I have a girl at Broomwood Hall lower school and I think the reputation for 'not overly academic' is not correct. Although they don't seem to do a particularly academic test for entry, they certainly identify and extend the bright ones once you're in. The point is the kids really do get enough attention that they can progress individually at their own pace. The bright sparks can and do progress really quickly in that environment. I think people mistake the gentle, pastoral environment for not academic and miss a trick in my view.

I think the best of way of deciding about schools is :

a) look at the school's results/destinations. What outcomes and values matter to you?

b) visit the school, preferably when children are in class. Do you LIKE the attitudes and atmosphere? Do you like what the head /available teachers say? Can you imagine your child there?

Personal preferences really matter, once you have narrowed down on the schools that have the kind of outcomes that matter to you/meet your child's requirements.

I found choosing much easier once I had actually visited the schools concerned. Please remember that, what one parent values is not the same as another. Similarly, different children flourish under different conditions.

You don't mention distance from home. My children are older now but if I had my time again I would definitely chose schools closest to my home. It is so much better for children to have friends nearby and not to spend too long in the car or bus morning and evening. We all want the best of our children but sometimes forget that best includes quality of life for them and you. You can send them to the most academic school in south London but if they are always tired and stressed then they will not flourish. For what it's worth, my experience is that bright children do well wherever they go. It is also worth thinking about the environmental impact of a daily drive in London traffic.

Hey I suggest you the best Phoenix kindergarten for your kid. It is a reputed kindergarten that is popular for unique and creative curriculum. In this kindergarten children get freedom to learn creative things.

Thank you very much livegreen.

The question about how they support children who do not achieve as much as the others and whether they ask them to leave is definitely a good question to ask. I do not quite know what my youngest boys will do. My eldest is supposed to be a high achiever but I understand that the level is higher in private schools. So, it is hard to say at this stage and I definitely do no know yet what my youngest ones will achieve since they are still very young.

We have a preference for Fulham Prep at this stage. So, again, we would be happy to hear about experiences with Fulham Prep.

Best wishes,

E

Perhaps as you do not yet know your child (or children's) academic ability or any additional needs they may have, another few questions to ask could be..
How many children go to these schools but do not go to any "top" schools ? How many are quietly asked to leave the school because they are not suited to the style of education offered ?
This may sound negative BUT you often need to think about more than a schools published record or results.
Ask how many children get extra private tuition on top of school fees? Is it 50% or closer to 100%. Why do they need all this extra tuition if the schools are so good and their leavers destinations so good ?
How many of the top performers joined at 4/5 and how many at 8/9 on academic scholarships?
At secondary schools the best, and never published statistic, is how many of your Oxbridge candidates joined at 11 and how many at 16 ?
Don't always believe the hype and the marketing.

Any comments and advice from parents with children at these schools is most welcome!

The good and the bad, I am happy to hear it all.

Emilie

T'hank you very much for these very useful comments ladies.

We are at the very beginning of our search for a private school, but yes, as you say, there are definitely more criteria to consider than just destination schools.

I have set up visits to all these schools on my shortlist. Hopefully, we will see a bit clearer after that and will be able to make an informed decision. we are definitely keen on choosing the school best suited to each of our three children who have different abilities.

Emilie

I think it is nearly impossible to compare leavers destinations for several reasons. Firstly, Thomas's only publishes offers received, as opposed to where each pupil actually goes. So, for example, if a small number of very bright children get multiple offers from "top" schools (whatever your definition of "top" is), it can skew the overall picture if other members of the group received a smaller mumber of offers from "lesser" schools.

Secondly, one of the most important jobs the prep school does is to help parents decide the best school for their particular child. Not all children are suited to large schools or to highly academic schools and so the school willl have done a better job by ensuring they end up at a different type of school which will suit them better, even it is not a "top" school. These factors cannot be reflected in a simple list.

Thirdly, even relatively small geographic distances can have an impact on the level of popularity if destination schools.

Finally, looking at lists of destination schools doesn't reveal the "value add" of the teaching at the particular prep school. They won't reveal how much the teaching has affected the type of school that each child has ended up at.

In general, all of the well known prep schools in the area have an excellent record of getting children into excellent schools and there are much better ways of gauging which is the right school for your child.

I've spent a lot of time researching this, although only from a girls' school perspective.
Broomwood hall- not overly academic school and targeted mostly at families wanting to send their children to boarding school. Lots and lots of girls go to Benenden. Although to be fai, I seem to remember quite a few going on to JAGS, Emmanuel and Stretham and Clapham High School (out of the london day school set).
Thomas'- I was very suprused at the leavers destinations for girls here as they are not as good as would be expected. Much more focus on london day schools but few going to top top names (St Paul's, etc). Quite a few to JAGS, Alleyns, etc
Eaton House- probably the best of the 3 for girl's destinations. Same schools but a few more to the likes of St Paul's, City of London, etc. I remember thinking that based on results alone this would be the obvious choice.
Can't comment on the other two. Never looked into Fulham prep and ruled out Newton early on as it's a bit far from us.
Hope that helps!

Thank you very much 2009kat,

It is not easy. We are hesitating between Broomwood Hall, Fulham Prep and Thomas's Battersea and it is so hard to choose.

I don't know much about Fulham Prep but but it seems to have good reviews and whilst being quite academic with very good destinations, it also seems to be quite international and nurturing.

As you say, once one has chosen the best school in terms of destinations, the most important is to choose the school where the kids will be happy.

Kind regards,

Emilie

They are all excellent schools. Personally as long as the school tends
To send children to good schools I wouldn't worry - most important is the school that suits your child and family best.

Hi everyone,

Could you please tell me, in your view, which one of the below private schools has the best results/destinations?

- Fulham Prep,
- Newton Prep,
- Eaton House the Manor,
- Broomwood Hall
- Thomas's Battersea

I know that there are so many other factors to look at but these are the five which we have pre-selected based on a number of criteria.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Many thanks and kind regards,

Emilie