King Alfreds School Hampstead

[Mousemother]

I keep picking up references on here to it being full of under wealth and celebrity parents. I always thought there was a bit of that but that it was a much more mixed and grounded school. Does anyone have recent experience?

We have a place for reception this September. Im keen to hear recents thoughts on the school

Liam Gallagher's kids went there and I think some others from the same milieu, but they're grown up now and schools can change pretty quickly. Best thing would be to visit and see if your DC likes it.

Older child has been through the school. Youngest child currently at the school so a reasonable amount of experience.
There are a reasonable amount of 'celebrities' at the school but they certainly make nothing of it and are all incredibly low key. The school is very helpful and flexible where parents need to take children out if school for periods of time,, so that coupled with its location partly explains why parents in some industries are drawn to it, it's compatible with their lifestyles.
Different year groups and classes vary massively as to their make-up. In older child's year practically every parent was an artist of some type. In youngest child s there is a high number of 'famous' parents but the remainder are comprised largely of those in finance jobs.
There was a change several years ago of head teacher with the current head making it much more in line with academic standards of other schools ( it was a learning Disaster for many previously, although a wonderful and happy place). I think this has probably gradually changed the types of people that send their children.
It is slightly more conforming now than it was, but it's so different to other schools and it's absolutely a community rather than a school. It's a place where you learn to be a person. First and foremost not where you just go to learn academic subjects. The children who have been and go there really love their school and so many parents of current pupils were students there themselves, and in many cases so were their parents too. I think that's unusual. It's very different in the community feel it has .

I don't have DCs at this school but know a few families whose DCs are there, i get from them its not all celebrities but they do have some rich people/wealthy foreign families/some artists type working in creative/music industry too, not everyone is like this and the families i know of are normal middle class families. their kids didnt make the cut to the selective indies and they chose KAS for local aspect/ co-ed factor. Its not very academically selective school (compared say to UCS and SH) so you get many kids who are not into hardcore academics, gazillions of rules and rigid structure.

I live locally to the school. The kids when out and about in a group are really unimpressive - loud, rude, push past people on the pavement etc.