Berkhamsted or St Columba’s St Albans

[Amore2010]

Berkhamsted Boys or St Columba’s St Albans?

They seem like chalk and cheese, but we have offers for both, we’re confused and needing to make decision. We’ve recently moved from London and are new to the area.

DS is extremely sporty, competitive, very average academically, stronger in English than Maths, loves science, DT and STEM. Confident socially but doesn’t cope well under pressure especially if he feels he is falling behind his peers. Good pastoral care is a must.

I was swaying towards Berkhamsted, their facilities are impressive but really want a school that will support his individual needs and I think St C is a much smaller school and will do a better job?
I have been reading here that Berkhamsted is pushy and competitive, which sounds like a lot of hard work to be honest. DS will never be an academic high flyer so a well rounded education is our priority. We want him to be encouraged by his school to achieve his best as he can be a little lazy, but happiness comes first.

Berkhamsted isn’t a high flying school in the league tables so locally people don’t think it’s pushy. The grammars in Bucks take a lot of the very bright children. People I know have used Berkhamsted for DC who didn’t get into a Bucks grammar.

I think it’s a notch above St Columbia’s. It’s presumably less pressured that St Albans Boys? However I only know DC who have been to Berkhamsted and they were sporty but ok at academics. Not grammar types though.

Highly anecdotal....

My "non academic" (at age 11) relative went to st Colomba' really enjoyed it, and got 4 As at a level!!!!
They are in their 20s now so school may have changed

@Totalwasteofpaper
And did all the 6th form get identical results? Probably not. My DD did similar at a lower ranking school. They always have bright DC but not the volume of other schools. It’s the lower end of academic results that determine where they are in league tables and, in fact, the view of the school by parents. How many are at the top end also affects a school. In Bucks the vast majority are in the grammars, except a few girls at Wycombe Abbey. Berkhamsted is near Bucks. It’s used by Bucks parents as a back up. However it’s not Wycombe Abbey!

Thanks! I hear mixed messages that 11+ boys places are very competitive for external applicants at Berkhamsted, but given they take their entire prep cohort into senior school probably explains why it’s mixed ability. I have heard however that those on the lower end of ability are being asked to leave the school if they don’t meet expected learning standards?

Similarly I think St C I used as back up for those that didn’t get into the Herts grammar equivalent and St Albans boy.

I think academically they may be very similar. What I can’t choose between is on extra curricular and sports which Berko is better at or the pastoral nurturing style that St C is really known for!

Yes. Berkhamsted get rid of some from their prep that they consider not good enough.

I think you might want to consider if your sporty, competitive, boy needs nurturing. You don’t seem to think he’s shy with no confidence. So I would go with Berkhamsted. My DDs were confident and decent schools do look out for all pupils. I didn’t see many requiring special nurturing where mine boarded. Except in the first few weeks. As he’s not boarding I would suggest he would be fine and the sports provision is what you really want for him.

Berkhamsted was recently ranked third in the country for sport and it does excel in a number of areas. However, take the First XV rugby team. They all play in the youth sections of the big London rugby clubs outside school. So how much of the success is down to the school and how much is down to what they are doing elsewhere? It can also be very disheartening if your son is good but not quite good enough to make these teams. I know the girls school does a decent job at being inclusive for the main sports of lacrosse and netball with multiple teams. I would just double check the offering for the SPECIFIC sport your son is interested in.

It’s an academically good school and boys places at 11 are hard to come by - they have a much bigger intake at 13. They do regularly cull children who do not make the grade though and have done so at random times - like one term into Y7 or at the end of Y12. If your son is average intelligence or above then he’ll be fine.

St Columba’s regularly takes boys who don’t get into Berkhamsted but they do all go on to reach their potential. The bright are stretched and those who need extra help are properly supported (no booting out there). Lots of sport but not generally considered “top flight” but your son may well thrive being one of the better ones and on first teams.

