Independent NON RELIGIOUS schools in Birmingham

[AnaPeon]

Hi, parents of the world,

I am looking for a school for my daughter, turning 5 in the autumn 2021, in the southern area of Birmingham (easy access to uni, in any case). On paper, I really like the following:

1. Moor Green: their website says it is a forest school. How much more is it than other schools? Also, they say nothing about streaming: do they not do it?

2. Tiverton

3. Bournville Village

4. Harborne Primary

I got the feeling (always from the website) that Bournville and Harborne are very focused on contents and somehow potentiate competition. Any thoughts on this? Also, they don't specify whether streaming is done in separate classrooms or not. Does anyone know?

Any hints on how to make up my mind, considering that visiting is hard for me as I won't be around until after the normal open days dates and COVID is making it hard?

Finally, as a back up plan, any private schools in the spirit of a Forest school that work well?

Many thanks in advance!

OcarinaBear 's post at 08:09:16 is completely ludicrous.

Other than that, you've had some good advice on here.
I assume you are moving to England from another country, not just another part of the UK.
Some of your 'wish list' does sound a bit contradictory to the ears of people familiar with British schooling, as has been explained in previous posts.
Then as Lifeisgenerallyfun says, budget is going to make a big difference to where you choose.

There is also a very strong correlation between Primary schools that perform well 'academically', and the Church schools. So - obviously up to you and how strongly you feel about it, but - you'd be ruling out a large number of what are perceived as the 'better schools' (for people who think academic success is the main criteria of a school) by ruling out the Church schools.

You also can't 'move to a flat nearby in Sept 2021' . You need to have your address, and proof you are living there before the applications close in the middle of January 2021. Otherwise, you will be allocated a school where there is space, after you have your address. These schools are probably not that likely to be schools on your wish list.

@OcarinBear: I actually don't, so part of asking is to have a list of schools and combine both criteria, but solihull seemed too far to me (there was a school I liked there, although someone mentioned it is only up to 5).

@CrotchetyQuaver: it's more than about paying (which of course, I prefer not to). I do know the school you mention, and this is the kind of thing I am looking for. I know I won't find it outside of the private sector, but I would find the closest possible (therefore, forest school).

@Fuschia657: yes, complicated life and minimization of commute times :D But please, do mention these villages, I am open to anything for now, I just need to make it fit into my many constraints (mainly: train near by+not too far from uni)

@Duckswaddle: I will take a look, thanks! I had seen that school, I had registered it as a potential option.

@bridgetreilly: I will ask about assemblies, thanks for the advice. Someone discouraged to opt-out from those as it may somehow stigmatize the child. I will find out if she'd be the only one or there are more kids and do something with their time.

@Lifeisgenerallyfun: I do consider budget, I am not considering buying for now, I know Bournville may be hard otherwise (no rentals essentially). I am driving, but my life is complicated (I know, everyone's is to a certain degree), so I would like to make it as easy as possible. I don't have a clear idea of what's realistic, but 20 mins would be my very max. commute time...Unless I find out this is not doable!

@BackforGood: I feel very strongly about it, it is not an option, possibly due to my origins, but that's how it is. Personally, although I would like my child to succeed academically, I don't share the way this is achieved in most schools, so I can compromise and find a less pushy school which is more balanced in other ways. I now know my list is contradictory, I gathered it from Ofsted and some other websites. I have learned thanks to the help of other parents here; I think I am getting a better idea of the British system. I am moving this fall, so I am well in time for the applications.

@backforgood
You can call it ludicrous if you want, you are free to like those areas. but in my honest opinion most of the popular areas of Birmingham are horrible. I would no more live in Harbourne or Bourneville or Kings Heath or Kingstanding or Kings Norton or Moseley or Northfield or Edgbaston or Selly Oak or Erdington (I could go on) than I would live in Nechells or Lozells or Saltley or Ladywood. It is all grim grim grim.
I would live in Sheldon (I do) or some of Yardley or South Yardley, Sutton Coldfield, some parts of Great Barr, Coleshill.
We don't have to agree, I'm sure we never will but Birmingham isn't a nice place, born and bred here but most of it is horrible.

Ocarina, do take a small walk one day along Ampton Road or Westfield Road in Edgbaston, St. Mary's Road and Margaret Grove in Harborne, Beech Road and Thorn Road in Bournville and tell me how grim they are.

