Why choose Whitehall?

Whitehall Junior School is a great place to learn. We offer our children rich and imaginative learning experiences. The following testimonials, from parents, current and past pupils, may provide you with further insight into the life of our school. We also list below the pathways some of our past pupils take after their secondary education, along with an outline of some of the educational experiences we have provided in recent years.

The Views of our Parents

'Whitehall Junior School is most definitely a unique school, in that it really does look upon its students as individuals and real people in their own right. All the children are treated with kindness. The school has the balance of boundaries and safety that children need, with the ability to be themselves. When Whitehall Junior School were awarded with a 'Good' Ofsted report, I thought that they deserved 'Outstanding' because outstanding schools go the extra mile, which Whitehall does, and the teaching standard is that of an outstanding school. Whitehall recently put together a production for International Evening and it was fantastic. It was structured and choreographed to a fabulous standard, the Children and the parents all enjoyed themselves and we were all very proud of our kids! Our daughter has progressed massively in her learning. Even though we have moved out of Uxbridge, and it can be tricky sometimes to negotiate traffic, we do not want to move her until a school on a par with Whitehall is available. From my experience, as I have older children, Whitehall Junior School is one of the best schools I have come across and I would recommend any parent to send their children there.' Ms K McElroy

'Whitehall Junior School is a fabulous school. It is inclusive, well managed, and has a dynamic team of teachers and support staff. The behaviour of the students is excellent and they work hard, play well, and interact with each other in a supportive manner. I would not hesitate to recommend Whitehall Junior School to all prospective students and carers.' Jessica Beishon

'Why choose Whitehall Junior? My question would be, why not choose Whitehall Junior School? As parents we could not be happier than when our eldest son was attending the school (2010-2014). He entered high school not only with all his educational needs, but with morals, values and ethics that we are very proud of and which his next school also appreciates. The teachers at the school do their utmost best to make sure that EVERY pupil is valued regardless of their capacity and makes sure that the student achieves their goals to the best of their abilities. The dedication of those same teachers surpass what we ever expected, to state they ‘go above and beyond the call of duty’ is by no means an exaggeration. Good examples of this - these same teachers give up their own personal time to host revision booster classes, rehearsals for school productions and extra curriculum classes – just a small set of examples. I would go further and say that each member of staff in the school is accessible and although not said, they have an ‘open door’ policy of making sure that any parent/career can approach the school with their concerns and take the necessary actions if need be. The management team has a clear vision and aims for the school - which they are achieving. As parents, the school made sure we were just as much a part of the school as the children and included us into the ‘Whitehall Community/Family’. We involved ourselves as much as we could and not only did our child benefit from this, we did also. Would we send our younger child to Whitehall Junior School? Without a doubt, which he will be after finishing at Whitehall Infants.' Mr & Mrs Patel

'I have sent my daughters to Whitehall Infant and Junior School since 2008. It is a humble community school and I am very happy to say that all the teachers are very friendly and helpful towards any kind of problems, they are always there to help parents' and children's needs.' Mrs A Nessa

'Whitehall is a big school which has pupils from diverse backgrounds and cultures. The teachers and staff do an incredible job of teaching the children to be tolerant, respectful and accepting of each other's differences, while encouraging them to take pride in their individuality. I think this is very commendable as these are important qualities in today's society.' Patience Parker

'Both of my children have come to Whitehall Junior School. They enjoy the lessons and have made lots of new friends. I appreciate the Whitehall team for the help and support they provide. It is a pleasure to be a part of this school and the teachers make such a difference for the children's future.' Antonia

'With one child already through Whitehall Juniors, and the other in Year 6 currently, we can confidently say as parents that our experience with the school has been a positive one. The school acknowledges that the key to our child’s happiness at school is through good communications with parents, working together with us, and listening when we need to voice our worries and concerns. Our daughter had a very good transition from Year 6 through to secondary school and we can see the school now preparing our son ready for the big move to secondary school in September. Whitehall Junior School is a big school, but this has added to our children’s school experience in many ways. With a multi-cultural environment, it has taught the children to appreciate other family cultures and to enjoy having friends of different nationalities. The school encourages all children (and parents) to embrace this environment and to respect one another to ensure a happy school life for our children.' Fiona

