Experiences of Rutherford House Post Reply

[MVM]

Dear All,

now that you are half a yr in.. id be interested to know how you feel..?
We live minutes away from this school and I always wondered what its like (lo is under 2 so not relevant just yet).

Many thanks

[DotingDad]

Sorry to see you've been ignored MVM.
It's going pretty well. We now have a school, which is nice! By which I mean that the building work has finished and the children are in their proper classrooms, with all the facilities such as library, break-out rooms etc in place.
We're happy with our choice. The teaching staff are great and are really focused. I'm sure that will be independently verified in due course.
So when the time comes to look at schools for your lo, do check it out.

[MVM]

Thanks so very much for posting DotingDad - I really appreciate it.
That's very good to know.

[Nev123]

Now that the second intake is a month or so in I wondered if there were any more views on the school and how it's all going? We live fairly close so the school is likely to be one we consider when the time comes. I also wondered if there was an idea yet of when the school is likely to be visited by ofsted?

Thanks.

[Blueshorthair]

We were at an open evening for prospective parents last week and were told that Ofsted is due in January. Have to say we left very underwhelmed by the visit - so would be interested to hear the views from any parents

[Sfish]

It’s a very personal choice what school you choose. We are fortunate that many of the local Balham/Tooting schools are doing well. Our daughter started in Sept at RHS and despite our apprehension about the school when we applied and we are delighted. Indeed when we applied in Dec last year the building wasn’t even finished. The care from all of the staff has been fantastic, they are approachable and focused on ensuring happy and intelligent children. The school have been really good at communicating to parents in weekly newsletters what’s happening to help you coax infor out of your child at the end of the day.
The wrap around care and facilities for working parents is fantastic, lots of different clubs and opportunities. It’s a small school still which is helping the little ones settle in quickly. I am also delighted that they are out and about lots. Forest school is a fantastic learning experience and the weekly walks to Balham library are a big hit with my daughter.

There is a real community spirit and the children all seem happy. We have had lots of sessions for parents too to help support our children (phonics, numeracy etc). We have also witnessed happy children in assemblies etc.
Good luck in your decisions, it’s a stressful time.

[Sfish]

It’s a very personal choice what school you choose. We are fortunate that many of the local Balham/Tooting schools are doing well. Our daughter started in Sept at RHS and despite our apprehension about the school when we applied and we are delighted. Indeed when we applied in Dec last year the building wasn’t even finished. The care from all of the staff has been fantastic, they are approachable and focused on ensuring happy and intelligent children. The school have been really good at communicating to parents in weekly newsletters what’s happening to help you coax infor out of your child at the end of the day.

The wrap around care and facilities for working parents is fantastic, lots of different clubs and opportunities. It’s a small school still which is helping the little ones settle in quickly. I am also delighted that they are out and about lots. Forest school is a fantastic learning experience and the weekly walks to Balham library are a big hit with my daughter.

There is a real community spirit and the children all seem happy. We have had lots of sessions for parents too to help support our children (phonics, numeracy etc). We have also witnessed happy children in assemblies etc.

Good luck in your decisions, it’s a stressful time.

[Nev123]

Thank you for your replies. I have also been to an open day and thought it seemed a lovely school and the staff very impressive (although I should say it's the first place we visited). It must also be a benefit to have brand new facilities. Of course it's very difficult to make an informed decision after a one hour visit so I'm very grateful to Sfish for their reply. It's great to hear your daughter has settled so well and enjoying what the school has to offer. I also agree it's a very personal choice and what's right for one child may not be right for another.