Late application to primaries in West Kent/East Surrey/West and East Sussex!! In a pickle..

[CityGirlGoesCountry]

Hello lovely ladies, name changed regular here needing a bit of advice.

We have very recently planned a move to near Cowden in West Kent this spring, my DS is due to start school this September - and so all my carefully planned choices here in London are about to go out of the window.

I find myself with a list of the nearest schools within 3 miles of the new house, and they're across four different councils!

So, I've been on the phone to Surrey, West Sussex, Kent and East Sussex today to find out about the respective processes for late applications. They vary wildly from simply emailing my interest in each school to the admissions officer, to filling out the admissions form from scratch, to approaching schools direct.

I know this is good in a way, as I get lots of choice where I might otherwise have been stuffed but it's making my brain ache, so stressed ATM!! So, any opinions on the following schools, an even how they fare against each other if anyone knows would be hugely appreciated! (I've asterisked the faves/most local)

Surrey:
*Dormansland
Lingfield
Felbridge

West Sussex:
*Blackwell
Estcots
Baldwins Hill
The Meads

Kent:
Hever
*Chiddingstone Primary

East Sussex:
*St Mary The Virgin (Hartfield)

My son is going to be young for the year (August born) so aside from obviously wanting a school that get's a reasonably good Ofsted, I'm mainly interested in smaller schools with nice pastoral/spiritual care. And to be local as poss for friends etc..
If there's any you want to recommend then also gratefully received.

TIA!

[CityGirlGoesCountry]

Just realised I wrote to the "ladies" I would of course be glad to here from the dads too!

[admission]

I would be very careful of those that suggest you go direct to the schools, this is not correct at this time of the year for reception children. You need to approach the Local Authority in all cases as to whether there are available places at the schools you have indicated. The LA is responsible for the administration of allocating places, even if the schools are their own admission authority (faith schools,)

By going to the LAs you can also establish which other schools have places and get yourself on waiting lists. What will vary is exactly when the LA will accept an application for a place - some will only do it when you have a confirmed house move.

[admission]

I would be very careful of those that suggest you go direct to the schools, this is not correct at this time of the year for reception children. You need to approach the Local Authority in all cases as to whether there are available places at the schools you have indicated. The LA is responsible for the administration of allocating places, even if the schools are their own admission authority (faith schools,)

By going to the LAs you can also establish which other schools have places and get yourself on waiting lists. What will vary is exactly when the LA will accept an application for a place - some will only do it when you have a confirmed house move.

[CityGirlGoesCountry]

Many thanks for your advice Admission!

So anyone else know any specifics about the schools?

[ShellingPeas]

My children go to St Mary the Virgin Hartfield. Quite a number of children from Cowden do - it is probably more highly regarded than, say, Hever. Hartfield will likely have spaces as due to its location it is rarely oversubscribed.

Hartfield is a good school - it has a good caring ethos and has a good recent OFSTED. Sats results do fluctuate wildly from year to year primarily because the year groups fluctuate in numbers a lot. My DD is in a year group of 8 children, my DS has a year group of 27!

There are 5 classrooms so the classes are sometimes split across year groups but I haven't found that to be a problem. My DS is a summer baby so in the case of a split has stayed with the year behind, but it has done him no harm academically and aided him socially quite a bit.

Chiddingstone Primary is very highly sought after and you are probably unlikely to gain a place straight off, especially as a late applicant.

Hever doesn't have a good reputation at present and many parents from Hever and Edenbridge travel to Hartfield.

Afraid I don't know anything much about the West Sussex or Surrey schools.

[CityGirlGoesCountry]

ShellingPeas, thankyou so much for your reply too. Can't tell you how helpful that kind of insider info is.. and can't believe your DD is in a year of 8!

You know, before I even read anything the Ofsted I got the feeling SMTV was what I was looking for, looking through it's site it seems a sweet school with a nice pastoral nature which is our biggest ask.

I spoke to a lady at the school who gave be quite a bit of hope for a place, but then was brought down to earth by the man in admissions at East Sussex who said the lady I had spoken to was only guessing as he sees all the online app's too. I have to fill in a form and see.

So many changes at the moment and so much to do! Thanks again, any other insider info about the area greatly appreciated.

[gingernutlover]

have you been to visit any of these schools?

I would do that first, you cannot tell where you child will be happy from league tables/ofsteds/so called reputations.

