Essex


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-where-nbsp"><strong>WHAT? WHERE?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/SP10015-1.jpg" alt="Pupils round a tree at Holmwood House School " class="wp-image-17106" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/SP10015-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/SP10015-1-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/SP10015-1-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Holmwood House School, which lies mere moments from the A12, makes a great first impression. Sitting proudly in 25 acres of glorious grounds, it’s so peaceful and bucolic it doesn’t seem possible that Colchester city centre’s just 10 minutes away.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This is the edge of Lexden, the leafy, posh end of the city and home to Colchester Royal Grammar School, which The Times declared the best secondary school in East Anglia in 2023. Holmwood House, with its sandy-coloured mansion dating back to 1870, cedar trees and manicured lawns, fits right in.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="839" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-04-at-21.32.21-1000x839.png" alt="Holmwood House School in Essex " class="wp-image-17112" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-04-at-21.32.21-1000x839.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-04-at-21.32.21-800x672.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-04-at-21.32.21-768x645.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-04-at-21.32.21.png 1470w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>There are around 345 pupils currently, and the school’s BIG news is that it&#8217;s expanding to take children on an educational journey all the way through to Year 11, meaning GCSE’s are now an option &#8211; music to the ears of parents who don’t want to move their children from this tranquil oasis when they hit 13.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-facilities-nbsp"><strong>FACILITIES&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>Extensive. Things that stood out on my tour included the indoor heated pool, impressive sports hall, courts and fields, swish stage and seating for an audience of up to 150 in Jubilee Hall and the well-equipped science labs. I also loved the extensive library, complete with mezzanine, where pupils from year 4 up are welcome to do their homework after school.</p>



<p>There are a labyrinth of buildings spanning out from the main house, including the Early Years hub, which has clearly had money pumped into it recently, particularly the creative outside space filled with fun things like a mud kitchen and tree stump basketball hoops, while the bright, light classrooms are as colourful as you’d hope for three to five-year-olds.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/SP10111.jpg" alt="Pupils by a tree at Holmwood House School " class="wp-image-17111" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/SP10111.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/SP10111-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/SP10111-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>There&#8217;s a Garden Block for Prep and plans this summer to turn the Library Block into a similar hub for Years 6-8, while a Stable Block is going to be transformed into a common room for lucky Years 9-11. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sport-nbsp"><strong>SPORT&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="660" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-06-at-14.16.55.png" alt="Rugby at Holmwood House school " class="wp-image-17125" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-06-at-14.16.55.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-06-at-14.16.55-800x528.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-06-at-14.16.55-768x507.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The school’s a heavyweight when it comes to sports and fitness. Its cricket offering is particularly outstanding (little wonder they have several county players), with numerous picturesque pitches and a vast sports hall complete with four cricket nets. In fact the facilities are so good, it’s been chosen as a base for the highly regarded PiriPiri Cricket Academy, run by ex-county player Ben Stephens. So if you&#8217;ve got a budding Freddy Flintoff on your hands, this is clearly <em>the</em> place to go.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/thumbnail__SP11695.jpg" alt="Holmwood House school " class="wp-image-17129" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/thumbnail__SP11695.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/thumbnail__SP11695-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/thumbnail__SP11695-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The sports hall also has indoor netball and hockey courts (Holmwood House has five county U13 hockey players), and there are acres of outside space for athletics and rugby plus a tennis bubble. Football fanatics aren’t left out either, as there’s soccer&nbsp;training in the spring term. Naturally the school’s collected a lot of sporting silverware, think current IAPS U11 Squash Champion and IAPS U11 clay pigeon shooting champs. </p>



