Willington School Post Reply

[EarlsfieldMumof2]

Hi All
Does anyone have a view on Willington School and how it is academically and for sports?
Also I can't find anything about school meals on their website except for a mention of packed lunches - do they provide lunch?!  We are considering this for a Year 3 entry September 2019 versus Rokeby and Dulwich Prep.
Many thanks

[SW12Pops]

TBH I haven't heard much about it - I actually thought it was a typo for Wallington!

Where does it feed into?

I think for all preps it's a question of where they'll get you into that's one of the big issues...



 

[EarlsfieldMumof2]

Hi SW12Pops
No not a typo ! I agree it is the leavers destinations and according to the website they send to Kings Wimbledon, Epsom, St Pauls, Emanuel, Dulwich etc so it looks like a good range of localish schools.
Was just wondering if there are any parents who could give me their view, nothing like hearing first hand !

[sjcguk]

I have a son in Y6 there. No, they don't have a kitchen so most people provide packed lunches. There is a delivery service from Pret a Manger that a few use. 

It is mixed ability but there is some teaching in sets as the boys get older.  In years 7 and 8 the two classes are split according to future school/scholarship applications.  I've just applied for Kings, Hampton and St John's 13+, and my son is aiming for drama or music scholarships.  Other popular choices are Epsom, Reeds, Emmanuel, Whitgift, Trinity...  A fair few boys get scholarships of some sort and one got the top academic scholarship to Kings last year, a very impressive achievement. 

He isn't interested in sport, so I don't know much about what the A teams do but there always seems to be some tournament or other going on. I think the new thing is to start a competitive swim squad.  In Y6 this term he has to do football twice a week, swimming once and climbing once.  It will be rugby next term and cricket in the summer. 

[EarlsfieldMumof2]

Hi sjcguk thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Just trying to get my head around the lack of hot food, which for my sporty and very hungry boy could be an issue !
I also saw on their website that there is a significant planning application which has been approved and will take 5 years to complete, if you have any thoughts you are happy to share on this then I would be very grateful.
Also best of luck to you for your scholarship applications!

[sjcguk]

It's better for me to have packed lunches as he's very fussy.  I often send pasta, baked beans or soup in a Thermos. 

I guess the planning application refers to the thing where they are putting another floor in over the hall and making a library up there. I think. Work only happens in the summer holidays and I don't really know where the project is at. 

One thing to note is that the new head only started this term so we don't yet know what he'll be doing to put his stamp on the place. 

Overall it depends what you want from a school. What I like is that it's so small and friendly. The boys are really properly known by everyone and there's a fair bit of mixing between years in the playground. They are free to be themselves without pressure to conform, and nobody (including other boys) seems at all bothered that my son wears his hair long and loves musical theatre rather than rugby.  I personally found Rokeby too traditional for my taste when I visited it (years ago now) and Dulwich is too far away.