St Columba’s also has a far more London and urban feel to it - many boys travel in from north London on school coaches. Berkhamsted is far more middle class, mainly white, leafy suburbia.

Another consideration is that St Columba’s is slowly transitioning to being coed and assuming you are talking about joining Y7 in 2022 then it will be the first year of a mixed cohort. I actually think it will have a really positive impact on the school. But do you have a preference for single sex vs coed?

I see your quandary though - they are like chalk and cheese.

@Zodlebud
Lots of schools have talented sports people and they are often coached outside school. A certain junior world sprint champion was not coached at a school you know well. They offer sports scholarships. This is designed to get the best young people to the school and then use them for marketing. Many sporty pupils are coached outside school. It happens everywhere. A bigger concern might be are DC expecting to get into a team and will they be disappointed?

@TizerorFizz My point being that there are a lot of very talented young men there and perhaps the school is “buying” in talent through scholarships and this is what is getting the results. It’s no bad thing as playing with people better than yourself forces you to up your game. Some schools are really good at it - like the school you know well. A through to D teams train together and do have movement between them.

Other schools train their A teams separately with different high level coaches to the others and the team stays the same the whole season. That’s why if sport is important and you are not playing at that very highest level, that you must absolutely ask the right questions. For example, Berkhamsted has a hockey Astro but they don’t appear to actually play hockey…….

@Zodlebud
Yes but lots of schools do this. Depends on how they value sport. Most of the major rugby schools have players attached to rugby clubs. It’s just the way it is. Of course it’s buying talent but they all do it. That’s why few cricketers go through the state system. Footballers might stay in state but are coached by clubs. What you see on the pitch is not necessarily young people coached by school staff. Sports change at schools. They come and go. Hickey pitches can easily become football training areas.

But when you are looking at schools for your 11 year old, many parents aren’t aware of this and are wowed by facilities and results.

I would say the main difference is the religion. St Columba's is a cathloic school with big signs all over the walls of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and worship assemblies etc. We discounted it for this reason and also for the very average facilities. However, the staff and pupils all seemed friendly and DS enjoyed the open afternoon we went to in the autumn. We were much more impressed with Berkhamsted but so difficult to tell when we only visited each school once.

@Zodlebud
Yes that’s true. It’s been difficult for parents with limited visiting opportunities. We found asking pupils tended to elicit information. Also we had a parent take us round too - back in the day. Schools also change what they offer. With the advent of football for girls, for example, years ago schools didn’t have football pitches. They do now but have not necessarily bought more land. So changes to existing facilities are made.

However for a sporty child, it is important to know if they will get into a team if that’s what they want. So judging the level of sport is important. Sports scholarships give a hint there. Or can DC develop another sporting interest? Being first team isn’t possible for many, but enjoying sport is. Many schools treat their rugby teams as “Gods” anyway so joining an elite school squad is not only challenging but brings a swagger too.

Personally I would avoid RC schools. Light touch religion feels better unless you are RC of course and want it.

All but one of the boys I know at St Columba’s ARE NOT Catholic. I believe religion is pretty hard core in the prep but is given a far lighter touch in the secondary school.

@Zodlebud

All but one of the boys I know at St Columba’s ARE NOT Catholic. I believe religion is pretty hard core in the prep but is given a far lighter touch in the secondary school.

All pupils have to take RE as a GCSE - so while you can be any religion (or none) this is something that any prospective parent for the senior school should be aware of. There are whole masses too. In the prep you have to attend, not sure whether there is any way to get out of them in the senior school.

I don't know about lower down the school but at Sixth Form, Berkhamsted definitely offer 'favourable terms' to very good rugby players – one of our best friends has sent a DS there for precisely that reason, and yes all the first team are attached to various academies. Nothing wrong with that, but it does mean that the higher teams are dominated by boys who take the sport extremely seriously. I've no idea whether the coaching is excellent or whether they are just taking advantage of boys who are well coached elsewhere. I could find out if anyone's interested!