<p>My big takeaway is that Holmwood House pupils are hardy, in the best sense of the word. I was left open-mouthed after seeing children getting out of the swimming pool (your child will learn to swim 25 metres in the blink of an eye here btw), then racing, damp, around the neighbouring sports field&nbsp;WITHOUT COMPLAINING. In fact they had smiles on their faces. Apparently it was Aquathlon training, which left me questioning why my own kids moan about running from a pool to a changing room in 35˚C.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creative-arts-nbsp"><strong>CREATIVE ARTS&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="632" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-06-at-14.16.13.png" alt="Holmwood House School " class="wp-image-17124" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-06-at-14.16.13.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-06-at-14.16.13-800x506.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-06-at-14.16.13-768x485.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>I found the spacious main art room (with kilns) and DT room a riot of ideas and colour. Overseen by Clive Earley, pupils appear to be expertly guided while simultaneously being given room to develop their own interests, as evidenced by an immersive &#8216;movement&#8217; project I saw, which spanned everything from research on artist Edgar Degas, proudly displayed on the walls, through to a friendly group of Year 8&#8217;s filming an animation project &#8211; I was as impressed by their maturity and team work as I was by their models and set design.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="665" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/SJP0527-1.jpg" alt="Holmwood House School " class="wp-image-17130" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/SJP0527-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/SJP0527-1-800x532.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/SJP0527-1-768x511.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>If your child loves the limelight there’s the chance to go full jazz hands at Holmwood House, with Christmas shows put on by various age groups, self-penned productions performed by Year 8 and big all-school productions (last year <em>Wizard of Oz, t</em>his year<em> A Midsummer Night’s Dream </em>performed outside), plus LAMDA exams and speech and drama tuition in Jubilee Hall, the school’s shiny auditorium. And if your child likes to take more of a back seat, they’ll still be encouraged to get involved, whether that’s operating the lighting or helping with the set.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Music-wise, there&#8217;s plenty of opportunity for growth, from choirs and rock bands to orchestras and lessons available for everything from recorder to drums. There&#8217;s also the Holmwood Strings Project, an initiative to get all Year 3 pupils learn a string instrument, including free cello or violin tuition for 12 months and a concert at the end of the year to showcase their progress to proud parents. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-littlies">LITTLIES </h2>



<p>Children aged from six months up to four years are doted on in bespoke rooms for each age group at Holmwood House Nursery, set in an idyllic woodland location close to Great Horkesley. Along with the usual array of engrossing activities, there’s a BIG focus on outdoor fun &#8211; each room has a separate al fresco space and the nursery lies on the edge of a private woodland plus there&#8217;s a garden and paddock making this a dream place for mini explorers and free-range children. </p>



<p>Holmwood Pre-school and Reception is back on the main school site and, alongside the light classrooms, which are a kaleidoscope of fun, there&#8217;s an impressive outside space. I was also struck by how integrated the children are with the main school, including specialist teaching in French, music, swimming, PE, and games. They&#8217;re littlies, but they&#8217;re part of the community. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-academics-nbsp"><strong>ACADEMICS&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/thumbnail__SP11430-3.jpg" alt="Pupils at Holmwood House School " class="wp-image-17108" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/thumbnail__SP11430-3.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/thumbnail__SP11430-3-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/thumbnail__SP11430-3-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>As mentioned, the big news is that the school now takes pupils up to Year 11, with the first Year 9 intake in 2023, meaning they’ll be taking their GCSEs in 2026 &#8211; so there’s a bit of a wait to find out how it’s performing against local rivals, such as Colchester Royal Grammar.&nbsp;Previously, when pupils departed Holmwood House at 13, they tended to head to schools such as Oundle, Stowe, Felsted, Ipswich and Framlingham, with many pupils achieving scholarships, particularly in sport. </p>



<p>Pre-Prep (Yrs 1-3) has had a big investment recently, both financially and in terms of time redeveloping the curriculum, and consequently the school&#8217;s seeing great results. I found the set up pretty sophisticated for the age group, with pupils learning the majority of their subjects thematically &#8211; think <em>Heroes &amp; Villains</em>, which includes reading <em>Harry Potter </em>and <em>Matilda</em>, studying Le Superhéros! in French, investigating beasts in Science and even going on a trip to Harry Potter Studios. While pupils have a main form tutor, they&#8217;re already gearing up for Prep with specialist teachers in PE, music, drama, art, swimming and languages. </p>



<p>Things are currently being shaken up in the science department too, with the arrival of new Head of Science Emma Booth, who I sat down and had a chat with. Friendly and dynamic, she’s planning on implementing some exciting changes and is focused on &#8220;making sure we get brilliant GCSE results in two year’s time.” Oh and there&#8217;s planning permission for two more labs. Watch this space. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boarding-and-pastoral-care-nbsp"><strong>BOARDING AND PASTORAL CARE&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>I’m inventing a new category for Holmwood House School: boarding light. It’s possible to board, but only on Tuesday (Years 7, 8 &amp; 9) and Thursday (Years 5 &amp; 6) nights. Boys take over a couple of rooms on the first floor of the main house, while girls are based on the second floor, and the shared rooms look cosy and fun. Ad hoc theme nights (Titanic, Disney, Super Heros) attract a large number of pupils, as you can imagine. </p>



