Northbridge house - Hampstead

[viio]

Hi - any parents with recent experience? What is the teaching like? What is the Sen department like? Thank you

hi. did you ever get any help with this? we are also considering North Bridge House. trying to get people’s thoughts

I went to visit it a few years ago for year 7 entry and wasn’t impressed, but perhaps I caught them on a bad day, as it seemed very disorganised! I do not know if you are looking for a DS or DD, and this is from a current yr 7 parent in the school that there aren’t many girls in year 7. This of course may not be the norm across other year groups.

Yes I got some information @davekoz999 . I looked at the results comparing it to similar private schools, and they are good. They can stretch a child if that’s what the child needs but I am not sure about support if they have Sen. What is attracting me to it is no bullying policy they are super strict and almost no bullying, when it happens children are dealt with appropriately.

Unless a child aims for Highgate or ucs or Habs or similar schools NBH is slightly better then other schools.

it is correct if there is a girl they will be in minority as it’s mainly boys. However, I have met someone who has a girl and is considering NBH for their daughter….

after driving myself mad about all the secondary schools it seems it’s luck what and who you get and it’s ultimately all about what class they get, how good teachers are … if they are happy they will learn and if they learn I don’t see why they wouldn’t achieve whatever they set out to do.

Two children here. Both happy, completely different learners, both seen as an individual due to small school size. Great pastoral care.

Sorry to say that I'm withdrawing my child from the school after a a year that started in underwhelming fashion riddled with poor comms and is ending with so little having happened. Next to no trips, supply teachers galore, clubs that no one seems to be able to navigate and a real lack of positive drive.

The real issue though is bullying and a poor culture in taking it seriously and a repressive atmosphere that is not acknowledged or dealt with. It's been a stunning waste of money and the slack uniform, constant swearing and other issues are really depressing.

@QueueingDad sorry your experience has been so bad. What year is your DC in? Is your experience with the junior school or the senior school?

Year 7 and in Senior Hampstead. I hear good things about the Prep and Canonbury and I can say there are good teachers in Hampstead etc but we've had a horrible year to be honest and their response is breathtakingly bad. I should add that out other child is in a prep school (not Cognita) and we've not ever complained once about it - we don't spend our time complaining. It's quite something that we've been driven to this and I am now preparing legal steps regarding their safeguarding failures.

@QueueingDad wow I am so sorry that you have had such a bad experience. It is often the case that class composition can impact the way the children experience the school for that particular year.

I know a few people that have either been to NBH Hampstead or are there now and all have had a very positive experiences in particular socially. It is very individual due to so many factors so I am sorry that your child had such horrendous experience and the school did not help you out.

Ps @QueueingDad where are you thinking of putting your child into. It seems to be impossible to get into any school unless you have been tutored for 3 years ahead of y7! Which I would move to another country

I'm so sorry you've had this experience. The newly appointed head of safeguarding has been an excellent head of year 11. She's been incredible.
I have one just finished the school and one not far behind who came from a state secondary school who had many problems there. One of the smaller problems was just feeling completely unseen in the massive state system. It can be a horrible time if you see their happiness/well being fading away. I hope you find the right place for your family. Since my second one started NBH the positive change in well-being has been huge and the academic side has seen the benefit of this.
I'm sure you must have spoken or had communication with Head of School who is extremely committed and open, have you been able to talk?
School provision through these years can be really tricky. Wishing you much success in finding the the best possible match in whatever comes next.

@QueueingDad

Afraid I agree with a lot of this. Terrible comms (SatchelOne hasn't worked in over a year so it's impossible to see what homework your child has set), poor/non-existent facilities, trips and extra-curricular and, worst of all, the school/Cognita takes every opportunity to rip parents off. They charge £350 per laptop repair, even accidental or wear and tear, on aged machines which cost less than the cost of the repair and refuse to let you bring your own. The repair takes months and you get a substandard machine returned which doesn't work and then you have to pay for another repair! Complaining gets you nowhere (everything is a Cognita policy that can't be changed). Food is dire but costs £400 a term/£6 a meal and no opt out. They also have an inconsistent and unfair approach to discipline, dishing out serious sanctions for minor infractions whilst letting serious problem characters get away with murder. One of the few pluses is that some/most of the teaching is good and lessons are interesting and it provides a more nurturing alternative to many state options, but I just don't think it's worth 10k per term.

Thank you everyone for the responses and I'm very happy for people whose children have had good experiences - you only get to do childhood once and that's far more important than me making a point on this thread.

Now months on from having left my reflections are not softened, in fact they've got a lot worse. My daughter is in the middle of a lot of medical consultations and the growing theory from the professionals involved is that her problems have come from that year in Northbridge as she processes what went on.

Over time she's opened up about what went on which confirms my thoughts on the appalling safeguarding at that school. She literally has flashbacks about that place.

Northbridge Senior Hampstead (soon to become Alleyn's) took a year of my child's childhood away and I will never forgive them. Their attitude, their callousness and astonishing lack for her wellbeing vs their naked, desperate bullying to extort more money from us was appalling.