who brought a successful case against the management who had to pay damages (and his costs).

Teacher turnover is ridiculously high. My youngest lost two teachers just months before her GCSEs! The school is basically an exam factory - minimal pastoral care or extracurricular, no school trips/university visits (even pre-Covid).

More news this morning in the Guardian.

My children go to this school and for them it has been incredible: they both love it and are very happy at school.

They have wonderful and supportive teachers, the school is fantastic at recognising achievement and they have so many after school clubs, which takes the pressure off outside of school trying to find the extracurricular stuff. My son stay for film club, football and swimming, my daughter -maths club, choir and netball. But there are so many things that they can get involved with: Duke of Edinburgh, calligraphy, drama, dissection, “So you want to be a medic”...

There is a expectation of high performance and high behaviour, so perhaps it’s not for everyone.

I’m happy to answer any questions if you want to DM me.

What is your opinion of Mr Hall? Do the SLT still shout a lot? Do they still put kids pictures up on the plasma screens if they fail an exam? Are kids with mental health issues still told to go elsewhere? Are your kids recognised in ‘perfect tense’?

When did the after school clubs start. There were none in my DCs day.

My daughter just started at Holland Park School and is very happy with the school, as her teachers are kind but strict when it comes to dealing with naughty and disruptive kids. We are glad that there is discipline in place to protect those who want to focus on their study or who are subject to bullying or are vulnerable, and that bad behaviour is rectifed immediately. Teaching is very intense and good, both parents and children are kept up to date with homework and teachers' guidelines through an app. Plenty of clubs, as @Whyisitallsostressful has mentioned, and my daughter attends almost everyday. So far, we did not regret choosing HPS over CLSG, LU and leaving the private school system.

I also find your comment as follows rather insulting.

There is a expectation of high performance and high behaviour, so perhaps it’s not for everyone.

Do you really think that my quiet well behaved daughter somehow deserved the screaming and shouting that all the children were subjected to?

Do you think the SLT were right to cover up exploitative teacher:pupil sexual relationships?

Do you think telling mentally ill children to leave the school was acceptable.

When my daughter left the school to attend Sixth at another local school, she was surprised the teachers didn’t shout and were supportive, friendly and caring.

It has taken her to the age of 22 having graduated and now working in the arts field to get anything like a semblance of confidence back. I agree with past pupils that there needs to be an inquiry into the way that students were/are treated at the school.

@Drminime

I hope you continue to feel so positive. The bullying and shouting was directed at all pupils. My DD was in the top band/set throughout.

@doorkeeper

The head teacher has for some time been openly trying to turn the school into a de-facto free private school - he says on open day speeches "private school mums - send your children here!" and has cut ties with primary schools where the kids are either too poor, or too brown, (or both) for him to want in his school.

Those kids who are too poor or too brown (or both) to be of interest to the leadership team, but who are already in the school, get the shortest shrift possible. I just went on the HP website, which used to open with a little film of a white, blonde girl running through the school. My DC and I used to laugh (bitterly) at how few BAME children were visible in this film, despite the school being in West London and having (until the head teacher decided to change the demographics of the school) a lot of BAME children. That little film has been taken down, but it said everything you need to know about their vision of an "ideal" school.

As for Ofsted - read the former students' letter where they detail how Ofsted reports were massaged. Difficult pupils (or classes!) send out of sight, parent forms having to go through the school first before being passed to Ofsted, etc.

I belive this ! My children go to a primary school close by and not one child who applied got in this year.

It is a very mixed school aswell.

Yes, they deliberately changed the admissions process to exclude areas like North Kensington. Despite the fact that Hall previously begged us to take the chance and and send our kids there when it was a failing school.

I was one of the few that objected at the time.

I heard that at meetings the staff are lined up according to salary.

@Taxwolf

Yes, they deliberately changed the admissions process to exclude areas like North Kensington. Despite the fact that Hall previously begged us to take the chance and and send our kids there when it was a failing school.

I was one of the few that objected at the time.

Wow, it makes sense now as their primary school is in North Kensington. How did you find out this information?

My daughter told me that all the kids in the year were lined up according to exam results. The ones with lower marks were told they were destined to be road sweepers, toilet cleaners etc. Insulting to kids whose parents worked in those jobs apart from anything else.