Starting in Reception this September. We're in one and have just been offered the other from the waitlist. 

When is your child due to start school?

Hi all,

Bumping this as we now have the option of either Rutherford House or Henry Cavendish. Anything else we are missing on these two? Thanks! 

Hi there,

I am a parent of a Rutherford House school child who has been in the school for 3 years. I cannot praise the school enough for the way they embed values into my child’s learning, and how the children are taught to be resilient and ambitious in their learning, which are values they will need to carry with them throughout their school life and adult life. I have experience of other schools and know that Rutherford House is a head above in terms of their curriculum and developing a child’s love for learning as well as being nurtured.
The school is academic and has stable rules for behaviour and the children have a huge level of respect for their peers and adults alike which I feel lacks in many of the other schools I have experienced.
I have no regrets and although I know that everyone has their own opinion I feel that the majority of parents would agree with me.

Just in case anyone is still looking for information - I had 2 children who went through Ravenstone Primary - one only left in July - and I believe it has served them well. They are both well rounded, confident and caring individuals who are thriving at their secondary schools.

Due to the "blip" with a "needs improvement" OFSTED and no Head at the time we opted for Rutherford House for our youngest. There is not doubt he has progressed well there academically (but he is really bright anyway), but we are now having doubts about having done the right thing. Joe Croft, the head at Ravenstone is amazing and there is something very special about the kindness and approach there. He as some very strong and experienced teachers in support, and like some of the other threads, I really like the diverse nature of the school. If we had our time again we would choose Ravenstone over our experiences at RH.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. We've been to all the schools mentioned and they all seem great, with kids and parents who love them. Really lucky to have such good options around

I am an HC parent and couldn’t speak highly enough of the school.
The things I love most about the school are:
1) My children are happy, confident and thriving and so are their friends. I have been astounded by the growth I have seen across the whole class.
2) The academic standards are great - they challenge the children and seem to have a really good understanding of their capabilities. The teachers my kids have had have been really excellent - committed, creative and great at engaging the class.
3) There is a welcoming community that get really involved with the school

The HC school fair is tomorrow if you want to come and have a more informal look around the school.

As other posters have said, we are lucky to have so many great schools in our area. I would go with your instincts and find the one that you think will fit your child and your family.

I find most people who complain about snotty attitudes at indy schools are, in reality, revealing more about their own attitudes than the school they are attacking.

The fact that this is coupled with a positive reference to the indy school (all the best bits without the attitudes) is even more revealing!

Indy schools are great.

Better facilities, better classroom discipline, more money to spend on teachers so smaller class sizes etc etc...

Hi Sid_seal,

“The ethos and educational expectation of the pupils progress and learning is similar to a private school but not coupled with the snotty attitude of some indies. “

I am not sure why you would find this statement offensive? As I was definitely not implying that the other schools mentioned in the post are sub standard.

It’s personal experience. Which the OP asked for.

We can’t speak to the Henry Cavendish or Ravenstone experience as our DC hasn’t and doesn’t attend either school.

It really isn’t a X school versus Y situation, because in Balham we are fortunate to have many good schools to choose from. It’s really just about what Manta is looking for in a school and which type of school will suit his/her child and their family.

[quote=Flambeau post_id=230445 time=1543960320 user_id=42852][color=#6d6d6d]The ethos and educational expectation of the pupils progress and learning is similar to a private school. [/color][/quote]
I find this comment quite frankly offensive; our local area is full of amazing maintained schools where pupils' progress and learning attitude are excellent, expectations are high and staff are far from having a relaxed attitude towards these aspects as you seem to imply. 

Manta - I have no direct experience of either school, but I know several happy families at Henry Cavendish (strange that no HC parents got back to you!). 

Hi all

I am a mother to a 6 year old in year 1 at Rutherford House School, i would have to say after being here over a year, Rutherford House School is exceptional. My son more importantly absolutely loves being at school, his teachers and especially the head teacher.  

The school provides the most in depth and encouraging learning experience. They are constantly improving provisions by providing over 70 after school clubs, apps for children to learn at home and music provision has grown dramatically. 

The school is very diverse with opportunities to learn about some much and more. 

Its very easy to listen to parents points of view, especially the negative comments, but i think you need to come to the school and attend an open event and see the children and how happy they are. 

The teachers are so amazing, i do not know any other school that knows every child's name in the whole school.

If you want to know more about Rutherford House School please check the school website for details of the next open event and maybe attend the Christmas Fair this Saturday 8th December at 12pm.

Hi all

I am a mother to a 6 year old in year 1 at Rutherford House School, i would have to say after being here over a year, Rutherford House School is exceptional. My son more importantly absolutely loves being at school, his teachers and especially the head teacher.  

The school provides the most in depth and encouraging learning experience. They are constantly improving provisions by providing over 70 after school clubs, apps for children to learn at home and music provision has grown dramatically. 

The school is very diverse with opportunities to learn about some much and more. 

Its very easy to listen to parents points of view, especially the negative comments, but i think you need to come to the school and attend an open event and see the children and how happy they are. 

The teachers are so amazing, i do not know any other school that knows every child's name in the whole school.

If you want to know more about Rutherford House School please check the school website for details of the next open event and maybe attend the Christmas Fair this Saturday 8th December at 12pm.

[color=#6d6d6d]We really love RHS! It is a new school and is growing, but we can see that some of the initial teething problems have been addressed and rectified, and is going from strength to strength. [/color]

[color=#6d6d6d]The ethos and educational expectation of the pupils progress and learning is similar to a private school but not coupled with the snotty attitude of some indies. RHS is diverse and inclusive. The links with the local community is great and the teaching staff are committed and specialised in their fields.[/color]

[color=#6d6d6d]We love that there are such a range of extra curricular activities. This term alone there were 58 clubs for all year groups including arts, music, languages and STEM subjects. We don't know which way DC will lean...academic, arty, sporty etc RHS gives DC a great academic foundation with the option to try before we buy in terms of enrichment activities. [/color]

[color=#6d6d6d]DC loves going to school, the trips and guests coming into the school enhance the educational opportunities for the children and keeps them engaged. Forest school is exciting and interesting....  DC has really thrived at RHS.[/color]

[color=#6d6d6d]Come along to our school fair this Saturday 8th December from 12-3pm, ask parents at drop off/pick up or even pop into one of the cafes round the corner from the school and have a chat to some parents.

We are a lovely bunch. Oh and there are many open days/school tours that you can also do to get a flavour of the school, these are Thursday 6th and 13th December 2018, and Thursday 10th January 2019.


Look forward to seeing you.[/color]

Thanks everyone for the comments! Any Henry Cavendish parents want to weigh in?

I went to Ravenstone today and it also seems like a great school - we have really good options around here.

Rutherford House emailed me yesterday (a month after I emailed them) to say they have open mornings this Thursday and next Thursday. Probably best to call them to get a spot.

Thanks

Jellie don't worry about not getting a reply from the office.  If you have emailed or called to say which open morning/afternoon you want to go along to then that's all that is needed.  I never got a reply when going through the same thing last year but they had my name when I arrived.

We've been very pleased with RHS so far but I can't make any comparison to HC as for us it was too far to bother considering.  The teaching has been great and I think there is an enormous amount to keep the children engaged and enjoying themselves while they learn (forest school, trips, a huge number of clubs - anything from chess to eco warriors to football, the list goes on).  I know it does seem to have a reputation for being a bit prep-school-lite but I suspect a lot of that is down to outsiders' view of the uniform.

The Xmas fair is this Saturday which may be a good opportunity to see more of the school and speak to some parents.  Best of luck with your decision!