'We would like to say that Whitehall Junior School is the best place for children to learn and get knowledge regarding their subjects, the world, behaviour, respect, etc. In this school, teachers are very respectful and help with the children's homework. As per their knowledge, they teach the children how to treat everyone. In addition, the children participate in different kinds of activities with the help of their teachers.' Rupinder Kaur

'First of all, Whitehall offers a safe learning environment for your child. As a parent, I can assure you that Whitehall has been doing an excellent job by supporting our children learn, grow and mature. I would recommend every parent to send their children to Whitehall, helping them to achieve their maximum potential.' Azad Noor

'From a parent's perspective, Whitehall instills in our children good morals, social skills and self-esteem and does help children to discover who they are. The literacy teaching has helped our children to be focused; helping them to muster their thoughts quickly from mind to written page. The end of term reports are brief and very simple for a parent and child to understand on one page (not the many pages where we would struggle to get time to read). Above all, our children at Whitehall have been trained early enough to discover what they are interested in, helping them to do well in their learning and loving school.' Princess Lyagoba

'Absolutely fantastic staff! So motivated and willing to go the extra mile for every child! Very safe environment for our children.' Mrs Delaney

'My daughter is delighted to be in this school and so are my husband and I. They have a great community and their learning style is excellent. They really want the best for our children.' Asma Wanas

'Whitehall is a fantastic school, the best in the Borough! I went to Whitehall when I was a child and I loved it. Two generations of our family have been through the school. I am so happy that my children attend; I want them to have the best start in life and I know they can achieve this at Whitehall. All the staff are warm and friendly and very approachable. You always feel like you can talk to them easily about any problem or issues you may have.' Mrs M Dugg

The Views of Current Pupils

We asked our current pupils what it is that makes our school fantastic. Here are their replies:

Teachers are kind and teach us well. They help sort things out if we have problems.
There is a good range of clubs available and we have wet play games inside and toys outside.
The school is welcoming and kind, the adults let you express yourself.
Learning is fun, the adults teach you in a way that the information sinks in.
The teachers give us all the skills required for us to become whatever we want later in life
It is a safe place to be.
We are all from different places so it is like a mini-world but everyone is respected for who they are.
Our hearts are always filled with joy; we smile lots!
We have happy children and clever teachers.
You always get the opportunity to do something you have never done before; we go on lots of trips.
We are like a big family. We work as a team and trust each other.
We are proud to be in this school.
Lessons are inspiring and you get taught well.
There are extra groups to challenge you and to help you improve.
All the teachers are really kind and educate us exceptionally well.
The teachers are fantastic and help us so much.
All the teachers make me smile – that’s what makes me love this school.
We have lots of privileges other schools don’t have.

The Views of Past Pupils

'Whitehall laid the foundations for me and the encouragement I received has inspired confidence in me and pushed me to seek opportunities in order to achieve my dream. From a very early age, I have wanted to be a doctor. Applying to medicine requires academic excellence alongside participation in extracurricular activities and my teachers at Whitehall have always supported me in both of these aspects. I was encouraged to take part in end of year productions and was given training which involved working with my speech, expressions and tone. From this, I developed an interest in public speaking and debating. Since my time at Whitehall, I have taken part in public speaking competitions and debates which have played a significant role in university applications. In terms of academia, my abilities were always challenged in class and I was motivated to achieve regardless of background and gender and engage in incredible opportunities such as the Maths Challenge. This fuelled my passion for maths and science, which has translated to my pursuit of a degree in medicine. I completed the pre-clinical part of my degree at the University of Cambridge and am currently undertaking the clinical part of my degree at King's College London. Whitehall has played an instrumental role in my journey through its recognition of my ambitions, and subsequently, the tailored support I received. ' Sabyha (medical student)

