Notting Hill & Ealing high school

[Workhar]

Hello! Can any NHEHS current parent provide a review about the school? The school seems to have excellent results since many years and superb facilities but doesn’t seem to be as popular as other schools. I wonder why? Any reviews or comments would be highly appreciated. Thanks

How is Notting hill and Ealing school? What's best place to live nearby? How safe is the area?

Has anyone had email come through for NHEHS?

I know a lot of parents are happy with NHEHS. I just want to add my opinion - pastoral care is sub optimal.. the emphasis is very much on running a smooth ship. We found the head of pastoral very rigid and lacking in empathy. A very cold individual. Who often didn’t follow school regulations in dealing with our daughter.

There is a problem with eating disorders at the school. This may be no different from other academic girl schools, but I know two families with girls who were dealing with anorexia at the school who felt the schools approach to less than sympathetic and coordinated. . In one instance the girl’s medical records detailing her condition were e mailed to all the year group parents. We were told by a member of staff the school has a double sheet of A4 of girls with eating disorders.

Bullying isn’t always effectively dealt with. Friends who had two girls at the school who were being bullied following a rape allegation felt the schools handling to be at best chaotic and at worst placing the schools interest above the well being of their daughter.

Drug use is prevalent. With instances of class A drugs being taken on site (again this may not be unusual in private schools).

The school hasnt been without scandal as was reported in the Sunday Times. A charismatic male teacher who had been harassing girls for years and allowed to do so despite girls complaining was forced to leave after the story went viral on the internet. I believe criminal charges against him for images on his computer were subsequently dropped. But it is important to note that girls’ complaints were ignored and subsequent discussion of the incident quickly quashed.

Academically the school is pretty good. Although they have struggled recently to get girls into Oxbridge and some of the top Russell group universities.

Potential NHEHS parents: always be wary of posters suddenly popping up on MN just around 11+ decision time and - apropos of nothing - making serious allegations on a thread (especially a thread that's two years old).

I have no vested interest in NHEHS - although I know a lot of happy girls there - and would always be mindful about the possible motivations of negative posts about a particular school that appear out of nowhere.

I would say that I’m adding to a recent post and was only on mumsnet because I was looking at accepting a school place for my younger child and was looking at school reviews. I laid out my experience of the school and noted those of parents I know whose daughters went to the school.

I would be cautious regarding any posting on mumsnet. No one opinion can reflect the entirety of experience at any school. I would however be particularly wary of the motivation behind a post put online by someone claiming to have little connection to the school. Why on earth would the mumsnet review be on that individuals radar? I can imagine a gdst governor or teacher keeping an eye on posts but an unconnected mumsnet member seems unlikely.

There are indeed many parents happy with the school and I’m sure they are free to write outlining their opinion, but there are also others who are not -I was one of those Nothing I wrote in my post is false. Some truths are unpalatable that doesn’t mean they should not be told. My daughter left last year. I should have written then.

I would also be cautious of those who always praise certain schools - not just once, but repeatedly posting only good things about them, and dismissing or silencing any slightly negative feedback or experience. This could be because of survivorship bias, which makes us more likely to hear positive stories on mumsnet. But I don’t think there is a perfect school a world that suits everyone, personal experience is very personal after all. Negative experience is also representitve.