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Original poster

secondary schools in sw2, any advice please

30 replies

gettingbettereveryday · 22/02/2012 21:55

hello, please can anyone help us with our moving plans

we want to move somewhere where we can buy a house with a garden and a have a few criteria we'd like to follow in choosing an area including closeness to family, not increasing our commutes etc

we've lighted on the SW2 brixton hill/streatham hill area which looks promising but (without wanting to sound too uptight) we need to factor in schools as we have a toddler who will start primary in a few years and another baby on the way

we're pretty relaxed about primary schools (though would welcome any special recommendations), but would really like to know we were within the catchment area of a decent state secondary and wouldn't need to worry about moving again in the next ten years. I know schools can change a lot in that period, but any recommendations or thoughts would be very welcome! it feels very hard to research unless you're 'on the ground' so would be v grateful for your advice.

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BarkisIsWilling · 06/03/2012 18:36

Thanks for clarifying my vague suggestion, Blu. :) Good luck OP.

Original poster
gettingbettereveryday · 06/03/2012 18:02

Thanks all, so interesting and helpful. I'm a bit keener on Streatham Hill than West Norwood because of proximity to grandparents in Clapham but if we found the right house would be persuadable! We got our current place valued today so now need to have a state of the nation conversation about whether we're going to bite the bullet and try to move before baby no 2, all being well, arrives in October.
Since our existing child won't start secondary till September 2021, I think we need to accept we can't take anything for granted in terms of schools, but if we move somewhere there are currently a few good options that would be something. No idea what will suit her school wise (and obviously still less her foetal, or in fact probably embryonic, sibling-to-be!) but from our point of view a secular comp they could walk to would be the ideal.
Thanks again to everyone for all the advice! We need to keep an eye on the rightmove.co.uk and so forth now...
xx

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Blu · 06/03/2012 11:21

Sorry - meant to continue to say 'but you need to know that the non-grammar options would suit as well'.

Blu · 06/03/2012 11:19

Agreed, it's well placed if you have a super-selective grammar hopeful Smile

trish391971 · 06/03/2012 10:52

Barkiswilling I agree I live in SW2 (Off Palace Rd) and my son's get Train from Tulse hill to Hackbridge 15 mins to Wallington County Grammar School, the oldest is now in his 5th year doing this and has never had a problem.

Blu · 06/03/2012 10:02

There is nowhere where you would be in catchment for both Rosendale AND Streatham Wells. You could be in catchment for Rosendale and Charter, though, I think, or Rosendale and Elmgreen. The Charter catchment will be a bit different from what is has been historically because of a ruling about walking routes which has been enforced this year. Rosendale is a 3 form entry school so wider catchment than S Wells or Julian's, which are both small schools. SE24 is a bit tricky unless you do get into Rosendale because the other school is St Judes, an oversubscribed faith school.

West Norwood is a good place to live, farmer's market once a month, excellent overground transport.

Wherever you are you really need to be precise about school catchments and not make unresearched assumptions based on even a couple of years ago. For example, Harris Crystal palace used to be an option for Streatham Hill kids and East Duwich, but no more! Elmgreen catchment is shrinking.

BarkisIsWilling · 06/03/2012 08:05

Oh, and Fenstanton is to become a reception to A Level academy. E-ACT won the bidding.

I live in SW2, my child takes a 15 minute train to (faith) sec sch in Merton/Sutton, alongside many others.

BarkisIsWilling · 06/03/2012 07:50

What about West Norwood, as from there you could access sec. schs in Southwark, Lambeth and Croydon. In postcode terms, I refer to SE24 & 27.

You'd also have access to Rosendale primary, Streatham Wells and others.

Blu · 05/03/2012 22:36

Oh, yes, definitely.

Original poster
gettingbettereveryday · 05/03/2012 21:16

Wow - that one does look fab. Obviously necessary to move fast! In your view would that one have stood a good chance for both Dunraven and Elmgreen?

Thanks x

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Original poster
gettingbettereveryday · 04/03/2012 10:01

Thanks, so kind of you! There seem to be a few on the market on Kingsmead Rd. The one in West Norwood is a beauty, v unusual - v different from where we live at the moment which is all Victorians with tiny gardens.

I think once we have an idea of price range we will need to take a stroll round the area one weekend and look at all the estate agents boards as well as trolling the internet!

May I ask, if it's not impertinent, whether you have kids and where they go to school? (Obviously understand if it's private of course!)

