Advice please! Esher schools - Burhill, Cranmere, Esher C of E etc

[Ibizacalling]

Hello, we are moving to the West End area of Esher in a couple of weeks, and I don't know anything about primary schools in the area. My DS will be the Sept 2021 intake. A nursery attached to the school would be great too but I'll take advice on great nurseries in the area too. A quick look at the Elmbridge school map shows me that these schools will be closest:

Burhill - 0.776 miles
Esher C of E - 0.854 miles
Cardinal Newman - 1.093 miles
Cranmere 1.544 miles

All and any advice is greatly appreciated! Will these distances get us into these schools? We are Catholic so that will help with the Cardinal Newman school. There's also St Paul's in Thames Ditton?

Many thanks!

[JoJoSM2]

www.surreycc.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools/admissions/arrangements-and-outcomes/previous-years

That’s where you can see how places were allocated in the previous years.

[Ibizacalling]

Thank you... that’s really helpful.

Does anyone have any experience / advice on the schools themselves? I.e feel / performance / teaching / happy children etc

[trinity0097]

I certainly know of one parent who was unhappy with the remote offering provided by Cranmere.

[Singingrain1223]

I only know Cranmere but it's mixed. It's worth driving past the school location to see the catchment.

[Iknewyouwerewaitingforme]

Cranmere is a fantastic school we love it. Facilities, location, headmistress, teachers all brilliant. A really “happy” school.
Re the comment that you “know 1 parent who wasn’t happy with the remote learning”
I think you’d find a lot of parents from the majority of schools across the country who weren’t happy with it.... That’s 1st time round anyway where schools, like the rest of the world were pretty unprepared for a global pandemic!
In 2nd lockdown now and it’s very very vigorous and detailed, probably too much for me! I’d prefer less.

[RainbowBabyMum]

Long Ditton infant is a fantastic school. Esher Cofe is great. My older son went to St Paul's after Cranmere and I can say, that Cranmere was much better. We didn't like St Paul's at all. But DS is 14 already, so it was years ago and there are new headteachers in both schools now.

[SunandMe]

Did you get any further with reviews on these schools. Moving to the area and keen to hear more on Cranmere vs Esher CofE school. Thanks

[Ibizacalling]

Hello! I’ve only just seen these new posts. Thank you! We’re now waiting in the application results. We went for Esher C of E which we should get due to proximity. Local advice seems to be positive about it. Equally I hear good things about Cranmere too. Good luck.

[SunandMe]

Thanks for the update. Do you have a plan for secondary schools?

[Ibizacalling]

No plans for secondary schools right now. It's a long way away yet and things change over time. I think you get a feel for the right path for your child as they progress through the school and you become more familiar with the offerings in the area. That was the case with my eldest anyway. I didn't start seriously thinking about which secondary he was going to until he got to KS2 really. Good luck.

[purplepetunias]

May be a little to far away, but did you look at Claygate Primary? Their new nursery is opening September 2021 (full wraparound days).

Fantastic new head and senior team including Head of Early Years at the school itself. Early Years recently graded "good with outstanding elements".

[GolfForBrains]

When was that @purplepetunias? The Ofsted report says Requires Improvement including for Early Years?

[purplepetunias]

End of last year, to review what new Early Years Head had put in place and the new Early Years outdoor learning setting at the school.

I think it must have had to do with the fact that their nursery is opening this year, all under Early Years Department, so they wanted more up to date feedback.

My kids are older so not relevant to us but there was quite a bit of local chat about it.

[GolfForBrains]

Useful, thanks!