secondary schools in sw2, any advice please

[gettingbettereveryday]

hello, please can anyone help us with our moving plans

we want to move somewhere where we can buy a house with a garden and a have a few criteria we'd like to follow in choosing an area including closeness to family, not increasing our commutes etc

we've lighted on the SW2 brixton hill/streatham hill area which looks promising but (without wanting to sound too uptight) we need to factor in schools as we have a toddler who will start primary in a few years and another baby on the way

we're pretty relaxed about primary schools (though would welcome any special recommendations), but would really like to know we were within the catchment area of a decent state secondary and wouldn't need to worry about moving again in the next ten years. I know schools can change a lot in that period, but any recommendations or thoughts would be very welcome! it feels very hard to research unless you're 'on the ground' so would be v grateful for your advice.

[StreathamHillary]

Dunraven is a very strong co-ed Foundation Comp. Parents are very happy with it, it has excellent results, the new (ish) Head has given it a new dynamic, and is clearly trying to take it from 'Good with Outstanding Features' to 'Outstanding'. It is streamed, with very high performing top streams, but has a wide range of vocational courses too, and good SEN provision. Elmgreen is also very popular and doing well. You also have the option to try for a selective place at Graveney which is only a bus ride away.

You can live in the catchment for Dunraven and Elmgreen and also be in catchment for the lovely Streatham Wells Primary if you live at the Eastern end of Wavertree, Downton, Cricklade or Barcombe Rd, or on one of the roads off Palace Rd - Kingsmead, etc. The other possibility would be to move very close to Julians Primary, an excellent school, and you would also be in catchment for Dunraven.

Do your research, though. For Dunraven the catchment is currently between .4 and .9 of a mile, depending on ability band, and those 2 primaries also have very tight catchments. There are also Sunnyhill and Hitherfield primaries, which are good.

It's true - for proximity to central London and great transport routes, Streatham Hill has relatively low prices and is a good place to live.

[MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic]

I have two sons at Dunraven and I'm very happy with it if that helps

Apart from that I'll second everything that Hillary said.

[gettingbettereveryday]

Thanks, this is really helpful!

It sounds like being the Streatham of the A205 probably provides better options then, or does anybody have advice about being on the Brixton Hill side?

Thanks!

[Blu]

Hello, I'm a Streatham MNer!
On the Brixton Hill side of the S Circular you have Holy Trinity and Christ Church Streaham as primary options, along with Fenstanton, although since a new secondary is due to be built on the Fenstanton site I'm not sure what will happen to the primary school. You would be very very unlikely to get into Streatham Wells from Brixton Hill. I'm not sure how far in that direction the Dunraven catchment goes, either. Holmewood gardens is a lovely 'homezone' square just N of the S Circular, but I'm not sure if the children from there go to Dunraven. On the roads between Tulse Hill and Brixton Hill the catchment primary would be Jubilee and chances of Dunraven slight. On the other side of Brixton Hill, closer to Brixton Sudbourne Primary is excellent (you practically have to set up home on the pavement outside to get in) and the secondary would be the Evelyn Grace Academy. If you are Catholic Corpus Christi just off Brixton Hill comes highly recommended, and seems to take children from a wide area around SW2, SW9 and SE24.

But for secondary school choices, StreathamHillary gives good advice. Dunraven is very popular and the catchment is quite tight. The distances mentioned below are by shortest safe walking route, not straight line. Elmgreen is becoming more and more popular but has a slightly wider catchment, overlapping with Dunraven's. Elmgreen uses setting rather than streaming, so you have a choice depending on what may suit your child better. It is a lovely new building - I think it may just be doing it's first years of GCSE results? Parents in the area have favoured Dunraven as an academic top scorer and it took a while for people to think of Elmgreen as a first preference, but parents I know who are choosing schools for this year have been equally enthusiastic about both.

Streatham Hill is nowhere near as cool as Brixton, but it's cheaper and it does have fantastic transport options from Tulse Hill station (if you live in the area StreathamH suggests) or from Streatham Hill, or an easy bus to Brixton tube. And at the moment, Streatham Hill offers the best combination of primary and secondary options. IMO.

[gettingbettereveryday]

Thanks, this is so helpful! Looking at prices and the entire picture I think we may do best to aim for Streatham Hill. Would be great anyway as one set of grandparents are in Clapham and don't want to be far from them.

Do you know anything about the Evelyn Grace academy?

Sounds very Machiavellian but we might aim to look out for a house that comes up in the area of overlap for Dunravan/Elmgreen. All depends on what we can sell our current place for of course which remains to be seen (or indeed even estimated - very early days).

We really like both Streatham and Brixton though and have lots of friends there so seems like a great area to shift to - not like we'd be doing it just because of the reason of schools. We are not religious whatsoever so would be looking at secular schools.

Thanks again for your help xx

[Blu]

this would be in Dunraven's catchment, borderline for Streatham Wells, but definite for Hitherfirleld Primary, currently kids from this road go to Elmgreen

This would have a better chance for Streatham Wells, is in Dunraven catchment and current Elmgreen

same sort of catchments

[LocalSchoolMum]

I know quite a few people on Brixton Hill who have children at Chestnut Grove in Balham, Burntwood School in Wandsworth and Lambeth Academy in Clapham. All 3 are good schools and the kids are happy. I'm not convinced about Evelyn Grace, but it's still a new school and could be great by the time your kids need a secondary.

[Blu]

All good options - LocalSchoolMum - do you think the catchments for the Wandsworth schools will continue to be that wide? The reputation of Chestnut Grove is rising fast.

