Eltham college and Mottingham area

[worrymum324]

I left this message somewhere in Mumsnet but couldn't pick its trails now. So I want to start a new thread and am asking for kind information.

We are looking for a school for DS as we are moving to London this summer. We have heard that Eltham college is a very good school. I checked all the previous league tables, etc. about Eltham. It IS always excellent (the best, I should say) in south of London, until last year (2014) when GCSE statistics suddenly fell sharply, even the number of students at KS4. What has happened? Can anyone please help with some information? greatly appreciated!

How is life in Mottingham area? - transport to central London, shopping, community, SAFETY? I've heard bad things about that area before. How is the situation now? Any other nicer area nearby to live?

[fleurdelacourt]

Eltham seems like a nice school - solid results and a new dynamic headmaster. Individual years may fluctuate but that would not shake my belief in the school.

That said, I'm not sure it would count as the best in South London? But it depende on your son and where you want to live.

Mottingham itself seems ok AFAIK? There are some nice houses near Eltham College and there is a train station just over the A20? There are nicer areas (Chslehurst? Blackheath?) but you will pay a lot more and then have a journey to school. Lee Green/Hither Green are closer and cheaper?

[elltee]

Agree with fleur - the immediately surrounding area is a bit meh - dullish suburbia with no real centre, lots of late Victorian to thirties houses with generally pretty big gardens. Some pretty big 1920s-30s council estates (which people tend to refer to as Mottingham/Downham whereas the naicer roads tend to be described as being in Eltham or Bromley) Generally good links into the City/Central London but to get around locally it's buses or driving. In some areas of housing there are very few shops so you can be in a built-up area but half a mile from somewhere you can buy milk. Pretty close to open countryside.

I suspect if you ask the school they can probably show you where people come from - it will be quite a large area I would think.

[worrymum324]

Thanks, fleur. I think Eltham is a good school too despite one individual year. Yeah, Blackheath looks nicer but then everyday there is a pretty long journey to and from school. Any particular roads/area nice in Bromley? What about the area just west of the Eltham college, not east towards the Mottingham station, where I presume is rough?

[worrymum324]

Thanks too, elltee. Shopping will be a problem too (that's what to pay for bigger space). will be a bigger problem in winter.

[fleurdelacourt]

most of your other recent posts show that you want to move to North London though? But confused?

In terms of Mottingham, there are some nice big Edwardian houses on the way to and just over the A20. Not sure of price. But further afield - either towards Eltham or Downham - I'm not sure. I don't think it's rough as such - not sure what the crime stats are?

Bromley is just as far away as Blackheath? Hither Green and Lee Green are closer - and have a good stock of Victorian terraces and shops? What sort of budget for houses do you have -that may limit your choice of areas any way?

[worrymum324]

We used to live in North London some 20 years back and at first thought of moving back there. But choosing a school is the biggest concern - every good state school is packed and even the private schools. DS might get a place at Bromely that's why we are now also considering the south. But DH needs to travel to central London - hence the commute problem. Mottingham seems more convenient but has somewhat bad reputation. We are trying to get as much information before making the decision.

[TribbleNamedDave]

Depending on your budget, I'd personally look at moving to New Eltham near the station or near Chinbrook park near Grove park station. Those areas are nice (well they look nice to me). I've got relatives who live in and around that area and have all their lives and never had an issue.

[worrymum324]

thanks tribble. our budget is a bit over 500k. if DS goes to a good state school, then we can relax it a bit. Otherwise have to pay tuition. I'll check around Chinbrook park and New Eltham.

[fleurdelacourt]

New Eltham has some racial tension though?

OP - if you need a school place for September then you've missed the exam dates? What year is your ds in - do the school have a place for him?

[worrymum324]

year 8 now. we can only move in July or early August. no, not yet a place.

[Jayne131]

Hi is sd is able to get in to eltham college then have you thought about applying for the grammar schools in Bexley. Beth's in Bexley village is very good as I chis and Sid and Bexley grammar. Bexley village is a nice place to live as is sidcup

[worrymum324]

they don't take in year 8s, do they?

[LemonEmmaP]

DS1 is at Eltham - he's in Year 7 so it's all still pretty new to us, but he is (and we are!) happy with the school. The new headmaster seems to be good, which is a relief as we didn't know what to expect with the change of headship.

We live further east of the school in Sidcup, but it seems that very few of the boys live out this way - far more live in Blackheath, Chislehurst and Bromley. There's a school bus which bring boys in from Blackheath - I'm not sure about other areas, I just know it's no use to us! If money allowed, I would choose to live in Blackheath or Chislehurst, but our budget did not permit that, so we live in Sidcup which is perfectly okay - it's just not somewhere that I can get overly excited about! It's a fairly ordinary bit of suburbia - some nice properties and some decent schools, some restaurants and pubs, although these days we are more likely to go to Chislehurst for a drink rather than staying local.

For commuting into London, Hither Green, Sidcup and New Eltham are the better stations on this line as there are more trains which stop at these stations than there are for the intermediate stations such as Lee or Mottingham. I don't really know much about some of the other areas mentioned, so cannot coment on those.

[worrymum324]

thanks a lot, lemon. a lot to surf around, really good information. Chislehurst is expensive but looks very nice. Will also check around Sidcup. I don't mind suburbia if there is a place nearby to buy grocery, and a few restaurants, too. thanks again!

[PettsWoodParadise]

My DD is at Bromley High and lots of her friends brothers are either at Bickley Park, Eltham or Dulwich. Most live in the grander houses that Bickley offers but we are in the happy middle ground of Petts Wood. Lovely community feel, safe, green and You'd get a 3 bed semi for 500k in Petts Wood. Plus the trains give you lots of options. Nice restaurants, shops etc - there are two sides of the railway line so do take a look at both sides to see the variety of shops. Housing stock typically 1930s and mock Tudor with odd Victorian and Edwardian house. Good luck.

[PollyCazaletWannabe]

Mottingham is a bit rough, tbh. I would go for Petts Wood, Sidcup- or Chislehurst if you can afford it (I wouldn't be able to!)

[worrymum324]

The price is Petts Wood suits our budget. We will put a search there. Thanks!

[worrymum324]

thanks for the tips. we were attracted by some properties around Mottingham Lane area. Now we should definitely not look around that area.

[worrymum324]

I mean not absolute but with caution. Thanks!

[Happy36]

Talking with recent personal experience Eltham College is a great school with committed teachers, wonderful facilities and an overall pleasant ethos. It is fairly but not exclusively sporty; music is also strong (and extremely strong in the borough's Bromley Youth Music Trust). The school lunches are also excellent!

When choosing a place to live anywhere on the Bromley borough side is nice like Chislehurst or the Ravensbourne/Shortlands side of Bromley. As far as I know there are at least a couple of school coach routes as well as public buses from Chislehurst High Street and elsewhere (and train to Mottingham station).

[worrymum324]

Thanks, Happy. Your news are encouraging - quite lots of areas are decent. We just have to shop somewhere around our budget.