The Lyceum

Date Of Visit: Feb-11
General Comments:   Academically, this seems to be a really great school and a good prep for the private route but there is one big problem -  there is practically no daylight in the entire school! As far as I'm concerned, this is a deal breaker . I was quite impressed by the school overall but the location in a busy part of Shoreditch bordering on the City and the unpleasant building really did put me off. The school did seem to be doing the best they can with what they've got but for me, if I'm paying for private I 'd want the excellence to be reflected in the facilities as well as the educational approach. Another thing that I was put off by was the fact that kids have to bring in packed lunches and there is no food cooked onsite. All in all, whilst I can appreciate that this school is probably a fairly certain path to top notch private education, if I'm objective and take the 'snob value' out of it, most state schools I've seen offer a much better overall service, taking into consideration the overall environment the kids spend their time in.
Fees: £3650 per term (increases by 10% each year) + Afterschool clubs cost extra
Languages:  French from the start, Latin from age 9,  very strong.
Music: Day begins with the whole school listening to a piece of music. For example this week  - Michael Nyman. Normally a lot of opera because the head is very keen on opera. This is really great.
Uniform:  Yes, a lovely uniform w hat, if a little over the top.  
Food: Surprisingly, they do not provide any food, kids have to bring packed lunches. no food.
Sports:  yes, plenty of sports. They use local fields in the City and go swimming etc.

General atmosphere: Disciplined, children seem engrossed in learning, small school. Seems like a good community.


 

Sir Christopher Hatton

Website: http://www.chrishatton.camden.sch.uk/
Date of Visit:  March 2011
General Comments:   This school has a great Ofsted report - the best of all that I have seen. The school is overall pretty impressive and all the elements that matter to me where  
Number of children in class: up to 30 kids, two places allocated to kids who need special attention with English. 
Languages: French from year 3. Also spanish (I think), have afterschool clubs for Arabic etc.
Music: yes, dedicated teacher from year 2 or 3, have a  dedicated music room. Have a piano and violin teacher that parents can pay for separately. Music classes once per week.
Focus varies from teacher to teacher but has included a band or choir.
Art:   yes, no dedicated classroom. Part of the curriculum.
Ofsted Report: outstanding in most areas (but this could be down to the fact that lots of kids don't have English as first language and have a very steep learning curve).

Other Notes: The school is specially funded to support kids who need extra help with learning English. 76% children don't have english as first language, this includes 'Elite second language speakers' - ie. mixed highly educated couples for example.

Catchment Area:   last year (2010) average distance was 0.3 Miles. Should call Camden to check.

Afterschool Clubs:  No afterschool clubs in Reception as they feel kids would be too tired. School finishes at 3.30 pm. After Reception there are many different clubs - chess, arabic etcetc…

The Building:  A typical Victorian school building on many floors but excellent provision - lovely playground outside, opening a  roof terrace on 1st floor that will extend the Reception class so that they have more space.

Uniform: sadly, no. Some kids looked quite scruffy - not tough enough in the looks department in my opinion!  I would like for the schools to be stricter when it comes to the way kids are allowed to dress and to encourage them to look smart. A school is not a playground.
Food: cooked on site. Seemed very nice.
AOB: The kids are *very* ethnically mixed which is really great. Because the school has so many Muslim families they have been given a special exception from having religious classes, so they don't have to mention God at all if they don't want to. But encouraged to develop 'enquiry' and spiritual wellbeing of children.
Where to kids go onto:   Different schools, none of them in Camden. Several (I think 4) kids got scholarships to go to private secondary schools. The Deputy Head that was showing us around said 'But I don't know the names of those schools', which to me was a concern.  She said the kids had worked very hard to get those scholarships.I find it very problematic when state schools simply won't engage with the private sector. I would like to find a state school which is prepared to support kids and parents in whatever route they choose to pursue after primary school.

Dallington School

Dallington            £2,893.00     150    average 16                    private school    seems flexible, waiting list, express interest asap and fill in application form if I want to go ahead        Building is a bit dark, some of the classes are in the basement and it felt a bit stuffy. I don't think they have any outside space.             Nice but a bit chaotic. Very bohemian, perhaps not structured enough.    

Charterhouse Square

Charterhouse Square        06-Oct-08                                private school    changing admissions (mid 2010) and it may be too late to apply now.         lovely building, clean, bright, lots of project work on walls.Lots of floors.  No outside space so they use Charterhouse Square.     Yes, from what I remember.        So far this is my favourite school. Kids that were showing me around were amazingly polite, smart and confident. A world apart from all the others. On the other hand, has a reputation as being an exam factory. Maybe too stressful, tough on the kids???   

