Boys schools North West London

[FiPie]

Needing advice on independent boys schools in North West London. DS1 is very bright, but sensitive. DS2 is bright and hardy. Both need challenging and are competitive but don't enjoy being small fishes in enormous oceans. They need lots of positive reinforcement/encouragement. Any advice? Have looked at Harrow, John Lyon, Merchant Taylors, Haberdashers, Aldenham. But it's hard to get a feel.

Merchant Taylors all the way. Has done wonders for our, previously shy but competitive and now quite academic, boy.

Aldenham is quite a different school and I know of a couple of dispraxic but highly intelligent boys who have been rather bored and unchallenged there. Both sets of parents are looking for alternative schools now.

Aldenham isn't a particularly academic school so if your boys are competitive I'm not sure that it's what you are looking for. Habs is wonderful but won't be particularly encouraging and positive in practice.

If you'd consider the journey, I don't know where you live but City of London Boys may well fit the bill and other options include Highgate, although like Aldenham it's mixed, UCS or Mill Hill which is also mixed but improving rapidly on the academic side. There's also St Albans Boys and I think that they run a good coach service.

I wouldn't discount the good state schools in the area too ie Dr Challoners if you are able to get to Amersham, Watford Boys and Queen Elizabeth Boys in Barnet.