Herne Hill School vs Oakfield advice

[goocha]

Hi,

We were planning to send our daughter to the reception class at Herne Hill School this September 2012 but are starting to get cold feet based on what we have been hearing about the down sides to the school.

Our daughter is a rather shy, sensitive child born in August so will be one of the youngest in the class.

We really liked the Herne Hill School teachers, the music and drama programme, the fact the school gets good exam results, seems very aware of the needs of 'summer babies' and the children go on to good schools at 7. However, our daughter has finally settled in her current school (Oakfield School) and has made some good friends. At first we thought that school was a bit too strict for her but now think it was just the teacher she had and the fact the school did not allow parents to come into the class at the start of the year for any sort of gentle 'settling in' period. Though Oakfield doesn't seem to have the same sort of good reputation for academics as Herne Hill School and less children seem to go on to the more academically selective local private school, we are now wondering if Herne Hill School might feel too high pressured for our daughter and if she will again struggle with settling in and then have a hard time when she has to leave at 7 and settle in somewhere else. She is still really young (not yet 4) but seems to be rather average in her current class academically so not a child genius of any sort!

At Herne Hill School we have been hearing that there is a lot of time spent taking exams, lots of homework and lots of stress towards the end with children sometimes feelin they aren't as clever as peers who go on to Alleyns or JAGS. All of this worries us.

We really just wanted to find a school which would be the best fit for our daughter but are now worrying that because of her personality she may need stabililty and a low pressure environment so perhaps should stay where she has been for the past year (Oakfield). I know each child is different and this is a very personal decision but if there are any parents with experience of either Herne Hill School or Oakfield who can comment on their experiences of either school, I'd really appreciate it. It feels like it is hard to get a true sense of any school until your child is actually attending.

Thank you,

A worried mum who just wants her daughter to be happy

[Carbonara]

She is still 3?

3 year olds shouldn't be doing anything academic that could allow anyone to judge where they stood amongst peers, they should be playing, learning to socialise and discovering the world.

I would avoid moving a child at 7 if it depends on exams and tests. Have you looked at Rosemead?

[dulwichgirl2]

What has the school said about the slow settling in? Maybe she is just very young for the class and suffered as a result? Must have been a tough year for you watching her go off every day and finally now being happy there. :-(

Can you explain this to HH and ask what "programme" they could follow with her in anticipation of any problems?

[goocha]

Thanks for both of your replies. HH does seem very relaxed about their settling in policy and have said that they are happy for parents to sit in the class with their children for as long as it takes for the child to settle so that is reassuring but I still feel awful about her having to get used to a whole new environment and making friends again.

We did look at Rosemead and liked it a lot as well but it is too late to consider that school for Sept, we just want to focus on choosing between these two.

Are there any Herne Hill School parents out there who can please let me know if their children are given lots of homework, take a lot of practice exams, feel stressed in their final year about competing for places at other schools and maybe as a result might feel less confident about themselves if they don't get in to the same schools as their peers? We aren't sure how pressurised things are at the school and have read mixed comments in the forums. I have one friend with a shy child who felt her child lost confidence as a result of being there and was acutely aware that she wasn't performing as well academicallya s her peers. We want to avoid that sort of scenario but I am not sure if that is a common problem.

Thanks for your help.

[minder]

I've collected a few children from HH (some 3 and older) and found they do have homework - but it's always been fun stuff e.g. basic phonics, colourings, lots of bits to get parents and carers involved like looking around the home for words beginning with.....

Then again I have known children from Oakfield and if you're happy with the school I would think about keeping her where she is.

[goocha]

Thanks for that info, it's really appreciated.

I suppose what we are still trying to decide is whether a lot of children find it stressful near the end. It sounds like quite a few do and some parents have said that although the teachers are lovely and caring up to reception, from year 1 they change and push the kids very hard...

[goocha]

Thanks for the excellent advice.

We really loved what we saw and heard at HH but are just anxious about whether there will be a lot of pressure in Year 2. It seems risky to take our child out of the school she is now happily settled in but we don't want her to miss out on a better educational experience and perhaps a better choice of schools as she gets older.

[montassa]

My daughter was at Herne Hill School this year - she had a fantastic time in Kindergarten and would have gone to Reception - but she got into JAPS, so decided to take that route as it saves having to apply at 7.

We loved Herne Hill School - it caters for all abilities, teachers are lovely and the environment is second to none. If you have questions then you can PM me.