'When I was in Whitehall I felt welcomed. Although the school teaches children from a wide range of backgrounds, it felt like a supportive community. Whitehall encouraged me to do well academically, socially and physically. It was the place where I made some of my closest friends to date. When I look back on Whitehall I can barely think of a bad moment. I enjoyed the wide array of extra-curricular activities both during and after school; and the way the school taught subjects was fun yet stretching. Last of all, the teachers and staff were welcoming and supportive. I would like to thank everyone, teachers and staff, for making my time at Whitehall enjoyable and memorable.' Joshua (currently studying at secondary school)

'At Whitehall I was taught the importance of a good work ethic - if I worked hard I could achieve anything. The teachers were always kind and supportive, they made sure I was well prepared for my Year 6 SATs. Also, during Year 6, the teachers prepared us for our transition into Year 7 which made us all feel more confident about moving on. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at both schools (Infant and Junior) and was taught valuable lessons.' Zoe (now participating in a work place apprenticeship scheme)

‘I left Whitehall last year. I am now in Year 7 and have just realised how much Whitehall has helped me. It is a very inspiring school and it helps you a lot with your future! In primary, I did a lot of challenging lessons, however, now in subjects I understand the concept of them because of what I learnt last year at Whitehall. In conclusion, Whitehall has been an amazing experience; the teachers are kind, friendly and always push you to achieve more! Why choose Whitehall? Well, it’s simple.’ Maria (currently studying at secondary school)

'I enjoyed being a student at Whitehall because of how nice the teachers were and I had the friendliest of friends. The lessons were really fun and enjoyable. My favourite part of Whitehall was the special events and trips because we would go somewhere different, like the cinema and museums. However, my favourite trip was Cardfields where we went away for a week and did so many different and fun activities.' Morgan (currently studying at secondary school)

'Whitehall’s motto is, “Happiness at the heart of learning.” This means to be happy and learn at the same time - and Whitehall are extremely good at showing this: there could not be a better motto for the school. The teachers are incredibly kind and fully devote themselves to helping you. I made great friends that I will not forget – I would say lifetime friends. At some points you might become stressed with things like tests, but the school helps you anyway they can. Furthermore, there are lots of other activities to enjoy, such as interesting and exciting school trips and amazing school plays that you will want to be a part of. Overall, Whitehall has given me great memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life.' Kian (currently studying at secondary school)

'Whitehall gave me confidence. Throughout the years I studied there, I did many things I never thought I would. I was able to play a main part in my Year 6 production. I also had the chance to be taught by many magnificent teachers and meet lots of remarkable people. If it wasn’t for Whitehall and their after school sports clubs, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue my ambition to become an elite gymnast. All I can say is 'thank you'. I think any parent’s son or daughter would be truly happy to attend Whitehall Junior School.' Helen (member of GB's aerobic squad)

Pathways after Secondary School

We continue to have good liaison with local secondary schools. This enables us to hear about the pathways some of our pupils take beyond their secondary education. Whitehall pupils have left secondary school and entered the world of work by securing jobs (including teaching, law and medicine) or apprenticeships (in engineering, media and with sponsorship from BT). Many have gone on to further study at colleges and a significant amount of pupils have chosen to study at university. Of those choosing to study at degree level, we know the following universities have been attended: Southbank University, Birmingham University, Brighton University, Westminster University, Hertfordshire University, King's College (University of London), Brunel University, Kingston University, Cambridge University, Portsmouth University, Loughborough University, Nottingham Trent University, Northampton University, Nottingham University, Royal Holloway (University of London) and Bucks New University.

