In an ideal world which school would you choose? Post Reply

[Medway]

Just that really

If your children could go to any of the State Primaries in Wandsworth, which would you choose? Would you stick to the one you have, or have you heard/ seen something about a different school and in an ideal world you would send your kids there. Travel is a factor, the perfect school has to be a reasonable (to you) journey.

The reason I ask is that my kids are older and we are returning to Wandsworth, the council are suggesting we could have our pick of the schools as by higher up year groups are thinning out. I am excited by this prospect but daunted...maybe no choice is sometimes preferable?!

My kids are both quite academic and arty, not particularly sporty although they do play and enjoy sports

[papinian]

Medway:

(1) You mention that travel is a factor. I think that all things being more or less equal it is an important one. I don't think anyone would consider every state school in Wandsworth Borough.

(2) Another factor is whether or not you would consider a faith school. For example, the Muslim state primary in Tooting, Gatton, was rated Outstanding by Ofsted earlier this month. However, even though it has open places for non-Muslims, the number of non-Muslim pupils can be counted on one hand. Of course, for entry at 4 to a faith school it can be difficult to be admitted if you don't meet religious criteria, but the religious criteria wouldn't apply in your case if there are available places in higher up year groups.

(3) A third factor is whether you want a large school or a small school, or, perhaps being more accurate, whether you would like your child to be in a year group that has only one form or would prefer two forms or even three forms. Depending on the child, this may not be a factor at all. However, in particular for sporty children, larger schools tend to have more sports, larger teams and more competition.

(4) A fourth factor is post-primary state school admissions. This isn't relevant in all cases and, in my experience, is becoming less so, at least for Wandsworth. However, some schools do have linked primaries and pupils at those primaries get priority in admissions. That's why it's important to consider secondary schools admissions policies when thinking of primary school entry! Of course, over seven years secondary schools can change their policies, but you mention your children will be going into higher-up years.

I have a few more thoughts that I don't have time to jot down now but will try to contribute later.

[Goldhawk]

Depends which secondary school you want - do you want a faith secondary? do you want Bolingbroke?

[Medway]

Thanks for taking the time to reply - it hadn't even occured to me to think about secondary! I know almost nothing about Bolingbroke except that it is a relatively new 'free' school.

If I'm honest I'd always assumed that living where we do we will end up going private (day) school to ensure they get the best chance, but maybe that is hopelessly outdated and there are decent state secondaries in the area...

I guess what I'm asking is given that all things are not equal - which is the best school in the borough (stands back as can of worms is opened)? I want somewhere where the most bright are challenged - this is our most important consideration. Not too bothered by size of school

[Mrs Contractor Mum]

If religious preference wasn't an issue for you and if they had places, I would go with St. Anselms.

It has great follow on schools for secondary, the community of people that are a part of it are really nice and the children I have met who currently go there as well as those who have left seem to be accomplished, polite and ambitious. I have a lot of neighbours who are associated with the church or whose children go there.

Otherwise, I would be looking at options that would allow a move towards Graveney if you were looking at a state Secondary although that is based on either exam entrance or catchment area.

I've also heard good things about Beatrix Potter but no direct experience of it.

I have a list of schools I wouldn't apply to but you haven't asked that question and I don't want to cause any controversy by naming them

[milliesmum]

I'm biased, but I've been very happy with Holy Ghost in Nightingale Square. It's a Catholic School that's hard to get into in the early years because of the very tight catchment area - but my daughter is in Yr 6 and they've had new kids in the class every year from Yr 2.
It's one form entry and they really work hard at pushing the brightest kids

[supergirl]

Interesting question and i agree that sometimes no choice is easier!

If it was me in your shoes, i would without hesitation go for Beatrix Potter and maybe Honeywell. But BP first. I know some kids there that are quite challenged. You should go and talk to the head.

If i wanted my kids to go to a faith school (but i dont) then it would be St Anselm. This has been a fantastic school for at least 20yrs (i know 2 people who sent their 2 boys there 20 odd yrs ago!).

Good luck and may i ask you post again to tell about your decision?

I agree that i ve also heard that Bolingbroke Academy is doing really well. By choosing a school who is a feeder for Bolingbroke but knowing you may go private for secondary, you would then leave your options open.

From what i have understood, in london you need to have some sort of strategy/plan.

[papinian]

One point that I wanted to pick up on in your original post but which I didn't have time to address earlier is your question of whether one would move a child to be in a preferred school.

