Second thoughts - advice needed

[Seniorschoolmum74]

Would really welcome some advice about Hampton Court House school.
Signed up DD ages ago for Year 7, but now Dukes Education has taken over which I understand is a good thing, but I hear nothing but negative things from local mum's about staff unhappiness and bullying at the school.

Really having second thoughts, but nervous to change school choices now. Too late - right ?

Feel awful, want it to be the right choice. Any HCH mum's out there with positive things to say?
Help please

Hi @seniorschoolmum74

Its such a difficult time I think most mums are feeling nervous. How confident are you in the rumours? If its just hearsay, I would book a call with the Head of Year 7 or the Head and talk it through.
Good Luck

Do the mums have children actually at the school?

I have 3 very good friends with children at HCH and they are all very happy with it. Some in prep and some in secondary. Apparently mr rainbow is very nice and the dukes association means that they will start to do team sports with radnor noise for those that want too. I have also met several staff through attending some mutual courses and they ate always lovely. They know they are seen as the quirky school locally but there exam results are excellent and it’s a small nurturing environment. If that’s the right environment for your daughter , then you’ll be fine

Thanks @KLRC71 @Whatswrongwithakipper great advice!
I think I will book a meeting with the school as I need reassurance.

I like the quirkiness, but the bullying sounds absolutely horrendous and I just need to make sure its not true before I can send DD.

Yes, go and look round and go with your gut. I always think it’s like buying a house - you know when you get there if it’s the right school. I haven’t heard anything about bullying from my friends and they are spread across lots of different year groups. If it’s not right for you, then maybe look at somewhere a bit more formal like st Catherine’s in twickenham or sir William Perkins further out at chertsey who both tend to have in year places (depending on where you are located). Good look

Hi@Seniorschoolmum74
I am sorry to say that I am about to pull my DD out of HCH. The rumors are in our experience true :( in my DD class at least.
It was such a good school, caring and great academic results. But the bullying in my DD year is escalating beyond control. The new Headmaster might be nice and smiles a lot, but is just really weak and doesnt deal with any of the real issues going on.
We are actively looking for a new school and as soon as we have one we are out. Many many parents and nice families considering the same. So sad :(
Agree @Whatswrongwithakipper, have heard great things about Radnor and St Catherines. We might see you there !
Sorry to not have brought better news :(

Oh nooooo :(
Thanks for sharing @revoution12, but I was hoping that they weren't true! Hope your DD is ok??
Now EVEN more worried! Will look into other schools asap, but fear I'm too late ....arrghhhh! Have heard of St Catherine's, not sure where William Perkins is??

@Seniorschoolmum74 , if you are the Surrey side of Hampton Court try contacting Ewell Castle school too.
Sir William Perkins school is in Chertsey.

Thanks @Hockeygrass !
So concerned - all suggestions welcome. We are in Ham.

Seriously sad news. So sorry @seniorschoolmum74
Hope you find a replacement soon!

I would still say go and see HCH again and ask them directly about the bullying. Revoluton12’s DD has obviously had an awful time and fingers crossed she will be happier somewhere else. I think that’s the problem with smaller schools as there aren’t as many children to befriend. If you like small and nurturing and want something local
I would get on the phone to st Catherine’s (quite a few come from ham) and they may well agree to a late sitting of exams given your circumstances. It’s worth a phone call as schools are only now finalising their lists

Surely any bullying is class specific, but the staff need to have a policy and use it. Very difficult in fee paying schools to deal with.

[quote revolution12]Hi*@Seniorschoolmum74*
I am sorry to say that I am about to pull my DD out of HCH. The rumors are in our experience true :( in my DD class at least.
It was such a good school, caring and great academic results. But the bullying in my DD year is escalating beyond control. The new Headmaster might be nice and smiles a lot, but is just really weak and doesnt deal with any of the real issues going on.
We are actively looking for a new school and as soon as we have one we are out. Many many parents and nice families considering the same. So sad :(
Agree @Whatswrongwithakipper, have heard great things about Radnor and St Catherines. We might see you there !
Sorry to not have brought better news :([/quote]
Sorry to hear that @revolution12 - are you getting anywhere with changing schools? I've often wondered what happens in this situation and whether it's easy to move schools after the Y7 admissions rounds.

