Hampton court house

[catmommom]

Hi! Are there any comment for Hampton Court House? It's a small school and I am concern about teaching quality, bullying and culture of school. The academics seems to be very good but I am not sure if the teachers are loving and caring.

Thanks a lot for helping

Hi @catmommom !

Thank you for your questions regarding the academic and pastoral provision at Hampton Court House. Our Admissions team would be delighted to invite you for a tour of our school where you can discuss your queries in depth. Would you like this to be arranged? Alternatively, we hold Open Mornings most weeks during term-time and you'd be most welcome to join us! Details on how to register for an Open Morning can be found here:
hamptoncourthouse.co.uk/admissions/school-tours/

Hope this helps,
HCH School Office

I sent my DS to Hampton Court House School (HCHS) for a few years and have made the decision to take him out the senior school. My DS did enjoy his time at the school overall, but there were several issues we had:

1. sport, the children were only getting about 30 minutes of timetabled sport per week as they were getting a coach to st Mary’s university and spending more time sat in traffic to and from the lesson. Due to the small cohort there were not enough children for sports teams and therefore no fixtures against other schools.
2. High Teacher turnover, many of my DS favourite teachers were leaving the school or have left, including maths, English, physics, chemistry, geography and drama teacher. Some of these we found out they were leaving from the teacher telling the class rather than this being communicated by the head.
3. Behaviour, we were quite shocked to hear about the poor behaviour in the school, considering it is such a small school with only 1 form per year group. Children seemed to be able to do and wear whatever they like and the relaxed attitude of the teachers meant my DS found it difficult to learn.
4. Infrastructure, when you enter the school there is a loud humming generator which must power a portion of the building and a haze in the air. It is not the welcome you expect. My DS tells me in winter the classrooms are very cold and in summer unbearably hot. Sharing toilets with the younger children in the primary schools was also problematic, as were the lack of toilets. There were also a lack of computers for computer science lessons, with my DS telling me he sometimes has to share a computer.
5. Fees, the fees are very high particularly when you hear about what is happening in lessons. The last years fees have cost us over £24k!
6. Teacher etiquette, I was surprised upon going for a meeting with the headteacher Kate earlier in the year to see a teacher sucking on what appeared to be a vape pen outside the school gates. The teacher was not setting the example I would like for my DS. Vaping is something I have been discouraging, but to see a teacher doing it right outside the gates was disappointing. Kate told me next year HCHS would improve but unfortunately we were not willing to take that chance.

My children are at HCH and are absolutely thriving.

I dont believe @funloving is a parent of HCH. So much of what is being said is untrue....

My DS is incredibly sporty and has taken part in lots of fixtures - I attended the one against KGS where HCH won 13-1 ! The sport provision is so much better than last year and my DS and his friends are loving it!

The school is no longer one form entry. My sons year is three classes next year. The ethos is relaxed - buts that what makes HCH the special place it is. Both my DC are very happy and are doing really well academically.

HCH isnt for everyone, but as a family we think its great. The school has always been academic, but the improvments made this year in sport and clubs have been wonderful.

@Easternbreeze is right.

Anyone reading this should know that the school went through change a few years ago and there are still some really pathetic staff and parents who left who still troll the school on Mumsnet.

As a parent body, we are fed up with reading untrue crap about our school. Which is great and like @Easternbreeze and many more parents, my three children are incredibly happy at HCH.

Private school ( any) is a business ans not a charity organisation.
If a private school ( any)is not overloaded with applications, has a luxury to be selective it is a business more or less desperate for good PR. Would do anything that the parents repeat the positive words like the stepford wives.

I would sooner trust a critical parent than all positive reviews that sound either like school's crypto PR or a parent is gullible or is ratio alising something. In everything and everywhere...there is at least an odd fly in the ointment. I am fed up of reading unicorn increadibly happy stories. They make me concern and suspicious. I like the truth.

Thay is my take on it and it is not about that specific school. Just any.

I totally endorse funloveingbeacon… sounds to me like they were and still would be spot on!.. add serious issues with bullying to that too..