Dolphin, Broomwood Post Reply

[britchick]

Our son has a place at both Dolphin and Broomwood - does anyone have any experience of either school?? Dolphin always seems a nice small school (with limited facilities) so would love to hear anything about it. Also Broomwood is raved about for girls but heard not much about boys and Broomwood, so any feedback appreciated!

[allycat]

Hi,

I've got a boy in year 3 at Broomwood (Garrads Road branch). It used to be the case that there were far more girls than boys but this has improved greatly. My son is one of 10 boys and 16 girls but lower down the school it's more like 50/50 boys to girls. The Nightingale Lane branch is bigger but I think similar ratios.

The real plus about Broomwood for a boy is automatic entry to Northcote Lodge at the end of year 3. I don't think it's too bad to have boys in a slightly more gentle environment until then. Saying that I have had a bit of trouble with boys and boisterous behaviour towards the girls but that's not true of all the boys, just a couple and frankly the only shcool where that would not be a problem would be a boys only one.

I don't know anything about Dolphin but certainly Broomwood boys play regular football matches in year 2 and 3 against the likes of Hornsby, Thomas's and Finton, but Dolphin doesn't seem to feature. What are they like for sport I wonder.

Hope this is helpful.

[coldatchristmas]

The only thing I would add about Broomwood (I don't know Dolphin) is that it comes across as very traditional. I should add that I don't have children there.

I think they used to insist on interviewing all the parents (maybe they still do) and the dinner party rumour circuit would say that the traditional south west london banker with a cath kidston wife is more likely to be successful than a less traditional family. Thats not a critiscism, just how the school seems to operate. That said everyone I know who has kids there absolutely loves it.

Its also worth mentioning that its a private company owned by individuals and not, as some of the other prep schools, a charitable trust. Again, that doesn't matter in the day to day running of the school, but I think its important to be aware of the set-up of the organisation.

[allycat]

Well how do you know that Britchick hasn't got a banker husband and likes Kath Kidston?!

Seriously tho, my fears were similar when I first started at Broomwood, I worried that I wouldnt fit in but soon realised that the majority of parents were very ordinary. It has it's share of flashy ones but I think they're pretty much well spread around all the Wandsworth schools.

Yes they do interview the parents but that I felt worked to our advantage as our first child was incredibly shy and practically mute aged 4.

[britchick]

Thanks all, think we 'passed' the interview which I didn't have a problem with and in fact I think the Head of Lower school is great. Our concern mainly relates to longer term issue of leavers, all the kids at Broomwood seem to be moving on to Boarding schools and we have no plans to send our children there, so just worried that he'd be the only kid not heading off to Harrow, etc etc.

[juliantenniscoach]

hi I teach tennis to various years as an outside contractor to broomwood and teach many of their children outside of school hours. I've always been impressed by the educational and behavioural standards of the children. I think the 'banker/cath kidson' reference is as much down to demographics as anything else. I agree that it aspires to a 'traditional' free but I don't think that's a fault, merely an observation. hope that helps.
julian

[allycat]

Hi Britchick,

Doesnt he sound like a nice tennis teacher!

I think approx one third of Broomwood Upper School and Northcote Lodge move to day schools at 11 or 13. At the Girls School, they are separated from class 6 into borders and day classes. I'm not sure how this works at Northcote, I ought to check as my son is off there next year!. We are not intending to go boarding route and certainly a few other other mothers in our class are not either but we are still happy to go up to Northcote. Also I wonder if the present financial climate will direct more down the day school route. Although that will make it even harder to get in anywhere!

[zannathetrainer]

Think my concern about this school (as opposed to Dolphin) would be the values that are inculcated into the children. How much do they gain an understanding of Britain as it is today with its racial and cultural diversity? And could you really bear to spend good money on a ridiculous hat and then send your child to school wearing it?

[tamara]

I love the hats!

I think they are a great example of traditional cultural dress.

If I wanted to play devils advocate, I would say to Zanna that to expound on diversity on the one hand and then take a pop at a cultures traditional dress on the other is a little hypocritical.

But I am too polite to do that

[allycat]

Yeah. Equal rights for hat wearers