Also, Berkhamsted do definitely ask people to leave if they feel their results aren't good enough. This happened to (another) friend of ours at the end of Y12, which I find quite shocking.

We considered it for DD for A levels but she didn't like it at all when we went to look round, though I hasten to add that was just a personal opinion.

@thing47
I think when they get to 6th form it’s vital DC feel comfortable with a school. I actually think it is from y7 too. So religion, curriculum, ethos, sport, arts, pastoral care, quality of SLT etc are all in the mix. I think most 10/11 year olds do have opinions that should be considered.

[quote TizerorFizz]@thing47
I think when they get to 6th form it’s vital DC feel comfortable with a school. I actually think it is from y7 too. So religion, curriculum, ethos, sport, arts, pastoral care, quality of SLT etc are all in the mix. I think most 10/11 year olds do have opinions that should be considered.[/quote]
Yes, totally. It's about 'fit' isn't it? I can see it's tricky for parents where their DC likes all the options available (or none of them!), but in general I'm a big believer in gut feeling about things like universities, schools, clubs, jobs etc. Re/ Berkhamsted, DD just said 'yeah I don't think this is for me', she didn't like the vibe, didn't like the HT's talk and didn't like the huge emphasis on maths (she's a scientist but not a mathematician).

@thing47
Overhearing some parents in Berkhamsted was enough to put me off. DD wasn’t very keen either but our neighbours liked it. Only for their DDs who didn’t get to a grammar though and were very sporty.

I don't think many people choose it over the Dr Challoner's Schools, RGS or Beacy High if their DCs get into one of those…

Anecdotally I have heard the netball is very inclusive though I don't know anyone with girls at the school. The rugby definitely isn't.

The catchment area north of Berkhamsted is the Aylesbury grammars. So even then, Berkhamsted isn’t first choice of anyone I know. I suspect plenty of parents like Chesham Grammar too.

Yes Chesham Grammar is very good, and an obvious choice if you prefer mixed schooling.

Friend's DS travels quite a way to get to Berkhamsted but he's rugby mad

Thanks! Does anyone if Berkhamsted is equally as good in football and cricket as they are in rugby? Someone mentioned special treatments for A team rugby players but DS is well rounded in all sports and playing rugby and cricket to a good level outside of school, but also loves football.

Unfortunately Chesham Grammar is not an option for us but we’re in the catchment for Ashlyn’s. Should I be considering this alongside Berkhamsted and St C?

My son joins Berko for 6th having left a highly selective boarding school.

He's good at rugby but not 1st team and still gets fab training and lots of matches. They win a lot as they are good. Generally they field 3 or 4 teams as most boys don't play rugby.

Football seems good too, not as highly thought of by boys but still competitive and lots of good training. They field 5 or 6 teams as more boys want to play.

Looking forward to cricket season!

We chose not to do 11+ and have privately educated throughout. Both sons would likely have got places at Dr Challoners but IMO there's much more to education than academic grades.

They have very strong football teams but again the A teams are all youth academy players at local clubs - Watford, Arsenal, Tottenham, Luton etc. A few local preps send more than a handful of football sports scholarship boys their way each year. Same situation as rugby.

Their cricket teams are decent but probably not seen as good as those at Merchant Taylors. They are regular National champions at Eton Fives too.

It is a very sporty school and if your son is happy to just play and won’t be bothered by not being in the first team then it would be a very good fit. If he’s going to get upset chasing spots on teams he may never achieve then maybe reconsider. I know several good all round sporty boys there happily playing on the B and C teams having a blast and being exceptionally happy.

Ashlyns is an extremely good comprehensive school with great sports facilities. Sport is pretty much all extra curricular though as is typical of most state schools. Berkhamsted Raiders are a great local club for quality football. Berkhamsted as a town also has great tennis, hockey and cricket clubs so your son could play extensively outside school. I always say go and check out your local state school as you might be pleasantly surprised.

We went for Berkhamsted, hope it’s the right choice!