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Blu · 03/03/2012 16:27

sorry, first link doesn't work - it's for a house in Kingsmead Rd.

Blu · 03/03/2012 16:26

Lots of estate agents boards up, not all on Rightmove, and houses do sell quite fast around here.

good for primary and secndary

Julians primary and Dunraven

Original poster
gettingbettereveryday · 02/03/2012 21:12

Thanks, that's really interesting. None of our friends, or our local friends anyway, have kids of near secondary school age yet so not much knowledge from them. It would just be so nice to move once and then plan on staying put!

Blu, I'm fairly certain we would be lucky enough to be able to afford any of the options you kindly suggested the other day, as they're all less than we paid for our current house 5 years ago. So I think the next step is to see what it's worth, then no doubt work through lots of trade offs about how long we can wait for our 'perfect' place to come up in the right area...

It would make me laugh everyday to live on 'Downton Avenue'. Sounds like Downton Abbey!

Thanks again for the advice.

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EdithWeston · 02/03/2012 11:39

There is talk of two new academies nearby - Bolingbroke (by Wandsworth Common) and the Michaela one in Tooting. These probably won't be directly relevant to you, other than the impact that more places will have on general pressure in the whole area. If "Between the Commons' children stay put for Bolingbroke, this will reduce the numbers spilling out in your direction.

Blu · 02/03/2012 11:33

It looks as if the catchment for Dunraven in the offers made yesterday in one band at least stretched across to the other side of the A23, close to the S Circular...quite wide!

Richard Atkins would also be a Brixton Hill primary, and maybe serve the Holmdene Rd area. I don't know anything about the school.

Original poster
gettingbettereveryday · 01/03/2012 19:37

Thanks so much Blu! Very helpful. We are going to get our current house valued on Tuesday which will help us see how realistic this is all is, then do some more research.

Really appreciate your advice.

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Blu · 28/02/2012 10:18

I'm honestly not sure where the margins of the Dunraven catchment are - they use safest walking route, and do include the path from Hillside rd to the junction of Hitherfireld rd and Lyndhurst rd, shown on the google map as a thin grey line going over the railway line.

So much could happen over the next 5 or 6 years - the new secondary planned for on Christchurch Rd could relieve pressure on both Dunraven and Elmgreen, if Kingsdale over the border in Southwark changed it's controversial lottery application and went on distance that could also relieve pressure on Elmgreen.

I would talk to the primary schools, too, about furthest distance in recent years.

Original poster
gettingbettereveryday · 27/02/2012 18:21

Thank you all, this is so incredibly helpful. Didn't know that on rightmove you could search for distance to schools but that's v helpful!

Also good to hear that some Wandsworth secondaries have got good things about them as that's where we live at the moment!

Blu - you're so helpful, thanks! I see there are some houses listed on Wyatt Park Rd, but at the end near the High Rd - presumably this is just a bit further from Dunraven and Elmgreen. When you say 'currently Elmgreen', I assume you mean that you reckon the catchment area will probably shrink as it becomes more popular?

Now we just need to find out what we can get for our current place!

Thanks again to you all for your help.

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Blu · 27/02/2012 12:59

It has an Outstanding ofsted rating, and applications from far and wide. I have no personal knowledge of it, but have friends who are very happy with it, and know their kids, who are doing well there.

Jobforlife · 27/02/2012 12:48

Goodness, I'm amazed that Chestnut Grove school is being flagged a decent school (and I've heard this from another source recently too). We used to live opposite this school (moved in 2004) and quite frankly, it was the most appalling excuse of a school ever... We had a regular group of kids who dropped in to our front garden before school and at breaktimes to roll and smoke their spliffs and the police used to send an armoured van round at chucking out time in the afternoon.. In fact, there was a police officer assigned to the school in the end. We looked at it for my eldest and couldn't believe how depressing it was. We ended up moving out of the area instead.

Who ever the head is now, they deserve a medal if they've turned things around!

Blu · 27/02/2012 12:23

All good options - LocalSchoolMum - do you think the catchments for the Wandsworth schools will continue to be that wide? The reputation of Chestnut Grove is rising fast.

LocalSchoolMum · 26/02/2012 23:32

I know quite a few people on Brixton Hill who have children at Chestnut Grove in Balham, Burntwood School in Wandsworth and Lambeth Academy in Clapham. All 3 are good schools and the kids are happy. I'm not convinced about Evelyn Grace, but it's still a new school and could be great by the time your kids need a secondary.