Where is a strategic place to move to in south London for secondary options

There are plenty of good or outstanding schools across south London. Along with plenty that are not.

My suggestion would be that you pick the area you want first, and then aim to be within catchment of the preferred schools in that area.

Secondary catchments tend to be bigger than primary but some still can be small. You can access the admissions from the year before on the local council websites.

There are already great suggestions

Bromley - but be aware of black spots. Langley schools have smaller catchments. There are also a few grammar schools.

Sutton - the boys and girls comprehensives, but also the grammar schools

But even then some schools appear good on paper but have complexities - for example Woodcote has had a change in headteacher under quite sour circumstances.

Langley has had some staffing issues.

Some children will be successful regardless of the school they go to - but we also want to ensure that we make the best choices for them and it can become a muddle of thoughts!

went!

@LDNmeetsSurrey I love E.Molesy but yes discounted moving there.

Have you looked at the gov website and you can also see how places were allocated eg furthest distance which gives you an idea.

As another poster said you can’t overanalyse, it’s complicated. I want to faith schools and my dc will likely do that too which makes things a bit easier.

Don't you also want to consider what's a nice neighbourhood etc...

Tooting for Graveney (mixed) and Burntwood (girls). Balham for Cheatnut Grove, although feedback from there is mixed these days.

I don't think you're overanalysing. It's v complex here.

We live a street away (about 0.4 miles) from an outstanding primary and had done for 10 years when we had DC. To my horror, I then realised that she probably wouldn't get in and that we weren't within distance for any others except a portakabin the council had hastily erected on the site of a local juniors (that Ofsted had had things to say about).

Things have eased since then but we ended up going private.

You can definitely be unlucky and it can even be a single year that the problem is acute. I've just looked and that school I mentioned, DD would have got into 2/3 of the last 3 years (when we applied it was 0/3). But if it's a year with lots of siblings, you're stuffed!

@Countrylife2002 yes I know that has been an issue. There have been changes in the local roads - permit parking now, so from what I understand from people who live on the roads off Richmond Road this doesn’t happen anymore.

Tiffin Girls is in a class of its own I’m afraid, the police even have to get involved on open days to prevent parents blocking in local residents.

There is a private school at the bottom of my mums round, the parking is something else despite complaints and a warden. And i’ve seen parents at my dc state school go down the round that is access only & park across drives. Entitled people are everywhere

I should add, I meant close to the non selective schools (well only selection by postcode 😂). You have a bewildering array of grammar options - not just the two actually in the borough already mentioned but also Bexley, West Kent etc. Depending on how you feel about travel times.

I was speaking to the parent of twins yesterday. One going for private in Blackheath. One for grammar in Tonbridge.

OMG. Glad not to be them.

@12345change yes the area is fine but what I mean is to consider where you want to live and schools all as one , rather than basing where you want to live solely on schools.

Tiffin Girls is in a class of its own I’m afraid, the police even have to get involved on open days to prevent parents blocking in local residents.

I know children who went to TKA and at Greycourt and both schools are fine. Catchments are super tight.

I would also agree that the grammar system can be very hard on dc although I know someone who taught at Tiffin boys and said it was less pressurised vs other grammars she taught at.

@Countrylife2002 all schools unfortunately have had a rise in children with mental health problems. As for the parents being rude the vast majority don’t live near the school and that is one of the complaints about the Tiffin schools because they are selective they don’t take enough local children. I find the local community is a lovely place and just wanted to make that clear in case people got the wrong impression from your comment.

I'd be a bit careful with London Borough of Bromley. It has a number of blackspots for school admissions. It's currently possible to be pretty close to the schools mentioned so far and still not have a realistic chance of getting in (apart from if you don't mind sitting on waiting lists and seeing what happens in August).

Going through this myself currently.

You would at least want to be comfortable with the idea of a Harris Academy, as they've been filling the gap (but the fair banding admissions system makes it rather difficult to plan ahead).

Certainly you need to look carefully into the detail.

On the plus side at least we've reached the peak of the 2012-13 baby boom so pressure on places should ease.

Tiffin Girls is not somewhere I would ever send my child. Lots of MH issues amongst the pupils . Having lived nearby, the parents were entitled and rude. Girls are tutored very heavily to get in - the exams are not just iq but actually things you have to learn that you are not taught at primary hence you need to be tutored. DD was easily bright enough to try for it , and nearly all the girls in her class did, but it was absolutely not the right place for her and not the type of education I wanted for her. I think the boys is better managed, but it’s still selective so you need to consider if you really want your child to grow up with that limited background ?

And talking of safety, that’s why my friend moved to WP as she was inner London before & didn’t want her dc to have long journeys.

The two Ewell schools mentioned have a good rep. There’s also a Harris (not sure what the catchment is) that has had some great results but I know Harris schools are quite divisive.

Are you considering areas in the round, not just secondary? It’s a long time to live somewhere. I moved away from Kingston and the catchment for TKA and Greycourt as I just didn’t like living there, to an area with a less good school but nicer. DD got all 8s and 9s. Being happy and supported is far more important in doing well. Plus it was a cheaper area so I was able to get tutoring for her in a subject where the teaching was lacking.

but I've not heard many people shout about Sutton, Wallington, Rose Hill as a great place to be

Similarly to Croydon it’s because a lot of people just don’t know the areas as they aren’t from London so move to the buzzy places & don’t venture further. So lots of people wouldn’t think of South Croydon when you say the word Croydon etc.
I don’t know loads about Sutton but it has some nice parts (bits of Wallington, Landseer Conservation area nearer Sutton centre, Carshalton beeches (I find that a bit too country but would be similar to S. Croydon). I have a friend who is in Worcester Park who is very happy & her dc are at a fantastic primary although WP is literally right on the edge of Kingston borough. Maybe look at New Malden too.