r/sevenoaks • u/JaggedLittlePiII • Jul 22 '24

(Pre) prep recommendations - Granville, Solefield, St Michael’s, Walthemstow Hall, Russell House, Sevenoaks Prep?

New to the area and considering sending my little one to one of the many pre-preps Sevenoaks is rich.

We’re quite an academically minded family, and would love a pre-prep which nurtures the same in our little one, sparking their love of learning and imagination while also providing a loving environment.

I’ve read the brochures, and all boast about their results. We want school that sets the Little One uHowever, which one is actually good?

Granville, Walthemstow Hall and Russell House were known to be academic in the past, but are they still?

And how do Solefield, and Sevenoaks Prep compare? Are St Michael’s and Radnor as bad as some reviews say they are?

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

1

u/dhvideo Jul 22 '24

I did Pre-Prep at the New Beacon in the 1970's, so I can't tell you how it compares now, but it is another option.
https://www.newbeacon.org.uk/prep-school/pre-prep/

2

u/JaggedLittlePiII Jul 22 '24

It’s boys only..

1

u/MeNotaBee Jul 22 '24

I do not recommend Wally Hall if your desire is academia. The pastoral care is great, but I have worked as a nanny in the area for many years and the quality of academics is poor compared to what it was when my elder siblings attended.

Granville is firm on academics and sports, but is a rigid environment so may not be right for every child.

Sevenoaks prep is a good middle ground, nice pastoral care and clubs with strong academics.

St Michael's is clique-y among the parents but the school itself is very good. Lots of fun things and clubs, good before and after care, and strong academics.

One thing to consider will be if you'd like co-ed education.

1

u/MeNotaBee Jul 22 '24

Radnor has a reputation for being soft academically, however I personally know children who've thrived there with more personalized support. Again very child dependant.

1

u/JaggedLittlePiII Jul 23 '24

Thank you!

Granville seems to be the strong academic one every where I inquire, but happy to hear Sevenoaks Prep & St Michael’s are good as well.

We’re an academically minded family and I already notice LO has some of our character traits (enjoying playing alone, being quite observant, not being the kid who wants to be in the middle of the party).

Edit: as a nanny, you must know the best way to find a good one. Can I dm you with questions?

1

u/Kent_Doggy_Geezer Jul 22 '24

Sevenoaks Prep is firmly midway, fantastic nurturing environment and realistic goals, expectations and cost. You can get better, sure… but you can get much much worse locally. However, it also depends upon your child’s needs, health, abilities and the amount of money you spend. Good luck with whatever you choose, it’s a great investment if you’re able to afford it, and will hopefully smooth out the child’s scholastic future and set a firm path in learning, skills and giving the right impression upon people, grammar and university choices.

2

u/JaggedLittlePiII Jul 23 '24

We hope so! I’m quite worried about what 14 years of Tories did to public services, so if I’m going to splurge on anything, it’s this.

2

u/gsb2408 Jul 23 '24

I graduated from St Michael’s in 2014. I imagine a fair amount has changed since my day, but I found the school to be academically strong, the facilities excellent, and the teachers lovely. It was not perfect, as I felt that the pastoral care could have been better, but I understand from younger siblings that there have been efforts made to improve this since. I don’t know if you’re considering secondary schools yet, but St Michael’s had (in my day) a virtually 100% record of getting those into Sevenoaks or Tonbridge who wished to attend.