Henry Cavendish Streatham site Post Reply

[mummyshortlegs]

Does anyone have children at this school?

My child recently transferred to this school because we moved to the area. They are in KS1. Despite being an Ofsted outstanding school I must say I am rather disappointed and I feel that the previous school was much more academically demanding.
There was homework for Maths and English every week, parents were invited regularly to phonics and maths workshops, and generally the level was higher. At HC Streatham the homework is really basic, the books they are given home to read are way too simple for their reading level. I don't feel that my child is being taught well and challenged at this school.
All staff is really lovely however, and so are all parents and kids, so that has never been an issue.

Any views? 

[gabster]

Homework isn't everything - it has been shown at this age it may not add a lot to the children. And also reading books at a lower level make sure the skills are firmly rooted in their brains. They often are on a level for longer than the parents think is necessary.

I would prefer the younger ages are given more learning through play rather than being too academic.

The Ofsted was a long time ago - they generally get good results at KS2 and good outcomes for schools the children go on to. But this is a state education. You could supplement with extra classes like kumon. Or vote with your feet.

My child is at the other site. It's a community school with well rounded children and my older child went on to a good state school on the beside of a test - she was pulled out to do extension classes in the older years which was great.

[BalhamBorders]

Our child was happy at HCS but we moved them to a prep school after five years at HCS because it lacked the academic rigour we were looking for to prepare for 11+ exams for independent school entry as well as not providing the breadth of subject-matter expertise and extra-curricular opportunities we were seeking.

We agree with you about the lack of homework and while it is not the most important aspect, we felt the aspiration for the children was to 'do it if you want to' - which we felt was not the right mindset.

We're not pushy parents, we prefer to encourage our child, but also recognise that more effort is needed because SW London has too few good senior schools to meet demand and we want to ensure we are set up to have a choice when the time comes. We also have busy work lives and liked the 'one-stop shop' approach that we get with private school - it ticks lots of boxes.

Going private has certainly required a step up in terms of learning and been an emotional challenge for the whole family to adapt to private school (and that's before we talk about the fees) but after a term at the new school we think that it is for the best medium/long-term and our child is adapting to the more demanding environment. At HCS children are taught very much in their comfort zone.

So, it depends where you're headed next. If you want to go for a senior non-selective state school which is perhaps easier to reach and frankly, is free to attend, has a more mixed intake with children across all ability ranges, then for that journey, HCS is about as good as any state primary school you will find in the area. If you're looking for a more academic stretch then tutors outside school are the way to go. If you can afford fees or your child is academic enough to apply for a bursary (some may cover most or all of the fees) then you might want to look at private / prep schools as some want to provide opportunity for academically able children not just based on parental wealth.

As has been said to me multiple times - choose the school which is right for your child so they will thrive - not just the one which has the best grades/facilities/marketing. Wishing you all the best with your decision.