Harenc School, Sidcup

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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lefol
Posts: 382
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2010 11:13 pm
Location: Bexleyheath

Harenc School, Sidcup

Post by lefol »

I just read in two local press that this school is possibly facing closure due to financial difficulties, this is shocking! I have spoken to one or two parents in the past and I know this school has a good academic reputation. This must be to do with the state of the economy as I hear it's due to reduction in pupil numbers. O do hope other schools take heed and plan better as it must be hard for parents and especially children at this school with the uncertainty.
blessedmum
Posts: 298
Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:39 pm

Re: Harenc School, Sidcup

Post by blessedmum »

Peril Harenc is closed already and will not be opening in two weeks time. The sad thing is parents were only told 3days before the end of term that the school will not be opening after Easter. People have been running round to find places in other schools.

It's annoying that parentsbhave to give a term's notice to take their kids out of school but they three days notice for school closure.

The school closed because numbers went down and could be down to the economic situation in the country as most of the parents I know that had boys there really liked the school.
Lalaloon
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2010 2:58 pm

Re: Harenc School, Sidcup

Post by Lalaloon »

The parents were told AFTER term had finished. A letter arrived on the morning of the last day of term advising of a meeting. Whilst the numbers had been dropping, at the meeting, a few people mentioned one teacher in particular, (no names mentioned) for the school losing children that they already had.
Weak management and poor business sense seems to be the main reason. A real shame as the academic side seems to be excellent.
Hope all the kids find new schools. Especially those doing the 11+ in 4 months.
dani*
Posts: 298
Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: Harenc School, Sidcup

Post by dani* »

Great shame this has happened.

I wonder who will snap up the school building, from the outside is seems like a lovely place. If I were a HT I would be writing my business plan right now to set up one of these new free schools.
blessedmum
Posts: 298
Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:39 pm

Re: Harenc School, Sidcup

Post by blessedmum »

Apparently the school rents the site.

Its such a great shame.

meanwhile unbelievable but DP round the corner used the demise of Harenc to his advantage. However he did step on the wrong toes with his comments on this site.

http://chislehurstnews.wordpress.com/20 ... -the-road/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
dani*
Posts: 298
Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: Harenc School, Sidcup

Post by dani* »

Thanks BlessedMum, makes interesting reading.

For a Harenc parent to send their children to Merton Court must be a culture shock of biblical proportions. One only had to walk past these schools and notice the difference at the school gates! Hope all the parents involved have managed to find a solution for their children. Also, if Merton Court has indeed taken a large proportion of these children, desperately looking for places, I hope that the MC parents are as pleased with the influx of children as the school's management appears to be.
blessedmum
Posts: 298
Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:39 pm

Re: Harenc School, Sidcup

Post by blessedmum »

dani* wrote:Thanks BlessedMum, makes interesting reading.
I hope that the MC parents are as pleased with the influx of children as the school's management appears to be.

Loll I will be very surprised if they are. A couple of the ones i know were happy the classes were smaller (11 in some cases) than other local prep school but now its obvious it was not part of the management's plan rather a lack of takers.

I just hope the Harenc parents all the best as most of the ones I know are genuinely lovely people and their sons are polite and well behaved. Lets hope that continues wherever they end up.
Pemble
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2011 8:13 pm

Re: Harenc School, Sidcup

Post by Pemble »

I am an ex-Harenc parent whose son now attends Merton Court. He has settled there fantastically well and is very happy, as are a number of his friends who also now go there. I am really fed up of people's "views" of Merton Court. The school has helped the Harenc boys settle in well and I am not aware of anyone who is regretting sending their son there. 31 boys ended up going to Merton Court - almost a third of the total boys from Harenc. Yes - Merton Court must be very happy that our fees are now going to them, which is helping during the current economic climate, but thats business I'm afraid. Please do not believe everything you read on these forums. A lot of it is not true and people should stop making derogatory comments about Merton Court - no other private school in the area has suffered as much.
dani*
Posts: 298
Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: Harenc School, Sidcup

Post by dani* »

I'm not sure why you are getting fed up with other people's views of this school. Are we perhaps not entitled to our own opinion? We have looked at this school many moons ago and I can only go by what I have seen of the school, the attitude of the staff, parents etc.. I also know people who have taken their children out, none of them because of the recession.

I'm sure that anyone who considers an Indie in the area will visit the schools on offer and make up their own minds. Maybe this explains why this school had so many places on offer when Harenc closed down.

Anyway pleased you are happy with your new school.
blessedmum
Posts: 298
Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:39 pm

Re: Harenc School, Sidcup

Post by blessedmum »

Pemble,
I am delighted for you that your son has settled well into MC.

I am an ex parent of MC myself and any comment I make is based on my experience not hearsay. My kids are at another Independent school in the area and are a lot happier and so am I.

I know for a fact that some people at MC only ended up there as they could not get places at other schools in the area.

DP does not help himself either by the things he has been saying in public. you can view it in the link attached in my earlier post.

I have since learnt that things have improved as the school lost a lot of student at the time my dc left the school as well. I wish your DS all the best and i genuinely wish all the other Harenc parents all the best as they settle in various new environments.
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