Whitgift & child safety Post Reply

[Anniesmate]

Hi. My son has been offered a place at Whitgift starting Y7 2024. He absolutely loves the school but is scared of Croydon, he has heard of knife crime and muggings in Croydon and now doesn’t know if he still wants to go to Whitgift. I have suggested he only ever uses the school bus there and back but I would appreciate some input on safety for the boys commuting via public transport - from Clapham on train or Wimbledon on tram to East Croydon & then walking to school, the school bus may not always be practical. Thank you for any advice/input.

[Pigeon55]

Muggings are a part of london life everywhere basically. My daughter goes to Emanuel- she walks there every morning, and what she is most worried about is being mugged for her phone with a knife. It happens a lot- almost feels like a depressing rite of passage. I wouldn’t let that put him off Whitgift if it’s otherwise a good fit- especially as there is a school bus and he can transition to the train as and when he feels more confident.

[readysteadycook]

As people keep voting for the terrible Labour Mayor, Khan, knife crime and mugging won’t stop. 

Croydon and the nearby areas are not nice places for the young kids to commute through. They will definitely see things that scare them, on and off the public transport.

[Goldhawk]

What are your other school options?
Wandsworth Common is another mugging hotspot - it happens everywhere not just in Croydon
 

[muddyboots]

You can’t get away from the fact that Croydon is a crime hotspot, well above average for London.

Even if true it can happen anywhere and sad fact of life in London, Croydon not only
Has issues with knife crime but murder rates.

If your child has reservations about going, maybe he’s got a point. It’s him who has to do the journey.

When kids get older they are more likely to want to hang out after school, so this could be an issue to consider, but could be avoided of course.

[Mumof3sw11]

My son joined Whitgift in year 6 this academic year, and does not get the school bus. He gets the train from CJ and back every day, usually with one or two others, but occasionally by himself. There are always loads of Whitgift boys travelling to and from CJ. When it was dark, if he had a late club, one of us would try and go and collect him and accompany him back on the train, but usually he just comes back on his own. He has seen some guys in balaclavas a couple of times, and knows that they went on to mug some older kids (we and many others reported this). Yes, it’s not ideal and I do worry but I’ve also heard about huge problems with muggings on Northcote Rd/Wandsworth Common etc. Also just FYI, the school bus ONLY leaves at 5.15 pm so if they don’t have a club, it’s a lot of hanging around in the library, and a long journey back in rush hour. My son did it once on the day of a train strike, and he wasn’t home (off Northcote rd) until 6.50 pm, that’s late every day to do it- he was exhausted whereas the train gets him home by 4.40 ish on a non club day. What are your other options? If he’s nervous, it may not be the best fit.

[muddyboots]

I think it's time to organise safe School routes, a bit like lollipop ladies but for secondary. 
There should be a designated walking route from schools to stations with security .
Perhaps if all the traffic wardens could be used for this instead it would be a much better use of time for them!!! 

[Whitgift travel]

I have a son in Year 8 at Whitgift who has taken the train back home after school since he joined last year.

The school recommend that when taking the train boys walk to South Croydon Station, rather than walking or catching the bus to East Croydon station. There's a recommended walking route to South Croydon Station with designated safe shops that the boys can go into if ever there were any problems experienced.

South Croydon is deemed safer than East Croydon by the school, but having said that there have been a couple of unpleasant incidents that have happened at South Croydon Station this academic year involving Whitgift boys and their mobile phones being sought.

However, the school have been quick to look at what they can do to increase pupil safety when this has happened which has resulted in 'guards' from the school's security team patrolling the South Croydon area after the end of the school day and two daily ‘walking buses’ to South Croydon station which leave the school at 17:15 and 17:30. There's also a free shuttle bus to South Croydon Station which departs at the end of the school day. Believe there are also teachers positioned at South Croydon Station at the end of the school day and enroute.

The main advice is to travel in a group if you can. There are so many Whitgift boys taking the train to Clapham Junction that it's rare for my son to be travelling home without a friend. My son has seen a couple of scary incidents whilst on his travels, a youth trying to conceal a knife at East Croydon Station which was fortunately spotted by a member of station staff, and a group of mask wearing youths who mugged at least one Whitgift boy at South Croydon Station and at then threatened further Whitgift boys on the train to East Croydon. Believe some arrests were made after this incident as the school were all over it with the police.

Yes, Croydon is not the nicest of London areas but Whitgift is an amazing school which my son loves going to and none of this has put him off going there. Ironically the only time my son has felt very threatened was after getting off the school bus when he took it home one evening and was chased down our road by two youths. Proving that unpleasant things can happen anywhere in London.

[CorianderStreet]

Well the only time my son got mugged when he was a pupil at Whitgift was when he was coming home from a friend’s house in a posh part of Clapham after school - and Boris Johnson was the mayor then ..,

The school bus takes ages and my son hated using it on the very few occasions he needed to - the train was much quicker and there were so many boys doing the same journey it was quite a sociable time