Primary state schools Balham Post Reply

[robchelle]

Hi,

Wonder if you can help. Our daughter is starting primary school next year & just seeing if anyone has any thoughts as to our schooling options.

These are ...
Alderbrook
Balham Nursery
Henry Cavendish
Ravenstone

I have checked the ofsted reports & they are all good, with Balham Nursery & HC deemed outstanding. We will obviously view each school first but would be great if we could find out people's opinions.

Many thanks,

Rob

[Goldhawk]

Balham Nursery isn't a school - it provides nursery education for 2-4 year olds
It is very good with an excellent garden

Rutherford House and Telferscot are worth adding to your list of possibilities

[Purdyeve]

Hi. You will also need to consider the catchment areas of each of these schools. Henry Cavendish in particular is very oversubscribed. Good luck!

[robchelle]

Thanks both.

Rutherford is just outside our catchment area & Telferscot on the border.

The ones I mentioned are all in our catchment. The others are the more religious schools.

Thanks

[Joe's Mum]

I have two children at Ravenstone and am a big fan. Mine are both very happy there. I love the school. It has a really special feel about it.

Parents are kept well informed of what is going on, what your child is doing in any given week and how they are progressing. There is a showing assembly every fortnight where the children stand up and show their work to the rest of the school. Parents can go and see what the children have been doing, not only in their child's class but throughout the school. I have always been impressed. Awards are also given out at these assemblies and there is a lovely culture of celebrating each others achievements.

The teachers have a warm and friendly relationship with the pupils.They seem to make a real effort to work out what makes each child tick and how to get the best out of them.

There are plenty of outings and also in-school events to make their learning experience more interesting. Lots of parents get involved with various events, fundraising etc. Ravenstock, the summer fete, is a real high point and to my mind definitely one of the funkiest and most creative of the school summer fairs.

The Reception pupils are given a Year 6 mentor, and the older children quite often help the lower years with reading, or organising the little ones at Sports Days and other events so they really do all get to know each other throughout the school.This seems to foster a culture of caring for each other and it's not unusual to see an older child picking up a random toddler who has fallen over in the playground after school and helping them to find their parent.

There is now wrap around before and after school care on site. The school is really lucky to have a huge amount of outside space, so plenty of room to let off steam and lots of the children are involved in growing food in the summer term.The dynamic young Headteacher has great plans for improving the outside spaces further.

Hope this helps.

[WorkingMum**]

I also have two children at Ravenstone and can highly recommend it. My children are in years 6 and year 3. They have both thrived in the environment that the school creates which is inclusive and respectful. They both enjoy school, have always had excellent teachers and are happy, happy pupils. Since the new head took charge the school has become more dynamic, with an agenda to always keep striving to improve.

There are countless after school activities and a breakfast and after school club. In addition to football club, swimming and film club, my children also attend the breakfast club which is a huge help to me.

I feel strongly that if your children are happy and they want to go to school then they will learn. My children have never once voiced that they do not want to go to school and have both progressed academically across all subjects. I am delighted with Ravenstone and would not hesitate to recommend it. I am very glad I made the choice for my children to attend this lovely successful school.

[HappyWalrus]

Just wanted to add another vote for Ravenstone. Our eldest has just started there and is having just the best time. Wonderful, supportive and encouraging atmosphere. Great new headteacher with high ambitions for a school where kids achieve their full potential - academically and as happy, rounded people. Fabulous grounds. Lots of afterschool clubs. Basically, it's great - we couldn't be happier.

[headshrinker]

Another Ravenstone parent here. Not much to add after the other posts except to say that it is a lovely school with a really great community feel. It is a happy, creative and caring environment and the kids are very proud to go there.

[sid_seal]

Alderbrook parent here!
I cannot fault the school, to be honest. So far we have been really impressed with the teachers; they give the children very solid foundations, and friends who moved out of the area and had to move their children from Alderbrook to other schools invariably said that they were ahead of their contemporaries.
In addition to this, it is a friendly, nurturing environment; the teachers are enthusiastic and caring, and definitely "get" each child's personality. The school is small enough for children to know each other, to know all teachers, and for the teachers and headteacher to know each one of them.
Having a separate Early Years unit means that your child can have a gentle start without having to negotiate the playground with much bigger children; near the end of Reception they will take them to visit the "big school" and to get familiar with the place (although many already do with breakfast club and after school club).
Anyway, as you say the best thing is to look around and get a feel for the different places.
If you and your other half are both working, worth also checking the timing of after school clubs (at Alderbrook till 6.30) and (it may be obvious) which one is more en-route for your commute - it does make a difference!
Good luck, but I don't think you can really get it wrong with any of those three!

[Mummyinarush]

Our son has just started reception at Ravenstone and it is excellent.

Very warm, friendly environment - we were invited onto the parents WhatsApp group during the summer holidays before school started and met up with quite a few parents in advance.

The leadership team are dynamic and ambitious for the children, two weeks in our son is already being stretched (in a good way, and at a sensible pace) on phonics and maths. They do PE twice a week, plus dance class, and even Italian with the Italian Embassy!

There is a good choice of after school clubs from reception upwards (e.g. French, Spanish, mixed football, dance etc), in addition to wrap around care from 8am- 6pm everyday.

We also looked at Trinity St Mary's, Rutherford House, Telferscot, Henry Cavendish and three private schools. We are very happy we made the right decision going with Ravenstone.

[mumtobusyboy]

My son is now in year 1 at Trinity St Mary's and has been so happy there(started from nursery). It's a small, very friendly school with just one form per year and small class sizes. He's doing so well there. They have amazing SATs results too. I'd really recommend you call the school as they'll organise a personal tour for you. Good luck!

[ForMyLittleMan]

Another Alderbrook parent here.
We love Alderbrook. I won't repeat all of the good points as most of it has been written above. You'll know when you visit the schools which is right for you. We visited HC & Alderbrook.....whilst HC has an Outstanding Ofsted rating we much preferred Alderbrook and just loved the feel of the school whereas I wasn't keen on HC at all. The balance of education, nurturing and community is lovely at Alderbrook. Good luck with it!

[marmitelover]

Also a Ravenstone parent - I have 2 children at the school and we couldn't praise it more highly. Most importantly, our children skip into school every day and have never once said they don't want to go! There is a great atmosphere at the school with each child made to feel a part. The academic side is strong, but very much part of the whole rather than being the sole focus. There is a good range of in-school activities like dance/music and then after-school clubs throughout the age groups. The PTA events are great fun and show the school's spirit and diversity and are hugely well-attended, which contributes to the sense of being part of the school family.

The leadership team is fantastic - not just at the outward facing parent and administrative things, but they all know the children and engage with them both in the classrooms and in the playground. The headmaster is 1 year in and is super-enthused about children's education and wider experience. There is now comprehensive wrap-around care on site which is great (and will do holiday clubs starting this Oct half term).

[HelenSWmum]

My daughter is in year 1 at Henry Cavendish. She has settled in really well and is enjoying school even with the "step up" from reception to year 1, which I'm sure has much to do with the school.

From what I know (and as you can see from the other posts) there are lots of great schools locally so I don't think you can go too far wrong.

And if you're finding it difficult to decide, I would think about convenience. Being able to get to/from school quickly and easily whether you work or not, is a definite benefit. It also really helps the community feel when your neighbours' kids go to the same school - 2 of my daughter's classmates live on our street and it's lovely when a congregation of kids are all walking together down the street to school. Plus it makes playdates etc easier too!

Good luck!