Shaftesbury park school Post Reply

[Katyp24]

Hello!
Does anyone have any feedback about Shaftesbury park school, notably the bilingual stream? I am looking for a French bilingual school and this seems to tick all the boxes. I am a little confused though as it seems to be under subscribed, or at least less popular than others in the area. Any perspectives would be very welcome!

[Schools]

I’ve 2 children at the school and we love it! The bilingual is great with a super international vibe, and the children are challenged academically with great pastoral support. The extra curricular opportunities are excellent. We think it’s a bit of a hidden gem and couldn’t recommend more highly.

[Katyp24]

Thank you - appreciate your feedback!

[ckwmum]

My second child is just finishing year 6 at SP and I can't say enough good things about it. Above all, it's a loving, caring school and yes, the bilingual stream is amazing too.

[Foz]

Our son joined the bilingual stream in reception and is now in year 3. We don't have experience with other schools for comparison, but would echo what the previous posters have said. We love SP and so does our son. The teachers, senior leadership and ALL the staff have been absolutely great. Very enthusiastic and caring. It's a really good community. We agree it may be a bit of a hidden gem, and wholeheartedly recommend it.

[jess169]

We had two children at Shaftesbury Park (and wish we still did, but they do insist on growing!) and cannot speak highly enough of it.

There’s a lot we would praise, but what really stood out for us was the school’s ethos, which seemed to build character and empower the children. Everyone says ‘hidden gem’ but they are absolutely right, and when you are in there, you do feel you’ve found somewhere special.

Our kids are doing really well at secondary now. We think they owe a lot to how Shaftesbury Park helped them develop as people as well as students, so it’s so good to read it’s still the great school they attended.

[NatashaJackson7]

I have been a parent at Shaftesbury park for over 17 years and rate it highly. My eldest did not do the bilingual stream but my middle child did and although we come from a non French speaking family she flourished and went from strength to strength and developed the skills and gained a place in an independent secondary school. My youngest also attends Shaftesbury park and although he has additional needs is fully supported and included and the school community is so welcoming.
I recommend this school.

[Hldorman98]

My daughter is in the bilingual stream, she has done very well over this year, and her French is impressive for an Early Years Pupil (we are not a French speaking family). She is also exceptionally happy, and there is always a huge amount happening on the calendar.

[firsttimerSW11]

I viewed it and didn’t love it. It had a very different vibe than Honeywell which was the other state primary I looked at. I used the government’s compare schools website and the interesting stats I picked out

Academically 30% or their students do not meet expected standards vs 80% of Honeywell. Only 9% are achieving greater depth vs 23% or Honeywell kids.
Persistent absence At Shaftesbury is 28.4% vs 9.9% at Honeywell.

Lastly, 40% of children are eligible for free school meals at SP vs 9% at Honeywell.

Worth going to view for yourself. But usually schools are undersubscribed for a reason so I’d be asking those questions.

[sid_seal]

Academically 30% or their students do not meet expected standards vs 80% of Honeywell. Only 9% are achieving greater depth vs 23% or Honeywell kids.
Persistent absence At Shaftesbury is 28.4% vs 9.9% at Honeywell.

Lastly, 40% of children are eligible for free school meals at SP vs 9% at Honeywell.

Worth going to view for yourself. But usually schools are undersubscribed for a reason so I’d be asking those questions.

Schools are undersubscribed for thousands of reasons, and the sentence on FSM should precede the other. SP serves a much more socioeconomically diverse area; with lower income come a number of other issues that affect attendance and results.
If anything, at Honeywell there is a large fraction of families who can afford tutoring and many children are indeed tutored to enter selective secondary school, which obviously then improves their SATS scores.
The crude results should not be taken a reflection of the quality of the teaching and of the learning environment as there are so many other factors at play. 

[Katyp24]

Thank you all - it is very useful to have the different feedback and I will definitely visit. One last thing - we may be moving mid-year. Does anyone have any experience of whether places are likely to be available? I imagine that we would need to be on a waitlist if not. 

[Ola W]

The school is lovely- small and very inclusive. The kids are not anonymous neither to the teacher nor to the staff. There are 2 classes per year, one of each stream- Enterprise and Billingual. My daughter is finishing year 3 in the bilingual class this year and can't imagine going to any other school. The kids are immersed in the French language while following the English curriculum. The kids are encouraged to take part in different activities, there is a before and after school care offered and some really good extracurricular classes and events to attend. From KS2, in bilingual stream, they have a chance to take their first DELF exam in French, too. We foind the school by chance while browsing for information, so completely understand the concern, yet I would certainly recommend it.

[Ola W]

Me again- we joined the school in Summer term of reception class. I wasn't sure if we'd be lucky enough to get in but we were. Generally, I believe it is easier to get in to some schools mid term. Go, have a look, speak to the teachers and parents. We joined in pandemic and had no chance to come and see the school yet there are no regrets.

[School]

This context is so key. The school offers huge support and opportunities for all children. Please go and visit to see a happy, respectful and thriving educational environment.

Plus the year 6 achievement and progress results have been really strong recently…

[SJS]

My two sons joined the school in reception (bilingual) and nursery and we have been extremely pleased with how they are both getting on.

Staff are lovely, very friendly (kids love them!). They put a lot of effort into sharing resources, putting on events (optional) to support parents and children and I would say that the culture is very open and fairly relaxed and approachable. I’m surprised when teachers further on in the school say hello to my toddler!

In terms of progress, I would say that they are ambitious for the kids and I can only speak for mine but he’s getting on very well. We are provided with books to read at home (both French and English) and a reading log to sign each day.

I agree that it’s a hidden gem, I don’t know how more people don’t know about it - we were told about it by friends who were very happy with it and so glad we went for it.

The French is a huge, huge plus and is taught in an immersive way so it’s not a chore and even in reception my son loves being tested on his vocabulary at home.

Thoroughly recommend.