Belleville School - Any Meteor Street experience? Post Reply

[runningmummy]

Hi

I am trying to decide which location would be best to send my children to. Do any mums have experience yet of Meteor street? Do you know if there is breakfast and after school clubs and do you think the standard is as high as Webbs rd?

Many thanks.

[Tigger]

Our eldest has just started at Meteor Street (we were in catchment for Webbs Rd but actually preferred the look and feel of Meteor).

In answer to your initial question, so far, so good...!! We were very impressed with Mr Lynch when we first visited and he has continued this way ever since. The school itself seems to be very well laid out with playgrounds off all the classrooms, and the main hall is a really great, very versatile space. The food is all cooked on site and seems so far to be delicious - they even bake their own bread.

Although it's probably a bit early for us to tell, the standards seem to be just as good as in Webbs Road, and if anything they have better, more modern equipment as it's all new. Mr Lynch even has a green screen set up in one of the classrooms!!

I believe they do have a breakfast club (although we don't use it) and they certainly have after school clubs. If some of the children are doing after school clubs at Webbs Road, the staff will take them over there to make sure they make it. All in all we couldn't be happier...

[runningmummy]

Thanks Tigger. That is really helpful. Can the children do all the clubs that are at the main site? i.e walked over for all of them?

[WandsworthResident]

Just to back up what Tigger has said about Meteor - it really is a great building, fabulous facilities, wonderful teachers and benefits from everything that goes with being part of Belleville of course!

Just to clarify on clubs - the children who are walked over to Webbs Road are going to the After School Club, ie childcare that runs until 5.45pm and is administered separately to the school. There is a Breakfast Club at Meteor but I think it starts around 8.30am. You would have to check this to be sure!

After school clubs, as in specific activities like gym, cricket, ballet etc, are getting going at Meteor as the pupils fill up the school. I think the school does not operate after school clubs for reception-aged children at either site as they are thought to be too young to cope with extra activities. Pupils are not walked over to Webbs for these activities. To be clear, Reception pupils can of course attend the After School Club.

[Vee]

Hi,

My daughter is at Meteor and we are extremely pleased with the staff, the facilities and the progress she is making.
The reception teacher and TA are really great and I have heard just really good things about the Y1 and 2 teachers as well.

Personally I have a preference for Meteor over Webbs, because it's brand new, it's a small community and there's lots of outdoor space, but there are advantages to each and they work well together. The children stay connected, they even sometimes communicate with the classes on the other site by Skype.

For clubs, my daughter in reception does Tennis and Dance at Meteor site. For the French club she goes to Webbs.

We use the breakfast club certain mornings at Meteor. After school club they pick them up at Meteor and walk them to Webbs. There are presently discussions to start the breakfast club earlier and have an onsite after school club but it's still in discussions and assessing which parents would actually use those.

[hazel15malwood]

I have two children at Meteor (in Year 1 and Year 2) and honestly couldn't be happier.
The teachers and support staff (office, lunchtime and caretaker) are amazing, the facilities are excellent, and most importantly, the children all seem very happy.
What's more, it's a close-knit community for both children and parents. All the children play and eat together (unlike at Webbs, where they have to stagger meal sittings and playtimes to deal with the number of children) which gives them all a chance to get to know each other. And parents have lots of social gatherings in addition to the whole-school PTA activities.
I think at Meteor, our children get the very best of both worlds by being a part of Belleville, with all the school has to offer, and on a smaller scale site.
It may not be for everyone, but as a family, we're very happy at Meteor.

[ChicagotoClapham]

Just wanted to add my two cents.
We moved to the UK earlier this year and my dd started at Belleville Meteor site after Easter. The school staff was very welcoming and worked really hard to help my daughter adjust. The curriculum is excellent- comparable to our experience at great schools United States. I am not sure about the club information but I do know that Football, cricket, gymnastics, and musical lessons are offered directly at the Meteor site. I genuinely prefer the Meteor campus to Webbs (where my youngest is at nursery) because of the size and the more intimate relationships the families have as a result. I like that I have the opportunity to talk with the teacher everyday after school. The facilities and technology are awesome.

Just wanted to clarify that the catchment for Webbs and Meteor is the same. Even though Meteor is just over a mile away and Webbs is less than .25 miles away, I would go with Meteor again in a heartbeat.

[beachdreaming]

I'm just curious if anyone from the Bellville Meteor site could update this strand. Does the small community feel still exist and do parents still feel they are getting an equally good education as Webbs Road? Is the mix of secondary schools for leavers the same as Webbs Road as well? Do most children stay through till Year 6?

[Astolat]

My daughter is in reception and we're really pleased. The community feel is still there. It's sort of the perfect blend - small enough for young children to feel comfortable and not lost and tiny yet with the benefits and support of the specialisation that comes with the scale of Webbs road. Personally I'd be a bit put off sending a 4 year old to Webbs with the size of intake - I think the year group is 120, which strikes me as huge. My village primary school had 5 in the year and 50 in the school so I may just have an odd experience though!
Meteor also has great facilities and outdoor space, everything is still new and well maintained.

[beachdreaming]

Thank you Astolat!

[nannyalison]

Personally, not a big fan of the 'community feel'. As a nanny, I felt a little pushed out by the mums in the playground, which I don't feel at Webbs.
Yr2 have had some issues with staffing, but I think that was down to a difficult class and fairly new teacher.

The site itself is nice, playgrounds and classrooms are all lovely. There is now breakfast and afterschool club at Meteor with a wide selection of before school and after school activities.

[beachdreaming]

Thank you. Has anyone had to choose between Belleville and Macaulay? Just curious of the pros and cons of each from anyone who has attended. They are both lovely schools but just looking for the right environment for my child.

[Marmot-in-london]

Size of grounds I feel is important they should have room to run around. This is important for the kids.

I looked at lots of schools. The Meteor site cos looked at Parkgate so then I thought why not have it free, seems a bit tucked away and small.
Macauley nice and big area single form entry and you have the church bit which you may or may not want depending on your views. the church community is nice.
I would agree how important is the community feel to your child what is good is to have people who live close so you can have playdates and no long commute to school that is v tedious we have onlt 10 min and that is brilliant makes mornings less stressfull

[beachdreaming]

Thank you Marmot-in-London. How is the teaching at Macaulay? The reception teacher seems amazing but it was hard to get a read on the other teachers and the online figures are mixed.

[Marmot-in-london]

I didn't end up in Macauley but have many friends who have after toying with private sector, it would have been my second choice.
Our neighbours were down for Broomwood and then pulled out so had to loose t deposit to go to Macauley and v happy there she is off into yr 2 now
I have one who is going for Macauley now in Reception having toyed with Eaton the Manor and Wix. Another yr 6 leaver did get offers to JAGS and Alleynes with just 1 hour of tutoring a week so you do get results with not much extra work.
come to the church of the holy spirit on Sunday you may meet many happy Macauley kids ask for me Martha