Willington school... Thoughts please? Post Reply

[LouisaW]

Hi there
My little boy is Year 1 at a good local state school and I would like to move him to a common entrance prep school at Year 3. I hadn't realised how stiff competition would be, or that the 7+ entry places would be so limited. I think Northcote Lodge is a year too late for us and we are considering Willington in Wimbledon. There is a new head and it is not in the Good School's Guide. We are also based in Wandsworth so worried that we will be further out than most pupils. I liked it when we looked round but don't want to feel like we are settling for it. Anyone have any experience of the school recently good or bad? We are also considering Rokeby but the assessment looks tough and there are approx 5 places. Thomas's and Newton are too academic at first glance. My little boy is average in ability and not great under pressure. Many thanks in advance

[sjcguk]

My son is in Y1 at Willington. They are a lovely bunch of boys (and parents) for the most part . Most live in Wimbledon and Raynes Park but I do know of a couple in Southfields.

I chose the school over Squirrels or Rokeby because the Willington boys seemed so happy and well-adjusted. I was not wrong - my son absolutely adores it and complained all last week as it was half term. My concern was that as he is very academically able he wouldn't be challenged enough but it has been fine so far; the teachers differentiate very well plus the extra clubs such as chess and Spanish, and his instrument lessons, keep him stimulated. I was toying with trying the 7+ for Kings but actually, unless anything changes I'm most likely to leave him at Willington till 13 because we like it so much.

The new head seems OK so far. He used to be at a senior school and as such seems most interested in Y7 and Y8. One thing is that he has vetoed the idea of hot lunches (we did a trial last year before he started), and this isn't popular with parents.

The only other niggle is that there is not much outdoor space and the playgrounds are very small. They do have a lot of PE though - at present my son does one session in the playground, one in the hall, one at the rented playing fields (Barham road rugby club) and one swimming session (at Latimer Road pool).

Have you got any specific questions that I haven't covered?

[highsky]

We love the school, it's a hidden gem. My boy joined Reception a month after his 4th birthday; the progress he has made in writing, reading, numbers, etc. is truly amazing. Good luck!