Prep schools with the most 'academic' reputations Post Reply

[mumzytumzy]

We are leaving Thomas’s after three years there. Our child is starting in year four at Dolphin and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Honestly, if we could start tomorrow, that would be even better.

Thomas’s has a very strong sport program, and they offer loads in the curriculum- outdoor adventure, music, dance, drama, with all the glitz and glam attached. It’s a very strong culture of busyness and as a result, I think the academics do suffer. I also think people get so caught up in the Thomas’s brand that they refuse to look elsewhere. We have several friends with their children in tutoring on top of the 8K term fees. Lots of children struggling to keep up. Lots of anxious children as a result.

The things we loved about Dolphin that sold us:

The head is brilliant and engages children in a very Socratic style which seems to trickle down through all staff. Children are asked loads of questions, and really seem to think through their answers.

The insanely confident children- it was real confidence. We toured loads of schools and the Dolphin children sold the school with their confidence. From nursery to year 6- all spoke confidently and thoughtfully, and felt really eager to share their voices in a variety of settings. It never felt forced or practiced. Attend and assembly and you’ll see how much they all love to share and feel supported.

The year 6 is small so the children get very individual support and as such their results are v impressive.

-It’s a trust- so the money is going back into the school. At Thomas’s, where we are paying almost double, 23 kids per y3 class with one teacher and 1 floating TA- makes you wonder where the priorities are.

-the community vibe- my husband is academic but we are a laidback family. The community felt like our type of people.

-it’s a very balanced curriculum without academics suffering as a result of humanities but loads on offer for music (choir and orchestra plus clubs)

-The relationship based curriculum. Because the children feel supported both by their peers, and by teachers and staff, They learn how to manage their emotions better, and are able to engage with the curriculum better as a result. We are not a Christian family necessarily, but the ethos and the values are still in line with our own and we didn’t feel it was pushy or Christian than any COE school, including Thomases that we’ve attended. Out of all the schools I’ve seen, and those that my children have attended (Thomas’s and broomwood) dolphin is the only one I’ve seen that manages to actually generalize the values rather than just paying lip service to them. The PSHE curriculum is miles ahead of every school we’ve ever seen and as a result, I think the academics are very strong because anxious or rude or difficult behaviors are dealt with in a thoughtful and kind way.

I would also look at Hornsby, which is a bigger, buzzy school similar to Thomases but that is a trust. The headmaster Mr. Reese says they don’t want to be known just for being nurturing, but also academically rigorous. I believe that’s probably true based on their levers results. They also invest all their money back into the school and it shows.

The questions I would ask yourself rather than just academics is about who you want your child to be? A happy confident child can get great academic results with the right teaching. Given how young your children are, that might be some thing that is tough to foresee. But I imagine that you know your children quite well.

Do you want to school that turns out a good polished product but profits and pockets? It’s not necessarily a bad thing but the parents and students may not be top priority. That’s been our experience. Others may not agree and that’s fine.

Other schools to consider a bit further than nappy Valley are Parkgate school and wandsworth prep. Academically, strong small with individual attention, and absolutely brilliant for lots of little different things. If the big brands are your thing, then go for it, but I would put my money elsewhere.

[mumzytumzy]

Oh, and as a parent who just went around and toured all the schools recently, I would say lookout for the following things

Try and watch the teachers with the students. Are they engaging? Do the children seem happy and excited to be there? I loved tours that allowed me to see every year group.

Are there children with special needs at the school? To me this is often an indicator of a lot of things. Are they looking for a specific child? One of the things we loved about Hornsby was they have a learning center so to speak for children with special needs. And they don’t kick those students out, but offer them lots of support throughout the curriculum. We don’t have a special needs child, but what they showed me was how committed they were to Individual needs. It takes significant investment to work with children like that and we are all paying the same amount, so what would they do for my child who isn’t special needs? Also, what lessons with my child learn from being in an inclusive classroom?

-how is the school run? Is it a charity or a family owned business or a private business? These things can be really telling. Look at things like facilities and how they are kept and maintained. While some schools may not have big fancy facilities are they investing in technology and other areas perhaps? Are the facilities well-maintained? We saw some schools and even chose the school that doesn’t have the fanciest facilities, but they were well kept.

[maria_ben]

We are leaving Thomas’s after three years there. Our child is starting in year four at Dolphin and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Honestly, if we could start tomorrow, that would be even better.

Thomas’s has a very strong sport program, and they offer loads in the curriculum- outdoor adventure, music, dance, drama, with all the glitz and glam attached. It’s a very strong culture of busyness and as a result, I think the academics do suffer. I also think people get so caught up in the Thomas’s brand that they refuse to look elsewhere. We have several friends with their children in tutoring on top of the 8K term fees. Lots of children struggling to keep up. Lots of anxious children as a result.

The things we loved about Dolphin that sold us:

The head is brilliant and engages children in a very Socratic style which seems to trickle down through all staff. Children are asked loads of questions, and really seem to think through their answers.

The insanely confident children- it was real confidence. We toured loads of schools and the Dolphin children sold the school with their confidence. From nursery to year 6- all spoke confidently and thoughtfully, and felt really eager to share their voices in a variety of settings. It never felt forced or practiced. Attend and assembly and you’ll see how much they all love to share and feel supported.

The year 6 is small so the children get very individual support and as such their results are v impressive.

-It’s a trust- so the money is going back into the school. At Thomas’s, where we are paying almost double, 23 kids per y3 class with one teacher and 1 floating TA- makes you wonder where the priorities are.

-the community vibe- my husband is academic but we are a laidback family. The community felt like our type of people.

