High grades from a 'new' Bromley school - worth a chance
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High grades from a 'new' Bromley school - worth a chance
Sorry for the long post, but I was so pleased with my DD end of year school report at this 'new' school, I wanted to share. 
The last few months have been difficult for us as we moved our DD from her primary school.
Looking around for another school we took a chance on a local independent school that has not long been open and therefore still developing and earning its reputation.
Now, some four months on we are delighted with our choice and wish she had started there sooner. The atmosphere in this school is wonderful; in fact as a family none of us have ever experienced anything quite like it. There is a relaxed, welcoming and warm feeling to the school, in a setting that takes you back to Henry VIII.
But, it is not just the setting that is outstanding, the teaching staff are too. The Head Teacher shows a warm, welcoming degree of professionalism that is present every day. The teachers are friendly, supportive, firm and conscientious bringing out the best and challenging each individual child to obtain their full potential … without being stressful. There is a high ratio of teachers to pupils and low numbers in each class and they have an open door policy … and parents evening took us by surprise as we were there ages meeting every teacher (they have different teachers for different subjects) which was very different to a ten minute chat with one teacher in the state setting.
The educational experience is wide and varied with the primary school having science lessons in a lab. It offers us everything we want – maths, English, geography, history, science, French, art, music (and lessons in flute, saxophone, violin, clarinet and piano), drama, speech and language, writing, spelling, ICT, RE, PHSE and NVR/VR.
My DD is very happy and now wishes to stay there for secondary school. In the four months we have all noticed a great difference in her. She is now desperate to rush to school and enjoys the challenge and class work, she has made new friends and her confidence is increasing. I asked her what she thought of her new school and she replied “I used to spend every half hour at my old school yawning as I was bored, now I yawn when I get home as I am tired … I love it” … and her grades have picked up to show us it has all been worth it.
Yesterday she proudly came home with her school report and I shed a tear of relief and was so proud of her. She has worked hard to catch up with the rest of the class (they are 1-2 yrs ahead of her old school), had one-to-one from the teacher at the start and the homework has been far greater than before. Last year in her previous school she scored level 3c. Now, at this independent school my DD has scored levels 4a and 4b with her lowest level being 4b. 
It has been worth every penny, but I am delighted to say this is an affordable independent school with low fees.
This is a 'newish' school as not long opened, and please do not overlook it as an option. We nearly did as we found little feedback from personal experience. We wanted to share our story … as it may help someone else who is struggling to choose the best school for their child. As a good friend once said to me: … “Look for the best school for your child, rather than the best school”. We did, and believe we found it.
Of course this is our own experience and opinion, and this school won’t be right for everyone. However, just because it is 'new' and has few reviews it does not mean it is insignificant and not worth a chance; in our opinion it has a great deal to offer.
Congratulations DD for working so hard.
The school we chose - Wickham Court School in West Wickham, Kent http://www.wickhamcourt.org.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The last few months have been difficult for us as we moved our DD from her primary school.
Looking around for another school we took a chance on a local independent school that has not long been open and therefore still developing and earning its reputation.
Now, some four months on we are delighted with our choice and wish she had started there sooner. The atmosphere in this school is wonderful; in fact as a family none of us have ever experienced anything quite like it. There is a relaxed, welcoming and warm feeling to the school, in a setting that takes you back to Henry VIII.
But, it is not just the setting that is outstanding, the teaching staff are too. The Head Teacher shows a warm, welcoming degree of professionalism that is present every day. The teachers are friendly, supportive, firm and conscientious bringing out the best and challenging each individual child to obtain their full potential … without being stressful. There is a high ratio of teachers to pupils and low numbers in each class and they have an open door policy … and parents evening took us by surprise as we were there ages meeting every teacher (they have different teachers for different subjects) which was very different to a ten minute chat with one teacher in the state setting.
The educational experience is wide and varied with the primary school having science lessons in a lab. It offers us everything we want – maths, English, geography, history, science, French, art, music (and lessons in flute, saxophone, violin, clarinet and piano), drama, speech and language, writing, spelling, ICT, RE, PHSE and NVR/VR.
My DD is very happy and now wishes to stay there for secondary school. In the four months we have all noticed a great difference in her. She is now desperate to rush to school and enjoys the challenge and class work, she has made new friends and her confidence is increasing. I asked her what she thought of her new school and she replied “I used to spend every half hour at my old school yawning as I was bored, now I yawn when I get home as I am tired … I love it” … and her grades have picked up to show us it has all been worth it.
Yesterday she proudly came home with her school report and I shed a tear of relief and was so proud of her. She has worked hard to catch up with the rest of the class (they are 1-2 yrs ahead of her old school), had one-to-one from the teacher at the start and the homework has been far greater than before. Last year in her previous school she scored level 3c. Now, at this independent school my DD has scored levels 4a and 4b with her lowest level being 4b.
It has been worth every penny, but I am delighted to say this is an affordable independent school with low fees.
This is a 'newish' school as not long opened, and please do not overlook it as an option. We nearly did as we found little feedback from personal experience. We wanted to share our story … as it may help someone else who is struggling to choose the best school for their child. As a good friend once said to me: … “Look for the best school for your child, rather than the best school”. We did, and believe we found it.
Of course this is our own experience and opinion, and this school won’t be right for everyone. However, just because it is 'new' and has few reviews it does not mean it is insignificant and not worth a chance; in our opinion it has a great deal to offer.
Congratulations DD for working so hard.
The school we chose - Wickham Court School in West Wickham, Kent http://www.wickhamcourt.org.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Last edited by Torty on Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: High grades from a new Bromley school - worth a chance
Hi Torty,
Glad you like the school but I think it is a bit disingenuous to suggest it is "new", although it is the newest school in the area. The junior school has been going since about 2001/2002 and the senior school opened in 2006 (I think - I know it has recently had its first set of GCSE students).
Anyway, hope your daughter enjoys it - the building is beautiful.
Glad you like the school but I think it is a bit disingenuous to suggest it is "new", although it is the newest school in the area. The junior school has been going since about 2001/2002 and the senior school opened in 2006 (I think - I know it has recently had its first set of GCSE students).
Anyway, hope your daughter enjoys it - the building is beautiful.
Re: High grades from a 'new' Bromley school - worth a chance
Well done to your dd! You must be pleased that you have found a school which suits your dd and she is thriving well.