Primary schools in 'the chalfonts'

[ludixon]

Hi there,

We're trying to move to south bucks and I need to apply for primary schools for my DS this year. We have family nearby beaconsfield but are looking mostly at Chalfont St Peter, Little Chalfont and Chalfont St Giles.

Apart from the latter, there seems to be a huge disparity between the schools in each area. In Chal St P there is Robertswood and Chal St P infant at Lovel Lane and In Little Chalfont there is Bell Lane and Little Chalfont Primary.

Anyone got any knowledge of these schools.

I've read the ofsteds for Bell Lane and Robertswood and def don't want the former as it is in special measures but would like to know about the Robertswood.

It's just got it's second 'satisfactory' in a row which isn't great, but all the houses in our price bracket seem to fall into that catchment area.

Anyone know if you can apply out of catchment, and what the chances of getting in to Lovel Lane or Little Chalfont Primary would be if you lived out of catchment?

Don't want to give my children a 'satisfactory/adequate' education, iykwim.

Thanks in advance.

For starters forget about Little Chalfont if you're out of catchment, it just won't happen!

Lovel Lane and then the junior school in CSP are very well regarded and get excellent results but the area out of catchment they'll cover really does vary year on year - do check this although if you're in CSP and can provide 'church proof' you would almost certainly get in. Last year for instance everyone from St Giles who applied got a place, this year several were refused.

I know people at Robertswood who are happy with it but with several outstanding schools around here it's in a difficult situation.

The Chalfont St Giles schools may very well become one in the coming years - the infant head's just been appointed head at the junior school too and she's very good.

Seer Green is excellent but again, forget it if you're not in catchment.

HTH :)

Lots of good advice already from weblette, but just to reiterate ? good schools in south Bucks are often heavily over-subscribed, so you really do need to live pretty close to the one you want your DS to go to. We?re talking less than a mile in some instances.

You also need to consider secondary schools if you?re going to be in the county for some years. Little Chalfont is pretty safely in GS catchment, but some part of Chalfont St Peter can be quite borderline. That said, the local schools are pretty good too, so if you?re not bothered about GS, it?s less of an issue.

one of my friends children has gone to Jordans primary school and is really pleased with it

Good point mattellie re secondary schools. I heard Gerrards Cross kids get a bum deal re GS catchment, but I guess Chalfont St Peter is only a mile or so up the road so same applies. Ideally we'd like to be in Chalfont st Giles and lost out on a house there earlier on in the year (before we then lost our own buyers), their primary is pretty good i believe. Grr I hate house hunting!!

With Jordans you still have to apply for a different junior school as the village one only goes up to Yr2. Agree that it's a good school though :)

CSP is much much better for grammar catchment than GX, especially if you're more the St Giles side - Chalfont Common for instance. It seems hideously early to think about senior schools but it really is worth bearing in mind - the county website has the maps you need to check to see where the boundaries lie.