Worcester Park - what to do about schools?

[roarfeckingroarr]

I've found a cracking house in Worcester Park (zone 4 SW London). It seems up and coming with lots of house for your money and great transport links into central.

The only issue seems to be schools. No excellent state primaries and no local indies. I'm keen on Epsom College for secondary.

Anyone know the area and about primary/prep school options? Thanks !

I used to live in WP. Kingston has some decent schools. Be warned that the traffic in rush hour is hell though. .

Are you looking for private only? I live in the Epsom Downs area.

I don't mind state for primary. There seem to be very few and none are great.

Would they be within the catchment for Kingston, if not indy?

Ewell Castle school is not far from WP. I knew someone who went there many years ago.

Tiffin girls and boys (Kingston) don’t have a catchment area AFAIK but they do have a fiercely competitive exam for which children are coached for years beforehand.

St Cecelia's has an ofsted outstanding. It's a Catholic school though.

@roarfeckingroarr there is a primary school that was in the Times I think?

There are also buses to preps

Tiffin girls and boys (Kingston) don’t have a catchment area AFAIK

Tiffin boys definitely does, you need to be in the inner priority zone.

I think you can also access some of the Surrey primaries as you are near the border. It's worth phoning up primaries as there is a surplus of spaces although I think Sutton is one of the few boroughs oversubscribed.

My colleague recently moved that way for schools. She's aiming for grammar's but said there is a good secondary with a streaming set if that doesn't work. I can't remember the name of the primary but it had Cheam in the name.

She looked at Banstead prep & Im sure that was the one with the bus

I live in Worcester Park. There are good state primary options but the catchment matters depending on which bit of Worcester Park you are in. E.g. nearer Old Malden is very different to up towards Cheam. And if you are baptised Catholic would make a difference to some too. It's quite a big area. (Also made me chuckle to hear it being referred to as 'up and coming' - is that because there is a Subway opening?! <grin>)
I like it here but pp is right - traffic from Worcester park towards Kingston is ridiculous at rush hour. Towards Cheam , Sutton, Epsom , Ewell is better. Also avoid Tolworth at the moment.... .

Surely traffic is shit anyway in London? I'm in Tooting & the traffic is a nightmare at all times. Same for Balham, Streatham, Colliers Wood etc

anywhere

@troubg you are completely right and I've spent many times in stand still traffic on tooting Broadway. I just think because a part of Worcester Park is actually classed as Surrey people take more umbrage at London traffic 😂

How about New Malden for good primaries and private secondaries?

For secondary you have lots of grammar options for Worcester park. Nonsuch for girls, Sutton grammar for boys, tiffin girls, tiffin boys and there are also a couple in Wallington which is only a bus ride away. Ewell castle is a private, as is Kingston grammar. Friends were recently disappointed looking round Ewell castle though.

@musicinspring1 didn't think of it from that pov. I'm just bloody sick of London traffic!

This works well for us. Both kids baptised Catholic and hopefully not much gender bollocks in a Catholic school

@musicinspring1 more because there's a Waitrose 😂 plus I know a lot of people moving / recently moved to WP from Fulham / Wandsworth Town etc

I've lived in WPark for years and raised 4 children here. If you're happy with Catholic schools then St Cecilia's is a good option, though it's a while now since I've had much to do with it and its over in north cheam which can ve a bit of a pain from the Old Malden end of things. There's also a catholic primary in New Malden, and there's a Cof E option in Old Malden which people generally seem to like, though I don't know what their admissions arrangements are. I know people who've been very happy with Cheam Common Primary at the top of the High Street, Cuddington Primary, which is over the boundary in Epsom Borough between Shadbolt and Auriol parks, and also with Malden Manor primary. I think there's a Study school in new malden too, I did know a parent who had children there for a while and they loved it. I don't worry about outstanding or excellent, prefer to go with my gut and what i know my own children need. Old Malden generally is a nice place to live, great houses, big gardens, two railway stations to choose from and the little nature reserve along the Hogsmill, although there's been a lot of building down there lately. For Catholic secondaries there are Holy Cross and St Philomenas for girls, both a bus ride, and there's Richard Challoner for boys at Malden Manor. There are grammar options in Kingston, Cheam and Sutton. I currently have a link to Ewell Castle and I like it, it seems very good for sporty children and the classes are lovely and small. They did have a pride day lunch this week though for the primary age group but mostly they all just talked about the colourful cupcakes. Sorry if this is a bit too much info!

@roarfeckingroarr If your kids are baptised Catholic and you can get them in to St Cecelias I think youd then be able to look seriously at Richard Challenor (boys secondary Old Malden ) and Holy Cross (girls secondary New Malden) as your secondary options. Both highly regarded in the local area and over subscribed. (And the Waitrose is handy I'll give you that 😜)

Thanks everyone this has been really helpful!

Hi, just wondering if you moved to WP and if so how you have found it? I am looking to move to the area and have looked around but hard to judge it in short visits