Grasmere School

Grasmere        29-Jan-10            30 max    1    Spanish    yes    yes lots        Absolutely tiny and almost impossible to get into I'm told    yes lots of sports clubs    lovely small school, clean, loads of art on the walls, clean comfortable classrooms,  loads of outside space, separate nursery playground and a big playground for bigger kids    no uniform, kids very bohemian looking (looks a bit too relaxed, but very happy)    didn’t ask    seems like a lovely small school. Biggest advantage how small it is and its reputation. However, my feeling was that it was quite chaotic-  no organised open day, took forever for someone to see me. Open day started with assembly where yr 6 did a presentation about Anne Frank. The whole school was there, seemed very contained, small and manageable. Kids seemed happy and confident. Good discipline.Head teacher nice but very business like man, very rushed off his feet. Said nursery will only be funded for part time places from next year. Also said, all kids will be starting Reception in Sept 2012 which is when Munch will be of Reception age (this is across the board)    Both kids that showed me around wanted to go to Stoke Newington school where the previous yr six had gone. Seems the school of choice.

Canonbury School

 Canonbury        11-Nov-09        432    30    60    French and french after school club        yes, lots of projects with Cubitt    On special measures as of end of 2009. Keep track as it may rapidly improve.     1400 furthest last yr (131 Englefield is 1290 in distance so would have got in)     French amongst others    a bit run down but feels homely. PE in top floor assembly hall, a bit chaotic    no (I think)            kids that showed us around mentioned Dame Alice owen, Latymer, Camden Girls School, Mary Magdalene

Hanover School

Hanover       

Nov-09       
Number of children in the whole school: 325    45 at reception (one and half form entry)    complex system of working in 'phase groups' according to children's age, but 30 in class. They put children in groups according to ability in math    Spanish (starting next year)but half arsed about it, there's a Frenh lunch club once per week - NOT SERIOUS    private music classes paid by parents. Also some music education    no mention         head didn't know but thought approx 1300m (varies)    yes but not so many in reception year, for older kids only. Didn't bother going into details. Ran by Highbury Roundhouse    There will be a refurbishment starting next september and will take 2 years. 6m investment. New sports hall, assembly hall. Will be chaotic for 2 yrs. Currently sports hall is also assembly is also lunch room. Has playground on roof and another playground. building nice, old but good victorian school Very spacious classrooms, library, tiny shit music room. plenty of outdoor space.    no    cooked on site, big kitchen    cold corridors, person in admin office INCREDIBLY RUDE, children distracted, looking a bit unkept, sitting with legs on chairs, running down corridors.Not a particularly nice atmosphere. Head does not inspire confidence as was not able to answer most questions I asked (re. admissions). vague when answering and kept saying 'there's a booklet in hte office you can get'. Not particularly warm towards the children. Visit was short and she acted like it was a nuisance. Very disappointing!    Islington Green "coler rye' (sp), Hackey academies, Selective schools (Latymer -  NB check this-  very hard to get to), independent schools but she didn't say which.

Hugh Myddleton

Hugh Myddleton, 21 March 2011                    30    2    french, spanish, 2 years each    didn't ask    didn't ask    so- so    don't care, its not a good school    yes    lovely, but shame about the staff/kids/atmosphere    yes, nice    cooked on site    sadly, great premises but terrible atmosphere in the class - kids are wild, out of control, messy, loud. I wound't dream of putting Leo in there    whatever

Thornhill School

Thornhill        10 Nov 09 (Vesna)        400    30    60 at reception    French (afterschool club) she thinks    afterschool club    have good art provision        large catchment    yes, many    big school, strong PtA, extensions and refurb planned    yes, very simple, dark blue    have kitchen on site and fresh meals    Vesna liked the atmosphere but he didn't mention about the curriculum. Much talk about approach to learning. Tour led by children   

The Gower School

The Gower School     

Date Of visit; June 2011    £3335 (8.45 - 3.30, includes food),£2,496 for whole year (breakfast club + afterschool club). Total £12501(plus have to find a solution for holidays)                                                        

Rosemary Works

Rosemary Works     

Date of visit: 2010      £2835 per term (9.30 - 4pm), £558 per term Mon - Fri afterschool clubs, Lunch £155 per term. TOTAL £10644 per year (plus have to find a solution for holidays)    110, can accommodate 150    20 children in reception        French once per week    1 per week            private    yes, lots    lovely but geographically positioned in a rough area. A big social difference between children at the school and the surroundings. A difficult situation.     yes    cooked on premises    very small school, wonder if its struggling to stay open. Year 3 only 7 childre, year 4 10 children.      50% go to state 50% private, 60% of year six got level 5 SAT tests, national average is 4 on SAT tests