Good schools in Leyton??!

[luellajane]

Hello, i live in Leyton, by Bakers Arms (and close to Walthamstow village i like to think!) although my closest schools are Henry Maynards (and Barclays) HM says that i'm probably too far away from them to get my little girl in there. She's only 2 and a half at the moment so i have a bit of time, but i'm a bit worried about good schools in the area, does anyone have any experience of Barclays School, or any others in the area?
Thanks

[BlueberryPancake]

I don't have experience of these schools but I don't live too far from you and I can say that the best thing to do is first to find what your catchment area school is, by calling your borough or checking online (Are you redbridge or waltham forest). And go visit the schools yourself. I have many friends that I respect very much and they all chose different schools because their priorities are different. It all depends on what you want.

I've just checked online and I think that Waltham Forest education telephone numbner is 0845 877 0031

[luellajane]

Thanks for that, i am waltham forest, i'll give them a call, the way it is with Henry Maynards is they take the closest 100 kids to the school, so it all depends how many kids are closer that particular year. What school do yours go to?

[IwishIwerewitty]

I live in Leyton, but not near to Bakers Arms. From what I have heard Barclays is improving. It is massive and is going to an intake of 150 (or maybe 120).
My DS will be going to school in January, so will hear about his place at the end of this month.
I think places are pretty tight in this borough. I have applied for our three nearest schools and hope to get one.
It is worth mentioning that I also applied in Redbridge and have been offered a school place there which I will take up if I don't get any of my choices here.

[luellajane]

Which schools have you applied to, and how did you chose them (IwishIwerewitty)? How come you applied in Redbridge, i wouldn't have thought that was in your catchement area, i'm so confused as to how it all works? I've only read a few of the Ofsted reports but i'm really concerned as in a lot of the local schools English isn't a first language for the majority of pupils.

[BlueberryPancake]

Redbridge is a very popular area with many good schools, and there are many children who live in Walthamstow or Leyton who come to school here (in Wanstead, where I live). It used to be quite easy for families outside of the borough to apply for a school in Redbridge and get a place, but now there are so many children that it's harder to get in.

IwishIwere, did you get to fill in two separate application forms - one for Redbridge and one for Waltham Forest - did you apply for six schools in total?

Good schools in Wanstead are:

• Nightingale (very good school)
• Snaresbrook (also very good)
• Aldersbrook
• Faith schools Our Lady of Lourdes (Catholic) and Wanstead Church School (Church of England), both excellent schools.

As far as I know, both faith schools are extremely popular and very very hard to get in if you don't live in the borough. However, I have a good friend who lives in Leyton and her daughter got in Nightingale.

[luellajane]

Thanks so much for that Blueberry, i will definitely look into those schools you mentioned

[IwishIwerewitty]

Blueberrypancake - Yes I filled in two applications so six schools in total and have been offered a school in Redbridge. I am going to see what I am offered from Waltham Forest and then make a decision. I would much prefer a local school.

Luellajane - I would prefer not to say which schools I applied for, but what I did was look at all the schools near to me and then went to visit them, looked at ofsted and also talked to parents. I then applied to my closest three in the order I would like to go to them, but have put my nearest in so that I am (almost) guaranteed a place.
If you want to CAT me then I will tell you my schools, but I think they are probably all too far from you.

I have a few more weeks to wait for my offer.

It is nerve racking - but if you talk to parents whose kids actually go to the local schools (as opposed to gossip) you will hear quite positive things I would think. It is better to talk to people who are in the system I think rather than everyone who is desperately trying to move so their kids can get in to a decent school!

[strawberrycake]

A big factor in this area is are you looking for a faith or non-faith school?

[luellajane]

I wasn't originally looking for a faith school, and i'm not religious myself, but my partner was brought up catholic and my daughter's been baptised, so we're considering going the catholic way as there's a good catholic school close by. But i'm not too sure, it feels a bit hypocritical when i go to church, but i just want what's best for my little girl, and i assume that the catholic one is a bit easier to get into, if you regularly attend church.

[BlueberryPancake]

It has been very strongly advised to me when I was filling up the forms to put on the school that you are in catchment for, even if it's your third choice. Because if you put three schools out of catchment, you might get no offer at all.

But if you put your local schools, if you can fill in a form for Redbridge as well, it could give you more options. I know that the Lady of Lourdes Catholic school is excellent, and very popular.