Hallfield School A GSG School

What The Good Schools Guide says

Headmaster

Since 2018, Keith Morrow, who was a head by the age of 30. Having studied geography at Hull, he worked in a number of state primaries, including a tough school in special measures and the Lincolnshire village school he led. Eventually tiring of the politics of the state sector, he moved to the Elms (the junior school for Trent College) where he was head for 11 years before coming here.

Hallfield has a strong academic reputation, with very bright children and very aspirational parents. Yet it has one of the most entertaining head’s offices we’ve seen. A treasure trove of small delights, it boasts soft toys, large lit-up globe, crayons, telescope and even Ginny, his lovely gentle dog. There’s a strong Harry Potter theme, starting outside in the corridor with a floor-to-ceiling mural of Diagon Alley, followed through in his study with all manner of memorabilia. It even smells good – wafts of oranges and cinnamon when we visited in the lead up to Christmas. It all suits his personality to a tee – not just his sense of fun and energy, but the fact that he is determined to find every opportunity to inspire curiosity in children. No wonder pupils love the reward of a ‘golden ticket’ lunch here, where they get to eat from a gold tablecloth and drink from gold cups.

The school is hardly recognisable as the one he took over. Having immediately set to work revitalising the curriculum, restructuring the staff, introducing prefects, modifying the uniform (from dull grey to bright red) and lengthening the school day, he has more recently (2020) extended the school to 13+ – a bold move, given that most preps, Hallfield included, closed their year 7 and 8 provision some years ago. ‘When I suggested it to the governors, I knew they’d think it was either genius or madness!’ he laughs. Its growing success suggests the former, with the core goal of 11+ entry into highly selective schools as strong as ever, while years 7 and 8 attract those who need more time to eg grow and develop their potential, work on their EAL or whose families are aiming for slightly less selective schools and/or the big name 13+ public schools. ‘At best it’s a positive choice, at worst it’s a safety net,’ he says.

Coming from a ‘very modest background’, Mr Morrow was the first in his family to go to university, where he worked as a bus driver to make ends meet and where he met his wife. They live a couple of miles away with their two dogs and two cats – their two sons having long flown the nest, one working as a junior software developer and the other having swapped his law career to go into teaching. It’s in the blood, after all.

Entrance

From three months old, but parents apply for the school, not the nursery, and it’s only if the head feels the family will be a good fit that they get to discuss earlier points of entry. Reception entry via stay-and-play taster session to assess eg social skills and EAL (where relevant), with priority given to siblings and those already in nursery or pre-reception. From year 3, when around six further children join, the taster day also includes maths and English tests. For entry into year 7 (Hallfield Seniors), both internal and external candidates apply – It’s slightly less selective at this stage, with children expected to be ‘broadly average or above, although some will be far above’. Waiting lists in some years, including reception.

Exit

Majority leave at 11+, when around 20 per cent head off to the state grammars, the rest to local independents – notably the two highly selective King Edward schools, but a few also to Bromsgrove and Solihull. So far, 13+ destinations include Bromsgrove, Solihull, Rugby, King Edward’s (which now publicises its 13+ entry point), as well as Old Swinford Hospital (state boarding) and international schools overseas. Usually over 60 per cent of leavers gain scholarships – 36 in 2023.

Our view

You know a school means business academically when even some of the parents describe it as a hothouse. In a highly competitive area for outstanding schools, this one has long stood out (not necessarily unfavourably) as the 11+ crammer, priming its pupils for the highly selective Birmingham secondary schools. But while this remains a big draw for many parents, it’s now only part of the picture. In a world where prep schools have evolved, so has Hallfield, which now goes up to 13+ (taking the pressure of families whose children are perhaps not ready for the 11+) and whose enrichment has catapulted the school into producing far more rounded children.

Make no mistake, life in the classroom is as fast-paced and academically robust as ever – with specialist teaching in music, PE, dance, art and French from reception, with Spanish, science, DT and computing added in year 3, then everything from year 5. Maths and English still dominate, plus all the NVR and VR you could shake a stick at, especially throughout year 5. But the curriculum has also broadened to focus on skills like creativity, curiosity and collaboration that secondary schools, and indeed employers, increasingly hanker after. To this end, a STEM approach ensures children can apply their scientific theory to the real world (and enjoy lots of fizzes and pops along the way – ‘We only set fire to one or two students a week,’ joked the science teacher on our visit) while weekly enrichment afternoons get pupils learning everything from philosophy to first aid, and mindfulness to financial awareness. Food tech now reintroduced and the school runs its own radio station, where pupils interview eg local mayor and run podcasts. Pupils told us about recent topics, including ‘Do footballers earn too much money?’ and ‘Should under-16s have a set bedtime?’

Hallfield’s more imaginative curriculum starts as early as pre-prep, where Creative Cottage – a converted storehouse – provides both a charming art studio and magical library, with themes of under-the-sea, sky and forest, plus a flock of chickens that the pupils tend to outside. Even at this age, pupils’ own interests are valued – so rather than 10 lessons on, say, the Tudors, the teacher now saves the last two for pupils to research a specific aspect that floats their boat, eg Tudor costumes, Hampton Court.

