Do you have a son at St Olaves? I’d love to know your views on the school. It’s obviously been through a traumatic couple of years. How high pressure is it now? My son has just passed the first test and will sit the second so deciding whether to put it as our first choice. Thanks for your help.

Sorry rushing now but if you see my post on a thread just below ‘St Olaves’ - hopefully that will help.

Hi KSH, I have a son in y11 at KSH. He was obvs there under the old Head, and the media furore. Managing boys out 1/2 way through their A levels was appalling, and was no doubt very traumatic for those involved and their families and friends, but for my son and his friends (y8 or 9 at the time), they were fairly oblivious. The school leadership and individual teachers did a very good job at maintaining a business as usual approach we felt.

DS is an introvert, and was quite a shy quiet thoughtful little boy, and was bullied terribly at his primary. He has been very very happy at St O. He got in on the waiting list (initially offered Wilson's), and we were a little worried to how he would cope, but he has done really well, and is on track for some very good GCSEs. He got quite anxious in y7 about HW, the commute, detentions etc, and when I contacted school, they interceded beautifully. I am very happy with the increased emphasis they put on mental health and wellbeing (I went to a parents' workshop on well being last week at school) - they even have a wellbeing cockapoo at school now!

Of course, no school is perfect, and it's horses for courses. So far, DS has been very happy, has not felt under too much pressure, and if there are any concerns, school offers wellbeing and academic support. My experience of children at St O and NW is that much of the pressure comes from parents, not from school. Both schools have introduced no homework weeks, and emphasis the importance of extra curricular activities, and time away from studies.

I realise you will have made your application decisions now: hope the stage 2 test went well, and good luck to your DS wherever he goes.

Hi Crescent26,
Thanks a lot for wonderfully explaining about stolaves,we had similar doubts regarding the school ..much appreciate gtgabks again

Thanks again

Thanks so much both. Really helpful. We put Olaves first on our list so we’ll wait and see.