Kimbolton School

Three children left Kimbolton School at half term due to unaddressed bullying and a lack of pastoral care. Two more children are set to leave due to bullying at Easter. The new headmaster does unfortunately not have the experience or the will to deal with the major bullying at the school. This leads to much disruption in lessons and the ring leaders of the bullying being able to get away with doing almost anything to the the victims.
The teachers are overworked and have no framework to work within the safeguarding procedures. There is a lot of police involvement at the school as sometimes children are physically attached as part of the bullying.
I would recommend that parents look at the much better schools in Cambridge and Bedford. It is difficult for children to flourish in an environment with so much bullying and class disruption.

At the Prep School the class rooms, playground and sports facilities are poor. Children in the Upper Prep are taught in small inadequate class rooms which are in desperate need of refurbishment. There is a library which looks good but the students are not permitted to use. The Parents Association raised money for an adventure playground the kids are not permitted to use which has fallen in to disrepair. The only investment in facilities in the last few years led to a large new entrance and office for the Headmaster at the Prep School, and complete refurbishment of the Burser’s office. Meanwhile sports facilities are outdated and are much worse than local non fee paying schools. There is no clear plan for future investment at the school.

Information is drip fed to parents through a confusing variety of sources. Sometimes a letter in a child’s bag, sometimes via the chid, maybe the pupil portal. Parents spend a lot of time messaging each other to find out information.

The school keep reducing the number of reports, changing if they even do these reports at their convenience, or send the reports out late. You are limited to only ten minutes with a class teacher, which is hopelessly inadequate. Teachers make unprofessional swipes at children in reports which the Headmaster refuses to reconsider.

Favouritism is rife. Some parents with multiple children at the Prep School have weekly meetings with the Headmaster which helps ensure their children get all the opportunities. Every morning at drop off there is a parent who dominates the Headmasters time at the School gate. It is no coincidence that it is the children of that parent who dominate all the literature about the school and whose children receive all the sports opportunities and drama opportunities.

After school clubs are limited and lacking in imagination.

Attractive senior school grounds and promotional material can be misleading. Public school style values and discipline can be oppressive and damaging. Head rules. Disregard of school policy, bullying, child psychology and pupil well-being. School policies, designed to protect youngsters are practised selectively if at all. Lack of interest or understanding of adolescence and ‘difference‘. Governors largely comprised of ex pupils and parents, often retained beyond normal term. No independent monitoring of school management.