@Seniorschoolmum74 - did your DD have any other offers? Does she have a backup state place?

@Seniorschoolmum74, I've sent you a DM. Our DS also starting in Sep but we've not heard anything about bullying; quite the opposite in fact.

We have 3 DD’s at SWPS and the girls all decided to go there above other schools in the Weybridge and Guildford area.
My eldest is about to leave and has been successful in her Oxford University application as well as offers from all other Russell Group Universities. This is a testament to, not only her own abilities but, also to the dedicated and limitless support she had received from her teachers. She has also become and very motivated and proactive young adult which has been encouraged and nurtured by the school. She will be very sad to leave but has been so well prepared for her life beyond SWPS.
My other 22 DD’s are in Year 10 & 8 and thriving there. Academically they are challenged and stretched. Sport is fun and inclusive for all with a sports scholarship introduced this year. As with most other schools, a lot of the girls attend sports clubs outside the school and represent the school in that given sport. Rowing is the exception and SWPS produces rowers at a high level. Drama is also a lot of fun with the recent ‘Annie’ production very entertaining!! The music department is also very strong.
The school is a modest, high achieving school with a lot of hard working families making sacrifices to send their daughters there. It is by no means faultless, as we have yet to find the perfect school, but it has proved very successful for my 3 DD’s.
Bad behaviour is not tolerated and addressed accordingly. Pastoral care is also taken very seriously and no subject is taboo.
Mr. M has recently announced his resignation after 13 years and will be missed. He has left the school in a great position. What an exciting opportunity for the school to appoint another dynamic and devoted head? I am sure this will be a hotly contested position, as on the whole, it is a great all round school but my no means perfect…’Excellence not Perfection’.

A friend of mine has just put her children into HCH - she has a 13 year old DD and 2 baby boys who are 2 and 1 so was looking for an all through co-ed and the HCH nursery takes small babies instead of just 3+. Daughter was previously at Bedales so she wanted the quirky ethos, not like any old school. She's really impressed so far - head of nursery is from a Montessori background and and the new headmaster, mr Rainbow (love the name!!) is very kind and friendly. The kids seem happy. @revolution12 very sorry to hear of your experience though.

HCH is in a mess, we are parents there, and it has lost its USP and doesn’t know what it is. They are about to reduce teaching time significantly and extent lunchtimes to 80 mins long but with nothing for the kids to do. Very few clubs and no real sense of community. It’s a beautiful setting but it has so many problems.

Bullying is rife at HCH, and small class sizes mean there is nowhere to go when kids fallout but they are about to try and shoehorn more kids into the school to increase revenues. We are leaving end of this year.

@revolution12 you didn’t reply to the other posts above. Did you find a school for your dad or did you do a u-turn on HCH in the end? It would be a shame to tarnish a generally wonderful school, albeit with its flaws, without updating the thread.

Hi, I’m sorry to say but we have pulled our child our of HCH after a term. 2 other kids came out that term too, and other grumblings among parents. This was year 3.
We went as heard lovely things about the old head and family feel and nurturing vibe but that it was also academically great as they got older.
Have to say they have some terrible teachers who let the kids wander around class time and there’s no control over the classes. A couple of teachers were brilliant but left!
We experienced bullying and were shocked how little the school did about it.
It’s very sad as the new head is pleasant enough but smiles and does nothing, and his team around him
are very inexperienced

So sorry to hear this @Tideway12

It's very worrying to read this as our child is also due to start in September. Can I ask where you have put your kids instead?

cc @Seniorschoolmum74 @PitParent @revolution12

We joined HCH four years ago and it was a magical place. The Head was amazing, the teachers were experienced and the whole atmosphere was calm and supportive. Unfortunately the old Head left soon after we joined and the school has been spiralling downwards. Since then, we have had two different ‘acting heads’ and the new head’Mr Rainbow’ who joined in Sep 2021. Under him, many excellent staff have left, bullying is rife and unaddressed, teaching is appalling. There is no homework, no communication with parents and no response to any questions. Mr Rainbow has just announced he is leaving with all his promises about improving the school unfulfilled. So things are really going from bad to worse. Our DD is halfway through her GCSE course so it’s too late for us. But I certainly wouldn’t join now. We’ve been promised improvement for the past four years and things are still getting worse. If you have any other option I would take it.