-it’s a very balanced curriculum without academics suffering as a result of humanities but loads on offer for music (choir and orchestra plus clubs)

-The relationship based curriculum. Because the children feel supported both by their peers, and by teachers and staff, They learn how to manage their emotions better, and are able to engage with the curriculum better as a result. We are not a Christian family necessarily, but the ethos and the values are still in line with our own and we didn’t feel it was pushy or Christian than any COE school, including Thomases that we’ve attended. Out of all the schools I’ve seen, and those that my children have attended (Thomas’s and broomwood) dolphin is the only one I’ve seen that manages to actually generalize the values rather than just paying lip service to them. The PSHE curriculum is miles ahead of every school we’ve ever seen and as a result, I think the academics are very strong because anxious or rude or difficult behaviors are dealt with in a thoughtful and kind way.

I would also look at Hornsby, which is a bigger, buzzy school similar to Thomases but that is a trust. The headmaster Mr. Reese says they don’t want to be known just for being nurturing, but also academically rigorous. I believe that’s probably true based on their levers results. They also invest all their money back into the school and it shows.

The questions I would ask yourself rather than just academics is about who you want your child to be? A happy confident child can get great academic results with the right teaching. Given how young your children are, that might be some thing that is tough to foresee. But I imagine that you know your children quite well.

Do you want to school that turns out a good polished product but profits and pockets? It’s not necessarily a bad thing but the parents and students may not be top priority. That’s been our experience. Others may not agree and that’s fine.

Other schools to consider a bit further than nappy Valley are Parkgate school and wandsworth prep. Academically, strong small with individual attention, and absolutely brilliant for lots of little different things. If the big brands are your thing, then go for it, but I would put my money elsewhere.

Hi, sorry to jump in. I related with the way you describe your experiences from touring the schools recently. is it possible to chat to you to ask more about your views on Dolphin and Hornsby house? Many thanks for the consideration

 

[Ramaboo]

I realise you've mentioned they are too far from you OP, but I would like to post another vote in favour of Newton Prep, in case anyone else picks up this thread.

We've been nothing but impressed in our 5 years there so far. Academic but caring, lots of extra curricular and good facilities (v impressive music programme) Teachers and head talk to the children like individuals. We joined at nursery level and it was a great 'cuddly' environment, now they are pushing kids more to focus, but it certainly doesn't feel excessive.

More multicultural than from what I've seen of many other local schools too - non-white parents have  told me this was a key reason they felt more comfortable choosing NP over other local options.

[Kiwimum2023]

Hi,

Just wondering how you've found Dolphin School? Are you happy with it and are your children enjoying it as you hoped? Any regrets?

[Mumzy tumzy]

Absolutely zero regrets. My child is THRIVING.

I will use a generally they as I would rather not be identified.

Their confidence is soaring, they are excelling in academics, sports (which they had decided at the other school they thoroughly hated), they have been on several really fun field trips that have thoroughly engaged them in their learning. Their friendships are happy, drama free, and they spend their breaks building hedge hog houses on the common and setting up woodland stores with their friends, using bits of twigs as their currency. At the other schools, the children would spend the entire time trying to organize their play that they never got down to actually playing.

They are invested in their own learning as something they feel internally compelled to do, not something driven out of fear or guilt. My child is reading more than ever before- completing the entire Harry Potter series in a month over christmas, and beginning for maths challenges and to do home science experiments. They have been enjoying their 11+ prep and finding it not stressful at all. This was NOT the case before. They were having to miss school from anxiety.

The teachers know my child so well and everyone knows their name and they know everyone else.

There has been loads of music, performances, and the big year 4 trip, which no isn’t a ski chalet, but they are absolutely thrilled and beyond excited about it and it’s packed with really incredible team building fun.

Boys play with girls, which was something we found uncommon at other schools. It also means their relationships have been wider- it’s not boys vs girls, and when it has been, it’s been in really good fun.

They are kinder and more thoughtful to us at home including siblings, engaging us in interesting topics and philosophical conversations, and have been using their school learning as a means of engaging us at home (ie- recent honey bee topics resulted in a building project of their own accord in our garden).

My husband is involved more so than me at the minute and we still feel very welcome. It’s a very open and welcoming group.

I used to read other dolphin parents reviews and think they were drinking some cult koolaid, but this ain’t it. It’s a great school and we’ve been so so pleased with our move. We want to send our other children too and would greatly encourage you to go have a look around and take my points on board above for what to look at. Best wishes to you

[Regularusertemporaryname]

I’m a Hornsby parent and happy to discuss our experience via PM. In short we are very happy with it, it has done very well for our (rather different) children who love their school and I would recommend.

[Kiwi mum2023]

Hi,
I would like to hear how you've found Dolphin School since joining? Are the academics there? Is it lacking anywhere? Is it big enough to form sports teams etc? Any pros and cons would be greatly appreciated please

[Beachboys]

Hi,

My youngest son is finishing year 6 at Dolphin. My older two have also been through Dolphin all the way. I'd say the academic standards are very high -- you can see that from the list of secondary schools that Dolphin kids get offers from. But more importantly, the academics are tailored to suit every child's abilities and temperament. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to the teaching or the choices of senior schools, so the children don't feel like they're "behind" and under pressure or discouraged if they're not as strong in one area (say Maths), while the ones who do have a talent in that area can work at a higher level and really excel.  

Yes, it's big enough to form sports teams. What's nice is that all kids get to play in fixtures and they really do well considering how small the school is. I think the sports teachers really know how to be encouraging and bring out the best in the kids. And the children themselves are really supportive and kind to each other.

Struggling to think of where it's lacking. Do PM me if you've got more questions. Our family have been with the school for a decade now so I'm happy to share any insights!