Teddington Primaries - Stanley vs Collis - splitting kids among primaries

[lozzakozza]

Does anyone have current/recent experience of Stanley Primary and/or Collis (and/or possibly Hampton Wick-St John the Baptist) in Teddington?

We are moving to Teddington this summer (returning to West London after living abroad for a few years, but haven't lived in Teddington before). Have three children, finishing up Y4, Y3 and Reception.

Of course we can't apply until we arrive in early August but after checking with the council a couple of times over the spring it seems that Stanley seems to consistently have availability in all three year groups our family needs. Collis has one of our years available now (and HWINS-SJTB has two out of three, but not the complementary ones to Collis). Of course that could change by the time we can apply, but just trying to prime ourselves for when the time comes...

Obviously Collis has the better rating, and is actually a mile closer to our new house. I know that Stanley has been rated Requires Improvement in the past, but it's Ofsted is Good now and generally what little parent feedback I have seen on here seems good, as do the facilities, website, activities.

I guess what I'm asking is, is Collis enough better to merit splitting the kids between two schools (aiming to move them all there if/when spaces become available)? Is Stanley good enough to go for the convenience of having all three in one place from the start?

And on that note, does anyone have tips for navigating between two different primary school drop-offs if needed? Are schools understanding about this to arrange a slightly earlier dropoff/later collection? Do you use an additional carer, before/after school clubs, etc?

Thanks for any insights!

[MebbleDebble]

I know people who love both schools and I think a lot depends on what sort of person you are and what you're looking for in a school. Collis has a very small, very affluent catchment. A high proportion of its families (parents and children) will be high achievers, either through aptitude or with the help of the sort of extra resources that affluence can buy. A higher proportion of Collis children are likely to be tutored for private or grammar school entrance tests. You may fit into that well, or you may find it too competitive and stressful. Stanley is less affluent on average. It certainly still has many affluent and resourceful families, but it also has some from less affluent areas, so a bit closer to 'real life'. Many people prefer that.

Don't worry about Stanley's past Ofsted rating - that was due to very specific circumstances. The former Head was much loved and respected but there were protracted problems with extensive building works which caused him a lot of stress over several years. Whilst dealing with all that, one or two balls were dropped. However, he turned the school around and got it back to Good before he retired. I don't know much about the new Head - maybe a current parent could help with that.

Reception places in Teddington, and across the whole of London, are far more numerous currently than in recent years - likely to be Brexit and Covid related. So get in while you can!

[Xmumof2x]

Hello! I'm a current Stanley parent and am extremely happy with the school. As the previous poster said, the retired head was much loved, however the new head is also very good. He has managed the school very well during covid and is putting positive changes in place moving forward.
My children are both doing well academically at Stanley but also really benefit from Stanley's pastoral care and extra curricular activities.
Stanley also benefits from a new breakfast club or there is also 'Scamps' next door which provides breakfast and afterschool care for Stanley pupils. Hope this helps.