This is where the difference between in-year admissions in higher years and admission at 4 becomes relevant. If you're applying for in-year admission and a state school has an available place then the school has to admit you. In addition, we all know that, as you mention yourself in your original post, on average primary schools in Wandsworth, whether good or bad, tend to have empty places in higher years. One reason is that parents move children from state schools to private prep schools at 7 or 8 (the "state 'til eight" approach discussed on this site previously). Another reason is that parents move out of Wandsworth to get more space / somewhere with better secondary schools and this is more likely to happen when children are that age. There are a couple of other reasons also, but not worth me going into now.

It's a very different decision to move your child from one state school to another than to send your child to a particular state school in the first place. There's an element of "better the devil you know" and an understandable reluctance to disrupt friend groups etc. There's also a fear for parents of addressing the question that will get asked by other parents in the existing school as to why they are choosing to move their child. Other parents don't want to be told that you think that another school is better than the one their children are (staying) at. It's better to have some sort of reason (true or not) that is not based on a comparison of the schools, e.g. to have moved house (even if only a few streets) or to have changed jobs (so drop off at other school more convenient) or to be Catholic/CoE and prefer to sent to faith school (with the excuse that didn't get in at 4 originally b/c had missed church attendance) or that you're doing it b/c of secondary school admission policies (I know of a move from St Anselm's to St Boniface that was done at year 6 so that the child would get into St Philomena's for secondary, as St Boniface was a linked school for St Phil's but St Anselm's wasn't - now no longer relevant as St Phil's has got rid of the linked schools concept).

[Honeybee]

I doesn't seem as though this is relevant in your case. Medway, but if I were to have a choice for my kids at any school but I had a younger child due to start reception in the next few years, I would also take int. consideration whether the younger child would automatically get a place. So if I got a place at BP but lived outside their defined catchment area, I would think twice about sending my eldest children there because my younger children would be unlikely to get in. Same applies for some of the church schools.

[firsttimerSW11]

Honeywell or Holy Ghost, in that order. Might consider Belleville but if I didn't get either of those, which I'm sure will be the case, it would be the private route for me.

[KatherineHepburn]

Belleville. Lovely school, great head and teachers, nice parents and a committed PTA. It is also a feeder for The Bollingbroke Academy.
If you prefer a small school then apply to the Meteor site, if you think a bigger & busier space will work for your kids then the main site.
My daughter loves it and I'm really pleased with her social and academic development.

[Medway]

Thanks so much for taking the time to apply. Both St Anselms and Beatrix Potter are local for us, more so than Hwell/ Belleville so i am delighted that those schools are mentioned. When I spoke to Wandsworth council yesterday they told me that most schools in the borough had space in Year 3 (currently 2 at BP) but it is Year 4 it really drops off - there are 10 spaces at BP at the moment for example. I would certainly consider St Anselms too - but I think they are one of the schools that very rarely has space.

With regards to Papinian's point about moving school inter year (which luckily does not apply to me as we are coming 'new' to the process), I would not hesitate to move my child to a 'better' school if I was not delighted with how they were getting on at their current school - even if it was difficult with regards perceptions of other parents. Moving schools once or twice during the primary years really isn't a crisis, kids adapt and thrive in new environments. Many of our frieds on the international assignement circuit move their kids every 2-3 years as their jobs move and their kids are fine, indeed they learn adaptability and flexibility.

[Mrs Contractor Mum]

When my son was born I had three neighbours on my road alone and a neighbour's daughter all telling me to get my son christened at St. Anselms so he could get in for the school when he was older. I did ask my CofE christened, now agnostic husband if he wanted to go for it but he wasn't interested so in a few months we will consider our options of sticking with the private school he is in for nursery or 'somewhere' else.

Good luck with your decision and welcome back to the area.

[footiemum]

Contrary to the previous post I know a number of Ravenstone year six pupils who are going onto Alleyns and Emanuel in September. Not sure I would agree with the snowflake and hell comment! I'm sure you'll find a number of good Wandsworth primaries feeding some excellent private secondaries. Even the top prep schools only send a couple of kids every year to Westminster, St. Paul's etc. Granted there is more chance than if you are in a state primary but it is certainly not a given !

[LMC1]

Not sure where you are, but we have been extremely happy with Henry Cavendish in Balham, which also, as of yesterday, has an outstanding OFSTED in all four categories. Both our girls are happy (year 6 and year 1), supported and challenged, with great friends and sensitive enthusiastic teachers. There are obviously many aspects to choosing a school, and everyone will have different priorities, but in terms of your expressed areas of interest, the report (not yet on the OFSTED website) particuarly praises its art, as well as its ability to challenge children of all abilities. On the academic side, our eldest did the level 6 papers for all of the SATS as did several others in her year (no results yet though..........) and is going to one of the local independent day schools in September, with only one hour's tutoring a week for 9 months (may seem a lot, it did to me at first, but is actually less than many others at that age). Several of her friends are going to Graveney on the basis of the Wandsworth exam. Hope that this helps.