20min commute time? You'll need to live within walking distance then!

Ocarina, do take a small walk one day along Ampton Road or Westfield Road in Edgbaston, St. Mary's Road and Margaret Grove in Harborne, Beech Road and Thorn Road in Bournville and tell me how grim they are.

I don't know Sheldon, Yardley, Coleshill etc, but I've made a note to visit to see what I've been missing out on, whilst slumming it in the grim grim wastelands of Harborne.

Flossie, I think you mean Sheledone, Yardeleye, and ColeseHille.

Another who has spent hours ver lockdown on daily walks through Bournville, Kings Norton and surrounding areas, being very appreciative of the nature and beauty we have here, even before you get into the architecture and lovely residential streets . You clearly haven't been to any of these places if that is your perception. Don't get me wrong, I'm aware all cities have nicer, and less nice places, but I stick with my assessment that you are being ridiculous.

Backforgood we visited KN nature reserve for the first time, a month or so ago- it was absolutely lovely, and so underused. Perfect for SDing.

It is grim in Bournville today- The Cadbury Club just burned down.

Blimey! Thought you were joking but it's true

we visited KN nature reserve for the first time, a month or so ago- it was absolutely lovely, and so underused. Perfect for SDing.

I know - it's been lovely to walk through there regularly over the last few months. You should try the Merepool as well just on the other side of Wychall Rd. I didn't know it existed before he pandemic, so small silver linings.

The Cadbury Club just burned down.
Yes, I saw it on social media and the smoke is all over Bournville. So sad.

I know. So sad.

Merecroft pool? Behind the houses? Yes- we went there too.

[quote OcarinaBear]@backforgood
You can call it ludicrous if you want, you are free to like those areas. but in my honest opinion most of the popular areas of Birmingham are horrible. I would no more live in Harbourne or Bourneville or Kings Heath or Kingstanding or Kings Norton or Moseley or Northfield or Edgbaston or Selly Oak or Erdington (I could go on) than I would live in Nechells or Lozells or Saltley or Ladywood. It is all grim grim grim.
I would live in Sheldon (I do) or some of Yardley or South Yardley, Sutton Coldfield, some parts of Great Barr, Coleshill.
We don't have to agree, I'm sure we never will but Birmingham isn't a nice place, born and bred here but most of it is horrible.[/quote]
You have made me laugh, I'm born and raised in Solihull and was taught from an early age to fear any area where the postcode didn't start B9

@KingsHeathen I suppose so, ideally at least :)

OP it is worth remembering that a child spends only 190 days a year at school and that is not full time, leaving you 175 days a year to educate your own child in the environment you choose.
You talk of moving to a flat, yet seem keen on a forest school- that seems very contradictory.
Young children can learn at least as much at home as school, I chose to raise my kids in a roral environmentt in a house with a garden- they also attended a small village school, which had no outstanding attributes over any others, but a nice caring environment.
My children spent a lot of time out of school in the woods, playing with friends, learning how to plant and grow in the garden, visiting the seashore, digging for fossils, doing woodwork projects, picking wild fruit- all done at home outside school hours.
I deliberately chose a house with a garden in a rural area near to nature.
So no need for a forest school.
I understand your desire to raise your child surrounded by nature, but you can do this yourself, it doesn;t take a school to do it for you.

@speakout

All that is true, but not that practical for someone who will be working at the University of Birmingham! Seashores for fossil hunting are in short supply round here. She could move somewhere more rural, but then a fair proportion of those precious non-school hours you refer to will be spent stuck in cr**py Birmingham traffic / school after-care.

I agree that forest school in a city primary school is not equivalent to living rurally in terms of contact with nature. But in normal times, there are benefits to city living in terms of access to other stuff, and minimal commute is better for the environment.

@speakout thanks for you opinion, but sometimes options are not fully open, as there are many factors. FlossieF mentioned some of them (Thanks), there are more.

I am a countryside person, and I would love to live in a rural area, but at the moment at least, it is not clear I can do that. It is not being contradictory, it is managing a life as well as possible. And I am not looking for advice on that in here.

@AnaPeon There are a good number of green spaces and nature reserves scattered around the suburbs and outskirts of south Birmingham, and some of them are real hidden gems. When you do finally move here, you should post again for advice on that, and I'm sure you'll get some helpful responses.