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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.

OP posts:
Original poster
gettingbettereveryday · 25/02/2012 20:35

Thanks, this is so helpful! Looking at prices and the entire picture I think we may do best to aim for Streatham Hill. Would be great anyway as one set of grandparents are in Clapham and don't want to be far from them.

Do you know anything about the Evelyn Grace academy?

Sounds very Machiavellian but we might aim to look out for a house that comes up in the area of overlap for Dunravan/Elmgreen. All depends on what we can sell our current place for of course which remains to be seen (or indeed even estimated - very early days).

We really like both Streatham and Brixton though and have lots of friends there so seems like a great area to shift to - not like we'd be doing it just because of the reason of schools. We are not religious whatsoever so would be looking at secular schools.

Thanks again for your help xx

OP posts:
Blu · 25/02/2012 16:09

Hello, I'm a Streatham MNer!
On the Brixton Hill side of the S Circular you have Holy Trinity and Christ Church Streaham as primary options, along with Fenstanton, although since a new secondary is due to be built on the Fenstanton site I'm not sure what will happen to the primary school. You would be very very unlikely to get into Streatham Wells from Brixton Hill. I'm not sure how far in that direction the Dunraven catchment goes, either. Holmewood gardens is a lovely 'homezone' square just N of the S Circular, but I'm not sure if the children from there go to Dunraven. On the roads between Tulse Hill and Brixton Hill the catchment primary would be Jubilee and chances of Dunraven slight. On the other side of Brixton Hill, closer to Brixton Sudbourne Primary is excellent (you practically have to set up home on the pavement outside to get in) and the secondary would be the Evelyn Grace Academy. If you are Catholic Corpus Christi just off Brixton Hill comes highly recommended, and seems to take children from a wide area around SW2, SW9 and SE24.

But for secondary school choices, StreathamHillary gives good advice. Dunraven is very popular and the catchment is quite tight. The distances mentioned below are by shortest safe walking route, not straight line. Elmgreen is becoming more and more popular but has a slightly wider catchment, overlapping with Dunraven's. Elmgreen uses setting rather than streaming, so you have a choice depending on what may suit your child better. It is a lovely new building - I think it may just be doing it's first years of GCSE results? Parents in the area have favoured Dunraven as an academic top scorer and it took a while for people to think of Elmgreen as a first preference, but parents I know who are choosing schools for this year have been equally enthusiastic about both.

Streatham Hill is nowhere near as cool as Brixton, but it's cheaper and it does have fantastic transport options from Tulse Hill station (if you live in the area StreathamH suggests) or from Streatham Hill, or an easy bus to Brixton tube. And at the moment, Streatham Hill offers the best combination of primary and secondary options. IMO.

Original poster
gettingbettereveryday · 23/02/2012 07:06

Thanks, this is really helpful!

It sounds like being the Streatham of the A205 probably provides better options then, or does anybody have advice about being on the Brixton Hill side?

Thanks!

OP posts:
MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 22/02/2012 22:45

I have two sons at Dunraven and I'm very happy with it if that helps Smile

Apart from that I'll second everything that Hillary said.

StreathamHillary · 22/02/2012 22:39

Dunraven is a very strong co-ed Foundation Comp. Parents are very happy with it, it has excellent results, the new (ish) Head has given it a new dynamic, and is clearly trying to take it from 'Good with Outstanding Features' to 'Outstanding'. It is streamed, with very high performing top streams, but has a wide range of vocational courses too, and good SEN provision. Elmgreen is also very popular and doing well. You also have the option to try for a selective place at Graveney which is only a bus ride away.

You can live in the catchment for Dunraven and Elmgreen and also be in catchment for the lovely Streatham Wells Primary if you live at the Eastern end of Wavertree, Downton, Cricklade or Barcombe Rd, or on one of the roads off Palace Rd - Kingsmead, etc. The other possibility would be to move very close to Julians Primary, an excellent school, and you would also be in catchment for Dunraven.

Do your research, though. For Dunraven the catchment is currently between .4 and .9 of a mile, depending on ability band, and those 2 primaries also have very tight catchments. There are also Sunnyhill and Hitherfield primaries, which are good.

It's true - for proximity to central London and great transport routes, Streatham Hill has relatively low prices and is a good place to live.

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