Box Hill School – a Round Square school

Where to start? Lunch! Box Hill School invited us to visit a few months ago. A date was set, changed due to work commitments and set again. We finally arrived on a beautiful sunny Autumn Day in October. The school was definitely at it’s best. The main building was originally a private home which was bought by and converted into this exceptional school.   A beautiful panelled hall and staircase are the first things that greet your eyes. We were met in reception and taken for coffee in the pretty conservatory. Following on from this was an absolutely delicious lunch provided by the schools chef in our own private ante-room where we learnt all about the excellent education Box Hill School provides and the ethos that the school abides by.

Box Hill School is a founding member of Round Square, a worldwide association of schools which share a commitment to personal development, maturity and responsibility, as well as academic excellence. It provides opportunities for pupils to participate in global and regional conferences, and enables them to undertake exchanges and projects. The Round Square Ideals Box Hill School adopts are – Internationalism, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership and Service to others.

During our lunch we learnt that the school curriculum in Years 10 & 11 study towards (I)GCSEs of which most students study nine (I)GCSEs. Thus in the Sixth Form in Years 12 & 13 the students are fortunate to have the choice of two academic programmes. They can study for A Levels or for the International Baccalaureate Diplomas.

The school tour – A very charming young sixth former took us on a fascinating tour of the schools facilities. You could tell right from the off that this was a happy and dynamic school. Our sixth form guide took us to see the schools amazing modern sports hall and facilities. It was particularly interesting to see the immersive way the school introduces team building for its youngest members of the school through their outdoor tree assault course, challenging but fun. They also had a small tunnel/caving experience where pupils have to crawl through and find their way out.

The school is a mixture of old and new with the sixth form centre and English & Maths block having been completed a few years ago. Our guide was extremely proud of his new sixth form centre.

The DT, Art room and Drama Studio formed part of the older building with pupils finishing of projects and a group of Year 7’s having fun learning performance arts in the studio.

All in all we came out with a very positive impression of this school and would not hesitate recommending it to families looking for a school that has excellent academic success, strong values and focuses on the whole child.

We carry out school and home searches in London and the South East. As a bespoke relocation agency we dovetail our school and home search to ensure the best possible outcome for our families. Please contact either Amanda on 07944 305921 or Anji on 07748 682818 so we can help plan your move to the UK every step of the way.

North East London- Caledonian Road

Caledonian Road or The Cally as it is affectionally known to it’s friends and residents is another example of the  changing face of London. It is yet another of London’s well kept secrets.  Having lived in the shadow of the now ‘up and come’ King’s X it is finally making it’s mark.  The fact that it is criss-crossed by train tracks and surrounded by Pentonville and Holloway prisons means that it has not been at the forefront of the developers mind.  Now, however Holloway Prison is being earmarked for development and people are beginning to take note of it’s hidden gems, such as, it’s neighbouring early 19th century Barnsbury village which is full of cottages, squares and restaurants and the 2 acre Calendonian Park.   With it’s multicultural and urban flavour and with housing working out at around 20% cheaper than it’s neighbours it might be well worth considering as a place to live.

From North London to South West London

Brixton and Streatham

Despite its chequered past and years of regeneration it is also well and truly on the map.  It has new developments with affordable and shared-ownership housing.  An average price for a starter home for first-time buyers is around £100,000 for a 25 per cent share whereas a standard one bed. flat in Brixton averages between £350,000 to £400,000.  If these prices mean buying a property here is a little out of reach you can always head down to neighbouring Streatham Hill where you can find homes offering slightly more for you money with a 2 bed. flat averaging between £350,000 to £450,000.  Brixton has a lot to offer with it’s well known market, shops, bars and restaurants stretching out along Coldharbour Lane and nearby Brockwell Park with open spaces, lido and cafe.  The tube link is good and there is also a good bus network.

From South West London going even further North, the changing face of London continues

Hornsey is also on the up!

Hornsey – set between Crouch End and Alexandra Palace, is a traditional Victorian suburb and is also becoming one of London’s ‘slightly’ more affordable places to buy.  Developers have been flocking to make the most of this gem with Berkley Group developing a derelict industrial site just off Hornsey High Street to build 440 homes at Smithfield Square, some homes still available in its final phase for anyone who is interested. In addition Sanctuary Homes have some shared ownership homes in Smithfield Square with prices for a 25 percent share averaging around £108,000 and 2 beds for around £135,000 in the Quadrangle. To add to this already buoyant and developing area planning permission was granted in April for a further 1,700 new homes to be built with a third of the homes priced with first-time buyers in mind.   It is intended to be a mixed development to include restaurants, shops and a nursery and starting prices for a 1 bed. flat will be around £425,000 and 2 beds. for around £517,000. Transport links are good.

We continuously work at providing up-to-date information on the changing face of London’s housing market and schooling options. We also operate in the South East and provide an exceptional service for all our clients.  Should you require help with your home/school relocation please contact Amanda on 07944 305921 or Anji on 07748 682818.

Rosehill Prep School, Tunbridge Wells, an update:

We were invited to revisit Rosehill Prep School in Tunbridge Wells to meet Head Emma Neville who joined in 2017 and is brimming full of exciting ideas for the school.  The energy and enthusiasm of the pupils and staff was the overriding impression we came away with.

Rose Hill is a co-education day school, hidden away in central Tunbridge Wells. It is a deceptively large school surrounded by beautiful grounds covering 15 acres, it has great sports facilities and modern classrooms. There are 300 pupils ranging in age from 3 to 13.

As one of the oldest prep schools in England, Rose Hill has a long and interesting history. It first opened its doors in 1832 and the original site was situated on London Road in Tunbridge Wells. In 1966 the original site was sold for development and the head, Jack Grange having already found the new grounds in Culverden Down in 1951 proceeded to raise funds to develop the sports grounds and build a modern new school which was ready to go in August 1966.

It has maintained its excellent reputation for academic and sporting achievements over the years.  We are confident it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future as it continues to move with the times and has started its own forest school and the children spend plenty of time outdoors.

Their latest addition to the school is their wonderful indoor swimming pool which opened only last year and is now in full use for lessons, galas and relaxation.

We’d highly recommend any parents looking to relocate to Tunbridge Wells or nearby to visit Rose Hill  School.  Limited spaces are available in a number of the year groups and the Head is always open to discussing placing new pupils whenever possible.

Please contact Amanda on 07944 305921 or Anji on 007748 682818 should you require help with your school search and we are happy to discuss the relative merits of schools in the area of your choice as we visit the schools on a regular basis in both the Independent and State Sectors across London and the south east.