Agree though, that I have heard good things about hartfield and dormansland. Chiddingstone is very very oversubscribed, and also Hever has been oversubscribed for several years despite what shellingpeas says

[isanythingnotinuse]

All the West Sussex schools are in East Grinstead and there aren't any bad schools here, so I don't think anyone would be too depressed whatever school their child got into. My ds is at Estcots and loves his school. I also think the school is great. I think it has been a rather popular choice this year, though, so worth checking whether it actually has any spaces available for this year. The Meads used to be very popular, but slightly less so in the last couple of years, although I know several parents with children there who are all very happy with it. Blackwell is in a newly built school building and the teaching is supposed to be very good, I also know parents with children there who are very happy with it, but it suffers slightly locally from the reputation of being in a less desirable catchment area (which isn't saying an awful lot, given that we are talking about East Grinstead, not London or Crawley...). I don't know any parents with children at Baldwins Hill (isn't it very small???) and it's the other side of town to me - I think that's the one that shares a Head Teacher with Halsford Park?? I know parents with children at Halsford Park and they seem very happy with that school. I'm not too sure about Baldwins Hill, though.

[isanythingnotinuse]

Oh, and I think Felbridge is supposed to be good and a popular school.

[isanythingnotinuse]

ps I also think East Grinstead is great. If you hadn't noticed!

[CityGirlGoesCountry]

Hi again, thanks for that isanything - I'm really looking forward to living in the area, EG would be my day-to-day place for everything.

I was able to email my interest for Blackwell - (they are very nice and civilised about it at West Sussex, no form filling to do) so think am in the queue which is a start!
Estcots looked good too, think the reason I wasn't pursuing it was because with so many to consider, it was larger than the others, but your recommendation is a good reason to take another look.

Ginger thanks to you too, I am setting up the tours this week, didn't want to jump the gun until I was sure the property was solid (only been under offer a few days, bit rushed!) and have done most of this research within the past week.

Dormansland would be my closest and has a great rep, so think it, and SMTV Hartfield, Blackwell and Estcots wil be the first four to tour. Daft that they are in 3 other counties than the one I'll be moving in to! Closest Kent ones that I am actually interested in are Chiddingstone and Felbridge but on reflection I think they're too far away - will probs put myself on the waiting list anyway to have something down for Kent. If all else fails Kent have to provide me with somewhere, but hopefully I'll get one of my choices.

Thanks a million again for all your input - Mumsnet saves the day again! I'll pester you again at some point for other advice on settling in and stuff going on in the area.

Any other input gratefully accepted..

[ShellingPeas]

CityGirl - unfortunately if Kent fails to fill one of your first choices they will probably send you to an Edenbridge town school which are, generally speaking, usually avoided. That is why the village schools such as Chiddingstone and Hever are so sought after and why many parent from Cowden come to Hartfield.

Cowden is quite handily placed for getting to places such as East Grinstead or Tunbridge Wells (probably takes the same amount of time) so you will have lots to access.

And for a couple of additional schools to throw into your mix (as if you didn't have enough already!) you could also consider St Michaels at Withyham (which has had lots of recent building work and some great shiny new buildings), St Thomas's at Groombridge (although this tends to be over subscribed as it is 'outstanding' and very close to both Tunbridge Wells and Crowborough), and also Forest Row Primary School. Forest Row is an interesting place and well worth a visit, even if you don't look at the schools. Very old fashioned, slightly larger than a village but not really town, type feel to it.

[CityGirlGoesCountry]

Wow that's brilliant, Peas (can I call you Peas? ) thanks! Just showing DH and we really want to tour Thomas' and Michael's now too - one of them is over 6 miles away, yet on the AA routeplanner still comes up as a 7 mins shorter journey than Edenbridge or Hever would so it's great to have another choice for Kent.

I do feel very lucky to have so much choice of waiting lists to go on at such late notice. I seem to have lived on the cusp of several places everywhere I've lived which is weird...

Ref: Forest Row - isn't it mainly mormons and Steiner's??

[CityGirlGoesCountry]

p.s. Groombridge has a Buddy System which I really like..

[ShellingPeas]

Ooh don't be cruel regarding Forest Row, although you are right about the Steiners as there is a Steiner school (Michael Hall) there. There's also a Christian Scientologist school too. The Mormons are more towards East Grinstead way.

BTW disclaimer - I have no strong feelings regarding either Steiner education or Mormons, or Christian Scientology whatsover!

St Thomas's in Groombridge is very easily accessible but it is always over subscribed. But children do get places on the waiting list at various times throughout the year so if you particularly like it the best option would be to go on the waiting list and, well, wait! The only caveat with Groombridge that I would say is that it can sometimes be very cliquey, depending on the parents in your particular year group.

