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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Haberdashers Monmouth School for Girls

29 replies

slummymummy36 · 06/02/2009 00:18

We are a forces family considering senior BS for our 2 DDs. We have been a looked at a few senior schools but Habs Monmouth stuck out to us and we were really impressed.
I was wondering if anyone has any experience of the school or local knowledge etc that they would be willing to share with me!! Any info gratefully received. We have only seen the school once on an open day so any info would be great. Good or bad.
We are a few years off yet, as DD wont be going until 13+ (yr9)! We are yet to look at a few other schools but from the ones we have seen so far, this is the current favourite!

Hope someone can help!

OP posts:
marialuisa · 06/02/2009 09:17

Don't know much about the girls' boarding side but local view is that it is much better than other private options (e.g. HCS, Rougemont) in terms of academics, music,facilities etc. There is a bit of an exodus from my Dsis's village primary to Habs Juniors at Y5 so that the girls are better prepped for the 11+ entrance.

Peachy · 06/02/2009 09:23

Are you near us Marialouisa?

We're having the same thing exodus wise, at prep level: Rougemont not getting great reviews to put it mildly (mainly facillities), seems to be 50 / 50 Chepstow (St Johns on The Hill IIRC) or Habderdashers, dependant on whether they can get a palce.

Excellent local rep.

marialuisa · 06/02/2009 09:42

No, not any more Peachy, but my mum who has younger kids, still is.

I did time at the "Dump on the Hump" at infants and then did Y3 at Habs rather a long time ago.

Peachy · 06/02/2009 09:50

Love that name!

Mine ar in Caerleon Endowed but the Infants is struggling- Junior level is wondrous though, so hpppy to stay state atm.

Original poster
slummymummy36 · 06/02/2009 20:38

Thank you. Its good to hear that it is a locally well respected school. It would be really good if anyone could help me out with some info with regards to the boarding side of things.

Anyone???

OP posts:
ChampagneDahling · 10/02/2009 11:45

Its a fab school - I went there - a long time ago - but still in touch via old girls assoc and friends who have girls there.

I've never heard anything terrible about it apart from usual teenage moans!

I wish I could send DD there but too far and too expensive for us .

I've heard that the pastoral side and boarding is still excellent but that is not personal experience.

Good luck and go for it !!

christywhisty · 10/02/2009 21:23

ChampagneDahling do you remember Mrs Evans a maths teacher?

ChampagneDahling · 11/02/2009 10:07

Hmmm Christywhisty! Not sure - certainly remember Mrs Hutton and Mrs Davies maths. Were you there in Miss Page's day ..??

christywhisty · 11/02/2009 11:00

She is Miss Page, that is her maiden name I never went there but my mum did in the late 40's/early 50's and has very fond memories of the school.
Miss Page is a relative by marriage and we used to spend a lot of time up at the school in the summer holidays in the swimming pool in the 70's.
Miss Page retired from the school in the last few years and has just become a grandmother.

ChampagneDahling · 11/02/2009 13:41

Aaww sweet! At least the pool is covered now - it was ffffffreezing when we swam in it in the 70s - made us tough!! Great facilities now though.

You see slummymummy36 - good things come from HMSG!! Go for it!

Mum72 · 05/03/2010 19:40

We are also considering Habs Monmouth Girls for our DD so bumping this thread.

We are looking at boarding too - does anyone have any info on the boarding there? Our DD is currently very happy at her prep school so we will probably not move her until the 13+ entrance (year 8).

We are off for a visit next week taking our DD with us to see what she thinks. My DH and myself visited last year on an open day but are keen to return for another nosey around and to grill the head!

Any views or opinions or experience on the new(ish) head teacher?

Please do tell me all you can, we are not from the area so all information would be very useful to us.

Mum72 · 05/03/2010 19:41

Ooops I meant going into year 9.

frostyfingers · 08/03/2010 15:37

No personal information but a friend has a daughter there and a son at the boys bit and is happy with them both.

mummydoc · 10/03/2010 18:00

we are local but my dds are at prep school near ledbury , monmouth girls boarding looked really poor to us compared to the other schools we are looking at for yr 7 entry. Not many boarders, mainly overseas boarders. Def got feeling it is mainly a day school with a bit of boarders for the foreign nationals. Would not send my dds there to board. were else have you looked OPoster ?