<p>As a furtive reader of boarding school-based books <em>Malory Towers </em>when I was younger, this is exactly the type of set up I would have begged my parents for &#8211; boarding, but just for a night. I think they should offer this service to tired parents too (just a suggestion).&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="669" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/HolmwoodHouseREP08.09.2326258-1.jpg" alt="Buddy system at Holmwood House School " class="wp-image-17107" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/HolmwoodHouseREP08.09.2326258-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/HolmwoodHouseREP08.09.2326258-1-800x535.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/06/HolmwoodHouseREP08.09.2326258-1-768x514.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The buddy system </figcaption></figure>



<p>Pastoral-wise, it feels very nurturing. There&#8217;s a constant dialogue between pupils and staff, including PASS (Pupil Attitudes to Self and School) survey, a great buddy system (giving older children the chance to hone their leadership skills) and one-on-one time with tutors and class teachers to discuss any problems and concerns. There&#8217;s also SENCO one-to-one support, plus LSAs and TAs in classes. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-isi-report">ISI REPORT</h2>



<p>The latest report was in 2023, which found that &#8216;the quality of pupils&#8217; academic and other achievements is excellent&#8217;. <a href="https://www.isi.net/institutions/school/holmwood-house-school-6555" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read more here</a>. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mobile-phone-policy-nbsp"><strong>MOBILE PHONE POLICY&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>Sorry kids, phones aren’t going to be part of your day-to-day life at Holmwood House School, where being present is key.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quirks-nbsp"><strong>QUIRKS&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>The whole school (and some alumni) celebrate its anniversary annually, with birthday celebrations including belting out the school song and watching a dynamic firework display. It&#8217;s also the first school I&#8217;ve come across which uses Elements for houses &#8211; pupils are either in Land, Sea or Air.&nbsp; </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-head-nbsp">THE HEAD&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Edward Bond is only the fifth headmaster at Holmwood House School in 100 years (so no pressure then&#8230;). He joined as head in 2021, having previously been head of lower school at Haileybury school in Hertfordshire, and I got the got the sense he&#8217;s breathed life and energy into the school since his arrival.</p>



<p>He&#8217;s very much about education being a fun, joyful experience rather than one of mundanity, which is achieved by employing energetic, engaged teachers, stretching children to achieve beyond their expectations and creating an environment in which they feel comfortable to be themselves and learn. His enthusiasm is infectious and he&#8217;s passionate about the recent development of taking pupils up to Year 11, saying parents have long been asking for a through school as they appreciate the community vibe that runs through the heart of Holmwood House. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wrap-around-care">WRAP-AROUND CARE</h2>



<p>You can drop children at 7.30am for Breakfast club. After school, there&#8217;s a club for Pre-Prep (R-Year3) until 6pm, bookable in three sessions: 3.15-4.15pm; 4.15-5.15pm and 5.15-6pm. From Year 4 onwards there&#8217;s a wide range of activities to choose from (including homework!) until 6pm.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-word-on-the-ground-nbsp"><strong>WORD ON THE GROUND&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>Parents welcome the school’s inclusive, family feel, with lots of social events on the calendar including fetes, sports day, fireworks and even wreath-making workshops at Christmas. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fees-nbsp"><strong>FEES&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>Pre-school, £70 per day (8am-3.30pm) or £87 (8am-6pm). Reception to Y2, £4010 per term. Y3-4, £4570 per term. Y5-6, £4890 per term. Y7-9, £5725 per term. Y10-11, £5890 per term. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict-nbsp"><strong>THE MUDDY VERDICT&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p><strong>Good for:&nbsp;</strong>Pupils who need nurturing and stretching to reach their potential, or are sports mad. Kids clearly thrive at Holmwood House and it&#8217;s little wonder, with an intake of around 340, class sizes are small and each child gets the attention they need to succeed. Teaching staff seem to have been inspired by the head, there&#8217;s an up-lifting energy to the place. </p>



<p><strong>Not for:</strong>&nbsp; Some parents may prefer to wait and see how the first round of GCSEs go before committing to Years 9-11. </p>



<p><strong>Dare to disagree</strong>? Be my guest and contact the school for a tour or to attend the <a href="https://www.holmwood.house/admissions/visit-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">September Open Day</a> taking place at 9.30am on <strong>Friday, 27 Sept</strong>. </p>


Holmwood House School & Nursery, Colchester

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