See all schools in New Milton
Ballard School
Primary · Independent · New Milton
"I wish I knew about this website when I was about to choose School"
Lisa, parent
"Finally, one can access the opinions of other students completely transparently."
Fredrik, student
Get access to exclusive content, available only on SchoolParrot!
1 month
£2.99
First month. Then £4.99 / month
1 year
£19
Best valueFirst year. Then £39 / year.
For Schools and school staff
Do you work as a principal or school staff? Take control of your SchoolParrot profile. Click here
An Amazing School
An Excpetional School
I have nothing but praise for Ballard. My daughter left last year and the transformation that occurred throughout her time was nothing short of miraculous. Having become anxious at her Prep School having been told that she wasn’t good at maths and science, she joined Ballard in Year 9. They immediately ‘got her,’ supported her and allowed her to fly. With the right balance of care and cajoling she started to enjoy school again, throwing herself into sport, the arts and DofE. Academically they also pushed her to be her best and she got great results.
Her confidence grew so much that she chose to go to boarding school for sixth form and is flourishing. The life skills she learnt at Ballard have enabled her to make the most of her opportunities. We are currently visiting Universities, and I am so proud of her as she talks confidently about her next steps to lecturers. I know that she will do well, whatever she chooses to do with her life.
Her confidence grew so much that she chose to go to boarding school for sixth form and is flourishing. The life skills she learnt at Ballard have enabled her to make the most of her opportunities. We are currently visiting Universities, and I am so proud of her as she talks confidently about her next steps to lecturers. I know that she will do well, whatever she chooses to do with her life.
Amazing
What a wonderful school! I cannot praise it enough.
A Brilliant School.
My children absolutely love being pupils at Ballard. My youngest suffered with bullying at her previous school and became a shell of herself. Since joining Ballard she has absolutely thrived. She can be herself, has made amazing friends and makes the most of every opportunity available to her. She is no longer a face in a very large crowd, she is seen, supported and motivated to be the best version of herself.
My son is absolutely flying at Ballard. The Sports Department is absolutely phenomenal and as well as his timetabled sport, he does 4 extra hours each week in after school activities. He has also been encouraged to join the school band, which he thoroughly enjoys.
Ballard is a fantastic school with a great ethos. The teachers are really enthusiastic and both of my children love the food! My children come home exhausted and happy - we could not be happier with our choice of school.
My son is absolutely flying at Ballard. The Sports Department is absolutely phenomenal and as well as his timetabled sport, he does 4 extra hours each week in after school activities. He has also been encouraged to join the school band, which he thoroughly enjoys.
Ballard is a fantastic school with a great ethos. The teachers are really enthusiastic and both of my children love the food! My children come home exhausted and happy - we could not be happier with our choice of school.
Terrible experience of this private school
Terrible experience when we were so excited of joining this private school. The early years/primary seems ok but the senior school is toxic and those in charge are smug and lack professionalism. They deny any bullying and I do not think the leadership do anything to promote a balanced, harmonised and inclusive environment.
I would avoid at all costs! as there are many other options around the wonderful area.
I would avoid at all costs! as there are many other options around the wonderful area.
great school
it's a great school and a great enviroment
Awful
Terrible bullying in which they turn a blind eye and not recognised or dealt with. Leadership toxic which filters into the rest of the operation..disaster for us when we expected great things!
Depends on Child
Our experience of Ballard was disappointing. We have two very different children. One was awarded a scholarship and they fell over themselves to accept him but I felt they were unable to deliver higher academic challenges so he went to grammar school. Great for children in the middle band. Our other child has high functioning autistim, social and communicational skills are not a key issue for him but his and our experience left me pretty astonished. They have failed to move with the times in this regard and they risk dropping behind because the wider world is becoming far more skilled in understanding the needs and challenges of all children. They live in a bubble that doesn’t reflect the wider world. We have experienced different schools in London and Dorset who have skilled up and developed their offer. The line we are a family but we have to be a profitable one is a harsh but honest analysis of where they stand. So consider what works for your child
Ableist
AWFUL! They say that you are SEN friendly, but victimise SEN kids and stop them from doing what they like, e.g, extracurricular actives. They kicked me out because of my mental health issues overnight, and their excuse was that I was a threat to the pupils and staff, something they soon regretted saying. Do not send your child to Ballard! Please!
About SchoolParrot
- SchoolParrot is a review site for schools. We are a company that believes in more transparency within schools. Our platform is open to all users.
Read about SchoolParrot and our company - Reviews are published in real-time without moderation and we want to encourage our users to provide constructive feedback and keep a serious tone. The responsibility lies with the user.
Read our review guidelines
The staff are incredibly dedicated and approachable, and they always go the extra mile to help the children. We have really valued the strong pastoral support in particular. The facilities are brilliant, DT especially, and the co-curricular opportunities are extensive. My children have developed interests and skills in so many areas we never expected.
But what makes Ballard really special is the sense of community and inclusivity - every child is known and valued. My children are happy and proud to be part of the Ballard family.