Twenty per cent of children are on the gifted and talented register, highlighted as having higher learning potential, while around 10 per cent of children – often still very bright, school points out – are registered as SEN. Six of these are EAL, while others have eg dyslexia, autism (growing numbers) and ADHD (screening available from age 6+) – some don’t need additional support, others have one-to-ones, explained the SENCo, who is supported by two TAs and a part-time teacher. For children that require it, a speech and language therapist and dyslexia tutor visit weekly, and an OT visits once every half term. School ‘on it’ with digital aids, say parents, eg Dyslexia Gold online programme, Bionic Reading for ADHD. Wobble boards, dyslexia pens, slanting desks, headphones etc a common sight, and the other children don’t bat an eyelid at any of it. One parent said, ‘It can be a bit hit and miss with teachers understanding his SEN, but mainly they’re very good especially at adaptions and making allowances.’ Another told us, ‘I had no idea that my child had a learning need – they spotted it and put in all the support.’

Drama and music no longer Cinderella subjects, though head admits he’s had to take some parents on a journey ‘to convince them of their worth’. Now appreciating that presentation skills help children shine at school interviews, while reading music develops a particular part of the brain, he thinks ‘the penny has dropped’.

No whole-school performances, but plenty of year group drama showcases, including a big end of year 6 production, most recently Matilda. New head of drama felt to have ‘really lifted these productions’, and pupils enjoy having a go at lighting and sound too. We loved the large black box studio, with separate costume area. LAMDA now available.

Music now has its own centre, opened by Julian Lloyd Webber no less. All year 2s learn an instrument for the year, and many carry on with them. There are several choirs, an orchestra and 12 ensembles, all praised both for their quality (with some working to grade 8), for the number of children taking part, and for the variety too – with beginners, tea-time and drop-in concerts, among others. Pupils learn everything from Mozart to hip-hop, while seniors projects include songwriting or making a music magazine.

Pupils beam at the mere mention of art, many wanting to tell us of favourite projects, eg clay cupcakes and self-portraits. The studio is large, well-resourced and looks professional, raising aspirations. Reinvigorated DT centre houses everything from old-fashioned hacksaws to sewing machines, and from CAD drawing to 3D printing. Pupils make vehicles, slippers and clocks, to name a few, as well as designing and making their own board games.

Recent investment in sports department welcomed by parents. Football and rugby for the boys, netball and hockey for the girls, cricket for both. A-D teams fielded and pupils say they ‘usually win’. Facilities excellent for the area include two Astros, seven pitches and sports hall, and they use the swimming pool next door. Some parents told us they ‘top up’ at weekends.

Parents say children are known to all staff, and pupils call staff ‘kind’. A counsellor is available four days a week. More carrot than stick for behaviour management, with seemingly endless tiers of rewards, and plenty of warnings for the dreaded sanction of missing break for ‘reflection time’. Manners evident – even a tiny pupil that barely reached our knees said a nice clear ‘thank you’ when we opened his water bottle.

Most parents praise the 36+ clubs, including Strictly, fencing, taekwondo, chess and coding. Plus Ready Steady Cook, run by the head himself. Daily homework club complements the curriculum, eg VR on Mondays, NVR on Tuesdays, comprehension on Wednesdays (also available as holiday clubs) – for many parents, this has meant a stop to private tutoring (common here, as you might imagine).

Like many schools, this one found itself behind the tech curve pre-Covid, but head of digital learning (a new role) is shaking things up, and they are now looking at becoming an Apple School, helped by use of iPads – now integral to learning, particularly for research and own projects.

Ethnic diversity reflective of multicultural Birmingham, with many Asian families and rising numbers of Chinese. Lots of doctors and academics, plus those in business or banking. ‘We’re like a mini-UN!’ says head. The various cultures and religions are celebrated, say pupils, and all families seem to love the school’s traditional services at the large local Anglican church. While lots of families are local – Edgbaston, Moseley, Harborne and the city centre – others travel from eg Litchfield, Bromsgrove and Solihull, with two bus services now helping. We took half an hour to move three miles on the morning of our visit, so weren’t surprised to hear parents grateful for the ‘walking bus’, thanks to which they can drop them off at certain points nearby (for breakfast club from 7.30am or drop-off any time from 7.45am).

The school site is spacious, especially given its location near the city centre. Buildings range from the original 19th century villa to more modern additions – some need a lick of paint, but overall in decent nick. Super displays and noticeboards throughout. School hall doubles up as dining room, where food is varied, attractively displayed, tasty and served up by kindly staff.

Money matters

Academic, music, art, sports and drama scholarships in years 3 and 7, offering up to 25 per cent fee remission. Means-tested bursaries from year 3 – equivalent to 12 fully-funded places currently in operation.

The last word

The largest and most academic prep in the area – now with a richer, more fulfilling curriculum. The addition of years 7 and 8 is unique in the area and broadening senior school options for those who want it. An exciting, fast-paced and friendly place to learn.

Special Education Needs