Sheen Mount, East Sheen, Barnes Primary, anyone?

[2010aQuintessentialOdyssey]

Does anyone have any experience with any of these schools?

[thatsSOOOOsw14]

Kind of. Why ?

[singersgirl]

Yes, lots.. I know other posters do too, but I won't out them. What do you want to know?

[2010aQuintessentialOdyssey]

We are going to be moving back to London again within the next one and a half year. Ds1 did reception and year one at an rc primary in mortlake, but he is not keen to return to his old school. We used to live in Putney, but want to move closer to Richmond Park, so wondering which catchment area we should try and look in. I know it is a while a way, but planning it gives me something to look forward to, and the sooner we work things out regards to school, the quicker we can work out where to move to! Does that make sense?

[2010aQuintessentialOdyssey]

Also, having lived in Putney, we dont know lots of people with children at those schools. (well, I know a few from east sheen, and they were positive to the school, but I dont know anything about the other two)
Before, as it was a faith school, we got a place outside our parish and did not live in the catchment area.

[mrsshackleton]

they're all very good. You'd need to live very close to all of them to get in

[thatsSOOOOsw14]

I'd say the latter two are definitely more friendly than the first one mentioned. As you enter the junior years places seem to come up and so the catchment isn't always as small as a normal reception year intake. Good luck !! They are all very good academically. Marshgate is also a lovely school. Interesting that he does not want to go back to his old school.

[singersgirl]

They are all good schools with lots of polite, nice, keen-to-learn children and many typical SW London parents . Sheen Mount is probably the least 'mixed' in terms of catchment, ie the most unremittingly middle-class, as both East Sheen and Barnes draw from local housing estates as well as from the 'affluent professional' houses.

East Sheen has quite a lot of children coming from Roehampton and the Dover House Road end of Putney.

My own experience is greatest with East Sheen, which is a lovely, friendly community-primary school.

There do tend to be places in the junior years in most Richmond schools, though Reception is always overcrowded - if you have an older sibling in place, though, you move up the priority list. Some years are full, but years 5 and 6 almost always have spaces.

[MattSmithIsNotMyLoveSlave]

Marshgate and Riverside are both good if you wanted to look more North Sheen way (and within reasonable walking distance of Richmond Park).

Sheen Mount is supposedly virtually impossible to get into unless you live next door or have a sibling there already (estate agents' ideas of "catchment areas" are laughable).

[fridayschild]

I'd echo other comments about how small the catchment area is. You might find you have DCs at more than one school for a while - they're heavily over-subscribed.

Ds1 was at Barnes Primary nursery for a while and it seemed like a good school. The PTA raise serious amounts of money: if you go to a school fundraising auction either don't drink or sit on your hands!

[2010aQuintessentialOdyssey]

Thanks guys. I have seen some lovely properties for sale on dean hill, and west temple.....

I can but dream!

[castlesintheair]

If you move to west temple you have a good chance of getting into Sheen Mount, as it is the right side of the tracks

[policywonk]

I went to Sheen Mount Lovely little school.

My brother has a flat about 20 centimetres away if you're interested

[2010aQuintessentialOdyssey]

How many bedrooms does his flat have? Is he renting it out?

[KeithTalent]

lol at East Sheen and Barnes primaries being "mixed".

The estates they draw from are v tiny

Both schools quite rah.

[2010aQuintessentialOdyssey]

rah?

How can you describe a school as "rah"?

[Kewcumber]

Ooh policywonk - is your brother single? DOes he have low standards?

Riverside has a catchment area of about 800 meters.

[2010aQuintessentialOdyssey]

but I reckon I will be ok with PWs brothers flat, it is 20 cm away from sheen mount!

[singersgirl]

Well, to be fair, I only said that East Sheen and Barnes were more mixed than Sheen Mount, which isn't difficult - about 25% of the children at East Sheen come from the (actually quite large) estate just over the border in Wandsworth and other estates in Roehampton. The estate Barnes draws from is very tiny, it's true.

[policywonk]

Ah, I was only joking about DB's flat - it is incredibly close to the school, but it's a one-bed batchelor flat.

[KeithTalent]

Agreed Singers.

Because they are quint.

[Kewcumber]

oooh so he's a bachelor then...

[2010aQuintessentialOdyssey]

KC, are you aiming for sheen mount, or riverside then?

Darn pw, I was rather hoping you had a nice eccentric brother who wanted to let his 4 bedroom luxury "loft apartment" on dean hill road for peanuts! (ok ok, I know there are only houses on dean hill road, but I like that road!)

[Kewcumber]

I've applied for Riverside & Marshgate (no hope with SHeen mount way outside catchment). We are right at the edges of Riverside catchment so will get in depending on number of sibling places.

[2010aQuintessentialOdyssey]

When will you know if he has a place, KC?

[Kewcumber]

not until late march/early april