Secondary Schools in Southampton

[Sush2011]

Hello, we will be moving to Southampton in summer and would love to know more about the secondary schools there. At present my DDs are in Year 4 and Foundation, so ideally looking to find a good primary school that will feed into a good secondary school. We need to buy a house according to the school catchment area. So any advice on schools, areas to live etc would be very helpful. We need to be within travelling distance to the university. And, as I don't drive (as of yet), it would be handy to be in a place within walking distance to school. Thank you!

[TeenAndTween]

As you haven't had any responses yet, I thought I'd reply, which if nothing else will bump this for you.

Do you need/wish to be actually in Southampton?

Can you do Eastleigh (Toynbee) or Chandlers Ford (Thornden vvvvv good)?

Can you live west side, eg Lordshill and then stump up for the school bus fair to Romsey (both Romsey & Mountbatten v good). NB the numbers they are taking from out of catchment is shrinking though I think. Also could be awkward for evening events such as parents evening.

However, for fun, try asking poster TalkinPeace about her views on the Oasis Academy in Lordshill. (Summary could be avoid like the plague.)

I don't know much about schools actually in Southampton, though I get the impression they are patchy. Talkin has 'connections' and will no doubt be along in a little while...

[smellylittleorange]

Yes bumping for you too..I am presuming you are talking about Southampton Uni which can be a tricky commute...I'm not sure about buses but trains are 2 - 3 miles from campus they do a uni bus scheme though. Southampton Solent is easier as mainly in the city.

[stareatthetvscreen]

there are no good schools in southampton

romsey or chandlers ford - much better :)

[LionsTeeth]

The wyvern triangle is good, or it was when I went. It's in Fair Oak, which has good bus routes into Southampton and to the uni.

[eatyourveg]

there are no good schools in southampton

I thought St Anne's was still good or perhaps it has changed since the nuns left

[sparkly72]

Depends what you want from a school? I think a lot of uni tutors kids go to cantell - middle of a pretty dire area and lots of kids with extra needs - but you can live in walking distance of uni then. There is also st George's within walking distance if you are Catholic.
Eastleigh is on bus route to uni and has some decent primary's but the secondary is quilley which is rubbish and being merged with Crestwood so all up in the air. Toynbee is actually Chandler's ford catchment not Eastleigh.

[Lemonsole]

St Anne's is good, and an excitingly mixed school community, I gather. My understanding is that Upper Shirley is very much on the up, and that Bitterne Park nurtures high aspirations in its students.
I don't live there - I teach post-16 students.

[CommanderCody]

Southampton's best secondary schools, until recently were Kings', in Winchester and Mountbatten, in Romsey. Both areas have had new housing estates built in their catchments, making it much more difficult for non catchment children to get in.
If you exclude the bright kids that go to (private) KES - it means that that the bright kids must now have to go somewhere in Southampton - hence the recent improvements in results in Bittern Park, Cantell and Upper Shirley. However until the schools fully reflect their catchments it will be difficult to accurately assess which schools would be best for your DC.
If TalkinPeace doesn't hop onto this thread - try to PM her, she has lots of info on schools in and around the area.

[Jenijena]

Southampton city secondaries don't have a great reputation, although I have heard more positive things about cantell recently. I live out of Southampton, but can't believe that all the city's schools deserve their collective reputation...

Happy to be pmed about public transport options to the university. I would start, if you're ok on a bus, by looking at the bluestar 1 route which goes through chandlers ford to Winchester and through various decent catchment areas.

[Jenijena]

(Bluestar drops you within a few minutes walk of highfield campus)

[Jenijena]

And I've just re-read and noticed that it probably doesn't need to be you within walking distance of the university, just walking distance of a school. It's quite a suburban area, and schools are generally in walking distance, definitely at primary level.

[CrystalGlitz]

Southampton secondary schools have improved significantly in recent years; they're reporting good results and parents are no longer sending their kids to Romsey or Chandlers Ford in droves as used to be the case.

I'd recommend you look at the Upper Shirley and Bassett areas. A choice of good infant/junior/primary schools (notably Shirley Infant & Junior, Wordsworth Primary and Hollybrook) then take a look round Upper Shirley High school for secondary level. They have just recorded their best ever results, we have DC there and have been very impressed overall. Also all within walking distance of one another.

St Anne's and St George's are both good schools, slightly further out but equally commutable. Another local option for secondary is Redbridge Community School which has an outstanding rating and increasing academic reputation.

This area is a short walk/cycle across Southampton Common to the university campus (Highfield campus and Avenue campus), you're on the edge of the city with excellent bus links in to town and it's a thriving local community with lots of facilities for young families.

Hope this doesn't sound too gushing but I think it ticks all your boxes and as a current resident I think Shirley is a great place to live.

Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions OP, happy to help.

[disquisitiones]

Your choice will also depend on your budget. In my own field it seems that most academics still live outside the city in Chandlers Ford, Winchester, Dibden Purlieu, Romsey, Lymington etc for the schools (and also because they prefer these places) but I think housing is much more expensive in those locations than in the city. (At least, this is what my family in the area tell me.)

[Fckup]

Hounsdown in totton is good.

[CrystalGlitz]

Forgot to add that Highfield is another sought-after residential area adjoining the Uni with an excellent primary school which feeds Cantell secondary. However it is more pricey than some parts of Upper Shirley and depends on your budget. Portswood also worth looking at.

[Sush2011]

Thank you. I'll have a look and see how I get on. I'm new on MN so commenting on trial and error basis!

[Stickerrocks]

Another vote for Hounsdown.

[Stickerrocks]

Hazelwood Infant school is outstanding by Ofsted & from experience. It feeds into AbbotswoodJunior, then the intake splits between Hounsdown & Testwood. You need to be on the western side or in the forest for Hounsdown catchment.