Chislehurst, Bexley or Sidcup?

If you take out the top 20-25%(?) of ability (don't know the figures for Bexley), you do not have a comprehensive. 'Modern' or not. The 11+ is a blunt instrument so you will have bright children who did badly on the day, or are v good at maths, but not at English, or late developers - but, imo, without that top slice you end up with a very different school. Not for the better.

Look at the league tables - also a blunt instrument. But a grammar school county, such as Kent, does not do as well for the majority of its pupils as a fully comprehensive area. Beaverwood and Coopers both suffer from grammar school blight, being close to the border. They lose brighter children from their catchment area to the Bexley grammars. But I'm against the 11+ in principle - if you haven't already guessed! I'd also point out that you have to factor in a year's tutoring. Almost everyone does it, if they can afford it. (And this has a part to play in the high SATs levels of the Chislehurst primaries, apart from the higher socio-economic background of the pupils). Re gs being the best place for your dd, I do know of parents who turned down a Bexley grammar place for a Bromley comp. Wider curriculum, more opportunities.

Can't answer your more detailed questions, I'm afraid. Try ringing the boroughs concerned? Qualifying distances are unlikely to be the same when your dd is 10. At the moment, you can live in the catchment for Bullers, Ravenswood and Ravensbourne and qualify for Chis and Sid.

The bullers catchment isn't that small really.

I'd go for bromley as well.

Dd has several friends from primary who will be going to Chis & Sid from bromley/bickley/petts wood border. The journey was massively off putting for us. Results are no better really that bullers wood which given that BW is a comprehensive, made us come to the conclusion that the journey would not be worth the effort. If you draw a circle about 1.5 miles a round bullers wood, it's surprising how close to bromley/petts wood you can get.

Ds1 is young still but will most likely go to ravensbourne, which is most definitely on the up. I didn't like ravenswood (snuck a visit when looking for dd) and I think a mixed school will suit ds.

Beaverwood has traditionally had a relatively mixed rep but is improving hugely. Being renamed "chislehurst school for girls" shortly.

Darrick wood and Hayes seem the secondaries of choice for mixed schools. Darrick wood has a very small catchment (a tiny bit over a mile) compared with approx. 1.6 miles for bullers wood.

Incidentally, dc are at a primary that on paper doesn't look great compared with some that have been ofstedded several years ago and that have more affluent catchments. But they have thrived!

I suppose the advantage of bromley is that you can experience good comps but also have the option of grammar if that is your bag.

RedDawn- please don't forget the rest of my post, where I talked about the hideousness of the 11+ selection process. Think very carefully before you decide to move into an area whee you will have it dominating your family's lives. Because it does. Even if you manage to keep yourself and your children relaxed and low key about it, you will be surrounded by others that don't.

Merlin- what on earth was the point of posting that?

Beaverwood is getting a spot of bad press as well occasionally.
www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/11070117.Beaverwood_School_alleged_chemical_attack_leads_to_teens_arrested_over__prohibited_weapon_/

We live in Bexley borough DD is able to walk to school. Some of her friends live in Orpington and Bromley but those from Bromley are often spending a reasonable amount of time on the bus, especially going home due to busy traffic. When choosing an academic school I think it is important to consider homework and travel time.

Having said that a few families have moved in to our road over the last 2 years and did not get the primary schools of their choice (late applications as DC already in reception). DD2 primary school in Sidcup is said to have received 90+ applications for 60 places last year. Not sure what the situation is with waiting lists.

Happy house hunting :-)

Chislehurst is lovely (but I would say the most expensive house price-wise of the 3 areas) and has good primary schools but other than Coopers Technical College (hmm) and Beaverwood and the Bexley Grammars, doesn't have good secondaries.

A number of children from Bromley, especially the Bickley/Chislehurst side, travel to the Bexley Grammars and as said above, there are also good State Secondaries - Bullers for girls and although Ravenswood (boys) isn't getting the best press at the mo, will be good again. Ravensbourne (mixed) is more vocational and has a good reputation.

If you want to be sure of good state schools, look at Darrick Wood as well.

Don't know Bexley well enough to comment,

Find somewhere you like to live, where you think you can be happy. But please reconsider the thought that being in a grammar school area is crucial. There are loads of good schools, and many of them aren't grammars. The stress and general awfulness of the 11+selection process is something you really don't want to put your children through.

And can I gently suggest that many 4 year old high attainers are average by the time they are 10. Many aren't, obviously, but it's not something you can bank on.

The downside to living in a grammar school area, as I'm sure you realise, is that if your dcs don't get in, they will be going to a secondary modern.

Bromley has only 2 superselective grammars, open to a wide area and v difficult to get into. This means the rest of the schools in the borough are true comprehensives and some, like Bullers Wood, are very good. Beaverwood, not so much, compared to other Bromley comps, but, being close to the borough border, attracts 11+ failures from Bexley. Bromley pupils can also take the Bexley test and qualify for grammar school places if they live close enough to the school. If dc2 is a boy, there are good coed comps and a boys' comp in the east of Bromley borough, which would mean a chance at a Bexley grammar and a good comp to fall back on.

Personally, I'd prefer to live in Bromley, which includes Chislehurst, than Bexley, just because it's generally a more pleasant place, shops etc., but that's just my opinion. And house prices will probably reflect this!

I come from Bexley and went to Townley Grammar for girls. There's also Bexley Grammar- birth really good schools. Bexley village is a nice area to live in and an easy commute to London.

Chislehurst is vair posh , probably more expensive than Bexley though.