Educational Experiences

We pride ourselves on the wealth of educational experiences we offer. Many visits happen off-site but a wealth of exciting opportunities are also brought to our children at school. The list below shows some of the activities we have offered recently, to give you a flavour of a typical Whitehall experience.

Visit to London Aquarium.
Visit to the Bank of England.
Visit to London's Guildhall.
Visit to Saatchi Gallery for able artists.
Visit to the British Museum.
Bug trip to The Chimes.
Visit to St Andrew's Church.
Visit to the Globe Theatre, Southwark.
River dipping in the River Pinn.
Hosts of tag rugby competition.
Days out on the 'floating' classroom.
Enabling Enterprise visits (e.g. GE Electrical and the London Business School) and experience days.
Supporters of a PLAN child (and organisers of associated fundraising).
Visit to the National Gallery.
Part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's drama in schools project, linked with Uxbridge High School.
Year 6 classes visited Bishopshalt as part of the Tie Project.
Ducklings and chicks in school.
Elderly members of the community invited into school as our guests for the Harvest Festival and Christmas production.
Visit to Denham Country Park for river study.
Visit to the Odeon in Uxbridge as a stimulus for creative writing.
Participants in the Mayor of London's 'Count on Us' maths challenge at City Hall.
Whitehall Week and Cardfields (school journey) for Year 6 leavers.
Visits to local secondary schools to watch their productions.
Visits to and performances for our Infant School friends.
Choir performance at the O2.
Choir invited to perform at Hillingdon's civic service to mark 50 years as a London Borough.
Maths Ambassadors and Reading Champions offer peer to peer support in school.
Steel band visit to school.
Country and maypole dancing in school.
Chelsea Football Academy in to coach during Health & Fitness Week.
Salsa dance lessons.
Image Theatre Company in to perform classic works of children's fiction (including: 'The Selfish Giant', 'The Wind in the Willows', 'The Sword in the Stone' and 'The Jungle Book').
Gifted and Talented Science Club at Uxbridge High School.
Visit to Matisse exhibition.
Visit to the Garrick Theatre to see a performance of 'Horrible Histories'.
Christmas cake decorating competition.
Easter egg decorating competition.
Sponsored walk.
Visit to Madame Tussauds.
Visit to Iver Nature Centre.
Competed very successfully against independent schools at the Maths Challenge competition hosted by Gayhurst School, Bucks.
Citizenship learning at Hillingdon Fire Station/Brunel University.
Visit to St Margaret's Church.
Visit to local mosque.
Visit to London's Unicorn Theatre.
Trip to see 'The Lion King'.
Visit to Uxbridge's RAF bunker to support WW2 learning.
Visit to Chiltern Open Air Museum to learn about Iron Age buildings.
Visit to Gunnersbury Park.
Visit to Wembley Stadium.
Visit to Imperial War Museum.
Welcomed visitors to school from China, Vietnam, Japan and Argentina.
Talk on dental health.
Visit to Ruislip Lido.
Visit to Buddhist temple.
Visit to local synagogue.
Talk on pedestrian safety.
e-Safety workshops.
Visit to London Zoo.
Visit to the Natural History Museum.
Visit to the Science Museum.
Visit to the Hindu Temple in Neasden.
Dance performance at Brunel University's 'One World Week'.
Participation in British Airway's Community Games.
Able Writers' programme held at Colham Manor.
'Primary Book of the Year' through Uxbridge Library.
Visit to the Tower of London.
NSPCC workshops.
Ice skating in Uxbridge.
Author visits (including Michael Rosen, Valerie Bloom, Anne Fine, Beverly Naidoo, Jeremy Strong, Steve Cole and Morris Gleitzman).
Visit to Kew Gardens.
Visit to Brighton beach.
Visit to West Wittering beach.
Classical Spectacular Schools' performance at the Royal Albert Hall.
'A Child in Ancient Greece' school based workshop.
Translation Nation project - families into schools to read in their home language.
Rafting at HOAC.
Abseiling at Brunel's climbing wall.