Hello! I have a (just) four year old daughter who has been attending baby ballet classes. I think she is ready for something a bit more structured - can anyone recommend a ballet class that runs on a Saturday, either in Balham or Clapham? Many thanks!
Yes thank you, everyone! In some ways I think instinctively the smaller size of SCP may suit my daughter better, but can't see why she wouldn't thrive at Thomas's either - can't deny the notion of two school runs, and two sets of school holidays fills me with terror at how could manage a job at the ...
Thank you - honestly I think she could be happy at both. I think she'd love the incredible variety of activities at Thomas's, the fact that its co-ed (and thus brother could attend - she's very amusingly concerned about this already!), although the very "busy" nature of such a large school...
Yes totally take your point, a very hefty dose of luck involved! Its just quite hard I find, to gain fair assessment of a school based on a few hours visit.
Yes absolutely! The notion that by turning down one or another school that you're turning down a wealth of opportunities for your child is ever-present...
That's exactly it! Struggling because it's just so early to tell- so do you believe assessor's judgement? Very wise words re peception of school's prestige Confus_ed!
I think being at SCP until 18 had been an attraction, just to spare daughter the horror of the 11+ - but sounds like entry to the senior school isn't automatic now anyway...
I think it's more that I know more about SCP, and what I have seen there I like a lot. Thomas's is much more of an unknown quantity to me, which is why is so useful to hear from current parents, as it does seem to be a school that a lot of rumour attaches itself to! I know my daughter has thrived on...
Well he is registered at a few preps in Balham - but had imagined trying for Dulwich schools for him when time came- as much as you can imagine for a baby anyway!
Imagine there are a few disgruntled parents at SCP if their children haven't made the entry into the senior school? Although I guess comes back to how impossible it is to gauge which secondary school is appropriate at age 3, and sounds like they are handling it well...
On a related note from my original post - and it's great to hear from so many parents with experience of the schools in question, so thank you!- am I being insane to even contemplate a double school run (as in, to two different schools?), especially in conjunction with an office-based job... ?
I am indeed doing exactly that - and the responses here have been very useful from a myth-busting perspective, as many nappy valley netters do have children at the schools in question!
It seems that both schools may be suffering unfairly from reputations (and I'd be lying if I said it hasn't affected my perception of them)- it's exactly why it's so useful to hear the responses of people with children at the schools themselves!