[Jobforlife]

Goodness, I'm amazed that Chestnut Grove school is being flagged a decent school (and I've heard this from another source recently too). We used to live opposite this school (moved in 2004) and quite frankly, it was the most appalling excuse of a school ever... We had a regular group of kids who dropped in to our front garden before school and at breaktimes to roll and smoke their spliffs and the police used to send an armoured van round at chucking out time in the afternoon.. In fact, there was a police officer assigned to the school in the end. We looked at it for my eldest and couldn't believe how depressing it was. We ended up moving out of the area instead.

Who ever the head is now, they deserve a medal if they've turned things around!

[Blu]

It has an Outstanding ofsted rating, and applications from far and wide. I have no personal knowledge of it, but have friends who are very happy with it, and know their kids, who are doing well there.

[gettingbettereveryday]

Thank you all, this is so incredibly helpful. Didn't know that on rightmove you could search for distance to schools but that's v helpful!

Also good to hear that some Wandsworth secondaries have got good things about them as that's where we live at the moment!

Blu - you're so helpful, thanks! I see there are some houses listed on Wyatt Park Rd, but at the end near the High Rd - presumably this is just a bit further from Dunraven and Elmgreen. When you say 'currently Elmgreen', I assume you mean that you reckon the catchment area will probably shrink as it becomes more popular?

Now we just need to find out what we can get for our current place!

Thanks again to you all for your help.

[Blu]

I'm honestly not sure where the margins of the Dunraven catchment are - they use safest walking route, and do include the path from Hillside rd to the junction of Hitherfireld rd and Lyndhurst rd, shown on the google map as a thin grey line going over the railway line.

So much could happen over the next 5 or 6 years - the new secondary planned for on Christchurch Rd could relieve pressure on both Dunraven and Elmgreen, if Kingsdale over the border in Southwark changed it's controversial lottery application and went on distance that could also relieve pressure on Elmgreen.

I would talk to the primary schools, too, about furthest distance in recent years.

[gettingbettereveryday]

Thanks so much Blu! Very helpful. We are going to get our current house valued on Tuesday which will help us see how realistic this is all is, then do some more research.

Really appreciate your advice.

[Blu]

It looks as if the catchment for Dunraven in the offers made yesterday in one band at least stretched across to the other side of the A23, close to the S Circular...quite wide!

Richard Atkins would also be a Brixton Hill primary, and maybe serve the Holmdene Rd area. I don't know anything about the school.

[EdithWeston]

There is talk of two new academies nearby - Bolingbroke (by Wandsworth Common) and the Michaela one in Tooting. These probably won't be directly relevant to you, other than the impact that more places will have on general pressure in the whole area. If "Between the Commons' children stay put for Bolingbroke, this will reduce the numbers spilling out in your direction.

[gettingbettereveryday]

Thanks, that's really interesting. None of our friends, or our local friends anyway, have kids of near secondary school age yet so not much knowledge from them. It would just be so nice to move once and then plan on staying put!

Blu, I'm fairly certain we would be lucky enough to be able to afford any of the options you kindly suggested the other day, as they're all less than we paid for our current house 5 years ago. So I think the next step is to see what it's worth, then no doubt work through lots of trade offs about how long we can wait for our 'perfect' place to come up in the right area...

It would make me laugh everyday to live on 'Downton Avenue'. Sounds like Downton Abbey!

Thanks again for the advice.

[Blu]

Lots of estate agents boards up, not all on Rightmove, and houses do sell quite fast around here.

good for primary and secndary

Julians primary and Dunraven

[Blu]

sorry, first link doesn't work - it's for a house in Kingsmead Rd.

[gettingbettereveryday]

Thanks, so kind of you! There seem to be a few on the market on Kingsmead Rd. The one in West Norwood is a beauty, v unusual - v different from where we live at the moment which is all Victorians with tiny gardens.

I think once we have an idea of price range we will need to take a stroll round the area one weekend and look at all the estate agents boards as well as trolling the internet!

May I ask, if it's not impertinent, whether you have kids and where they go to school? (Obviously understand if it's private of course!)

[Blu]

the board was only up on this for a few days!

[gettingbettereveryday]

Wow - that one does look fab. Obviously necessary to move fast! In your view would that one have stood a good chance for both Dunraven and Elmgreen?

Thanks x

[Blu]

Oh, yes, definitely.

[BarkisIsWilling]

What about West Norwood, as from there you could access sec. schs in Southwark, Lambeth and Croydon. In postcode terms, I refer to SE24 & 27.

You'd also have access to Rosendale primary, Streatham Wells and others.

[BarkisIsWilling]

Oh, and Fenstanton is to become a reception to A Level academy. E-ACT won the bidding.

I live in SW2, my child takes a 15 minute train to (faith) sec sch in Merton/Sutton, alongside many others.

[Blu]

There is nowhere where you would be in catchment for both Rosendale AND Streatham Wells. You could be in catchment for Rosendale and Charter, though, I think, or Rosendale and Elmgreen. The Charter catchment will be a bit different from what is has been historically because of a ruling about walking routes which has been enforced this year. Rosendale is a 3 form entry school so wider catchment than S Wells or Julian's, which are both small schools. SE24 is a bit tricky unless you do get into Rosendale because the other school is St Judes, an oversubscribed faith school.

West Norwood is a good place to live, farmer's market once a month, excellent overground transport.

Wherever you are you really need to be precise about school catchments and not make unresearched assumptions based on even a couple of years ago. For example, Harris Crystal palace used to be an option for Streatham Hill kids and East Duwich, but no more! Elmgreen catchment is shrinking.