Mum72 · 10/03/2010 18:19

Mummydoc - that was my worry re the boarding. Will make sure I ask about boarding numbers and "who" boards on our visit.

We have been told to go and have a look at Christ College at Brecon - so I have just sent off for the prospectus. Someone else also suggested Llandovery College - Anyone have any feedbck on either of those schools?

Sushiqueen · 10/03/2010 21:52

Definitely ask about the boarders ratio.

I used to go there and most of us who boarded were from the UK then. I was also a forces child though to be honest there weren't that many of us there who did have families in the forces. More at the boys school than the girls.

DD would love to go there but Dh is against boarding schools (more a case of he would miss her to much).

I must admit I can't fault the education I got there.

And yes I remember Miss Page (as in the headmistress-before Patty took over).Also had Miss Davies for Maths as well as the one with the unprounciable name who scared us to half to death but gave me a real love of Maths.

marialuisa · 11/03/2010 10:08

I have cousins and cousins's kids at Llandovery and Brecon, all boys and day pupils though, so not sure that they could offer much insight. I mainly hear about rugby! They bus it around 20 miles to school and that seems to be pretty normal so UK boarders might be lower in number as a result?

Both schools are quite small in terms of numbers but Llandovery seems to be expanding, the junior department is relatively new for example.

frostyfingers · 11/03/2010 15:22

Are you set on it being that area - would you/could you move further up towards south Shropshire? There's a boarding/day school with a fair number of forces children and about 40% boarders......

HairBearBunch · 15/03/2010 19:27

Well we've just returned from looking round Habs this week. We are a forces family looking to board from Y6.
I was impressed with the quality of the boarding, it was far better than the other schools on our short list and really liked the feel of the place.
Boarding numbers have nearly doubled over the past two years, and for us, there were a good number of forces boarders lower down in the school without it being a typical military boarding school.
Our daughter taster boarded and loved it.
Can you tell we are sold

overweightnoverdrawn · 15/03/2010 22:13

My god daughter goes there and loves it . She has two brothers who go to the boys and a younger sister also goes to Habs . The older boy boarded and my god daughter wants too as well . Get this they live in Crickhowell . So no need to board at all but want too as its so good . I hope she enjoys it as much as my god daughter Megan Jones (now theres a good welsh name for you ) does .

Mum72 · 17/03/2010 09:26

Well we too went for our visit and were very impressed.

It seems the new head who has been there now for 2 years seems to be really turning things around.

The school seems to want to accept more boarders. If the numbers continue to rise at the rapid rate they have for the last 2 years the lady showing us around has said they plan to build a new boarding house to accomodate their explosion in boarding numbers. The head of boarding seemed very switched on and very enthusiastic about boarding.

That for us, looking for a boarding place, is brilliant news.

We did like the look of the whole school in general and there seemed to be alot of GCSE choice avialable too. The girls seemed lovely too.

Its on our short list but we still have one or 2 others to look at but I am swinging towards Habs now.

Mum72 · 04/10/2010 23:27

Just bumping - Anyone have any recent info on Habs Monmouth Girls school and the boarding side?

We did like the look of both boarding houses there that we are now considering moving both DDs there in 2012. One into year 9 and our youngest into yr7.

I would just love to hear from someone with a DD there currently or very recently. We really need to make our final decision soon so any info appreciated! Smile

noodlepoodledoodle · 10/03/2011 10:20

I am about to move to the Monmouth area, Raglan to be precise and I have a 5 year old who needs to go into year 1 starting this Septemeber. Raglan VC Primary is full for that year. Does anyone have any recommendations or any tips or schools to avoid or anything really!!!!

msnordal · 09/05/2011 07:10

Hi - I went to HMSG from age 7-18, finishing in 2004. It was an absolutely fabulous school, and I believe it was pretty well responsible for much of my success in life. Excellent academics, encouraging teachers who truly want the best for the pupils, and an atmosphere of opportunity. Highly recommend.

scaryteacher · 09/05/2011 16:14

msnordal, was Brenda Despontin the Head there then?