Arts Ed in Chiswick..anyone with any experience

[slotnicki]

My daughter has expressed a real interest in applying for this school when she gets to Y6. I just wondered whether anyone had any experience of this school. We looked round earlier this year and I had very mixed feelings about it..so would be interested to hear from anyone with experience of this school.

Hi there

my daughter is in year 7 at Latymer Upper now but we also looked at Arts Ed last year and did the interviews/exams/auditions. I quite liked it in many ways but was a bit concerned that it limits your choices quite early on in that the focus on arts stuff means that science is pretty pooorly dealt with and so in effect you steer them towards arts subjects earlier than you might otherwise

but I liked the head and it came across as quite a nurturing sort of school - despite the fact that I bet some of the kids may start off a bit showbiz-pushy

dont have any more direct experience than that I'm afraid - school choice is a bit of a nightmare isnt it!

Thanks - this is useful and I think that what you have said about narrowing choice so early was my main misgiving. How does your daughter find Latymer Upper? - I have heard some really good reports and have been impressed by the children I have met who go there.

she's really enjoying it. It was a big change from her tiny primary but she's coped well. They offer tons of extra curricular stuff - drama, music, sport etc which she's gradually getting more involved in and we're very happy with it. They take a lot of care to settle them in well - but then again they take a lot of care choosing them in the first place. Like most schools I think there's a certain type of child it suits - in this case quite confident, quite all-round, bright but not too geeky etc. Its academic but less so than St Pauls or Godolphin - and with less homework!

Well, Arts Ed will seem a bit show bizzy and offer ltd academics - it's a stage school!

I have only visited the school once and found it very run down and shabby looking. I can't speak for thw quality, though!

Have you thought of looking at Tring park? It used to be a sister school to Arts Ed and is very good academically as well as artistically.