[CityGirlGoesCountry]

Hah hah I knew that would be a hard hat moment!! FWIW I also don't have any strong feelings about Steiners, which I considered for a short while, or Mormons. Although I would have difficulty keeping a straight face chatting about Xenu and thetans on the school run

Actually, think my new neighbours (if all goes well with the move) will be Steiner'ing their kids.
I asked because I had heard from other threads that if you weren't part of these more "alternative" lifestyles that someone moving to FR itself might struggle to fit in, but that's just one person's opinion I suppose.

Really really appreciate all the advice, thanks again.

[isanythingnotinuse]

Don't worry about the size of Estcots. I worried a bit before I looked round it, as I'd been to a small village primary myself and my ds is quite introverted, but the atmosphere at the school is lovely. I'm quite converted to the benefits of two-form entry!!! You are supposed to drop off for school at 8.30am, though, and finish at 2.40/2.50pm (KS1/KS2), which is rather early for some!!!!

Forest Row is lovely. There's a great walk/cycle ride along the old railway line (closed in the '60s, courtesy of Lord Beeching of East Grinstead) from East Grinstead to Forest Row, and beyond to Hartfield, etc. You really wouldn't know this part of the world was apparently crawling with Scientologists and Mormons!!!

[CityGirlGoesCountry]

Crikey that is early! How long do they do that finish time for?

Just remembering growing up in Purley and two particular mormon guys who used to come knocking on the door. They were really tall and wore black, and addressed us by our first names, mentioning how old I was etc which freaked me out somewhat - never knew how they found out so much about us before coming canvassing!

Also remember passing the big Mormon church a lot as a teen, from when we used to go to clubs like The Grasshopper in Westerham (or Merstham?)..
Funny re-discovering an area as an adult after so many tears away.

[CityGirlGoesCountry]

Or even "year" !

[LIZS]

Friend had hers at Felbridge until recently and seemed happy with it.

[BalloonSlayer]

Felbridge always very full would doubt they had a space. Also bloody long way through EG traffic from Cowden.

[CityGirlGoesCountry]

That's good to know, thanks Liz and Balloon - been wondering what the Holtye road is like at rush hour, when considering Groombridge and Withyham etc..?

[BalloonSlayer]

A couple of other things to consider:

If your DS has any kind of SEN, it is a teenier bit easier to have him going to a school under the same LEA as the one you live in. What I mean is, suppose he had a statement, it would be funded by Kent CC as you live in Kent, but if he went to school in West Sussex then WSCC would have the money paid to them to provide the extra help. It's OK, of course it happens a lot, but can be a PITA because sometimes the two authorities don't talk to each other as well as one would like . . .

Secondly, Kent has Grammar schools but West Sussex do not. Not sure about Surrey. If you would be hoping your DS might get into Tunbridge Wells grammar school for instance, you might be better advised to stick to a school in Kent that knows about getting kids into Grammar Schools and will be of help when the time comes. (Not sure that schools are any help when the time comes though, might just be wishful thinking on my part!)

[CityGirlGoesCountry]

Thanks Balloon, not completely sure I understand what a statement is, other than your child needs extra help in certain areas or isn't meeting the targets??

I know the nursery is monitoring him a bit as a key child, as although his learning is fine, his communication with others needs some work apparently. All so confusing!

I know SMTV Hartfield's site has info about kids they have helped to grammar in Tunbridge, which is good to see. I would like the option, but don't want to jump the gun until I have decided if grammar is for us (or survives another decade) although I think at the moment it would be great to get a place. East Grinstead has a centre that coaches for 11 plus apparently, too.

[ShellingPeas]

CityGirl - if you are looking for a school which does cater well for possible special needs (and I'm not assuming your DC does at all), then Hartfield does this very well.

The A264 (Holtye Road) is usually fine at school run time - I lived in Blackham for some time and drove up and down the A264 to Hartfield twice a day and it was never a problem.

Take anything a Sussex school says about preparing students for Kent 11+ exams with a huge pinch of salt. They don't (and aren't allowed to) do any preparation at school and if you choose the 11+ route in years to come you will probably need to have some help in preparing your child from an outside source.

The other point to consider is that Cowden is some distance from Tunbridge Wells and that to be relatively sure of a grammar school place you would need to score highly enough to qualify for one of the super-selectives in Tunbridge Wells or Tonbridge.

But it's a long way off so not one of your major concerns at the moment!