Junior/senior schools in SE London

[SarfEasticated]

We currently live in SE4 and our DD is due to start school in 2 years time. We are on an average income (both £35k salary) and would consider moving to get into a good schools catchment area, or would possibly pay to go private if necessary.
DD is very interested in books, not particularly intrepid physically and is quite quiet and sensitive. I would love her to go to a friendly little school where she is encouraged in her love of learning, rather than a massive boisterous school where she might get overlooked.

Questions:

1. good areas in SE London which affordable housing and good schools (but we will both need to commute into London to work so good train line)
2. Is there a nice private school in SE London that is for parents in a moderate pay bracket rather than catering for the wealthy? Thanks in advance ? I know I am asking a lot

Oh goodness I agree re West Wickham. I suppose it must be the schools that make people pay so much over the odds for small houses with little gardens. They should move "over the border" to Croydon to see how much more they could get for their money!!!

Sprogger, even I cannot claim that Catford is a throbbing, cultural and cutting-edge happening place . And in all honesty my house radiates genteel decay. On a good day. On a normal bad day, you can delete the word genteel.

If you can cope with living very slightly further out, I can recommend Plumstead Manor - a state-run girls' comprehensive with a good, mixed 6th form in Greenwich borough (SE18). What's more, local housing is very cheap (for London) - we moved here because we couldn't afford Catford [hgrin]

There are also a few selective grammar schools in Bexley borough with good reputations.

SE18 transport ... we are on the main train line that goes through Greenwich into Cannon Street or Charing Cross. Some trains go through Blackheath and Lewisham instead. It's a bit slow (Plumstead - London Bridge is about 25 minutes) because there are narrow tunnels and the trains have to chug along slowly. We also have DLR from Woolwich and are getting a Crossrail station too. I expect house prices will rise rapidly when we get that.

My friend went to Oxford from Cator Park. Know 2 girls there now and both lovely and thriving.

I too am quietly hopeful about Cator Park. 2 dds oldest in year 4 but I went to an open morning a few weeks ago and thought it felt great, though nothing to compare it to I do confess.

DDs both at Eliot Bank. It's pretty fabulous.

SO!
We went to visit John Stainer school, loved it, but are unlikely to get in even though we live very close. They have 10 places after sibling this year, and between now and our DD going Sept 2012 3 large housing developments are being built nearer to the school than us so am not very confident that we will get in!

We are seriously thinking now of Catford, and wondered if Motherinferior if you would give me a hint on some nice parts close to nice schools. I don't know the area at all, apart from the dole office, the theatre and the library, so would appreciate some insider knowledge if you have the time.
Thanks in advance

If you have an interest in St Dunstan's (which is super, btw), then I would suggest looking at houses in Blythe Hill and beyond.

In Blythe Hill and the roads beyond it there are some nice Victorian properties and a really lovely experience of walking up the Hill and hearing the sounds of the traffic give way to birdsong. The only downside is walking up the ruddy hill after a long day!

O gawd, I honestly don't know what you'd think of as nice. Seriously. The posh big houses along Woolstone road, kind of heading into SE23, and the roads off those, are nice. But you might not like the school options. The Inferiorettes go to one of the few remaining state primaries where you don't wear uniform and do call the teachers by their first names. St Dunstan's is just down the road if you like that kind of thing too. And there are, obviously, quite a few other state primaries around which appear to be just fine too.

Look at the Heath estate on the borders of Ladywell and Brockley - Phoebeth, Francemary, Arthurdon, Gordonbrock, Amyruth, Henryson, Elsiemaud Roads - Mr Heath was a builder with a large family and a lot of roads to name. The houses there are lovely and an ideal size for a family, if you can afford a whole house, but if you can't, there are also plenty of roomy flats in the area. Living there would put you in pole position for both Gordonbrock Primary School and Prendergast School (girls' secondary). Prendergast Ladywell Fields (what a mouthful, used to be Crofton) is also very near, and is a mixed school. Now that it is in federation with Prendergast Hilly Fields (the girls' school) I would imagine it is on the up.

Good luck!

Nooka, we are still in Penge

DD1 used to go to nursery at Churchfields.

I've seen a very nice house near Torridon school which has whetted my appetite ? 4 beds, nice garden and under £300k, which is about our price range.
We don't need a huge/elegant house, as we currently live in tiny flat in Brockley, but would like something on a quietish road, near a playground, near a nice friendly state school.
I see lots of references to Corbett houses (which immediately makes me think of Ronnie ).

I would keep a close eye on the new Prendergast school 'The Vale'. It will only be 4 form entry with a family feel and an emphasis on relationships as it is all through. It can not afford to fail as it is the bay of so many people not least the formidable executive head who is hell bent on attainment.
What about KIngsdale? Lots seem to go there from Stillness. They have a bus.

baby not bay.
PLFC [Crofton]is on the up. They had an OFSTED last week. I will be interested to read that.

Two schools near the area I have seen are Torridon and Sandhurst. Both look good according to offsted, but you can't always go by that I guess.

And Holbeach too, has an outstanding ofsted report. Does anyone have any info on Holbeach, Sandhurst & Torrindon? Seems we are too late for all the Xmas fairs. Am I right to assume that the catchment area will be 500m?
Thanks in advance

There are a couple of parents on www.hithergreen.org.uk that have kids at Sandhurst so you could ask your question there. There is a thread on there about primary schools around Hither Green, but for some of the schools mentioned in the thread (eg. Lee Manor) decent housing would be out of your price range.

Also, keep in mind bulge classes and the effect that will have on sibling numbers in subsequent years. Once you have chosen a short list of good schools in areas of reasonably priced housing move as close as possible to the school!

I know of people with children in Y1/Y2 at Sandhurst, Torridon, Holbeach and Lee Manor. All are happy with the school their children are at and for those at the first three schools they were given their 1st/2nd choice. Houses on the Hither Green Lane side of Hither Green station are much larger and cheaper than those on the Manor House Gardens side. Do look on the Hither Green forum for more comments about schools.... and go and look around (plus some well-timed loitering at lunchtime/end of the school day).

Hello again, the agonising continues... I've been compulsively checking the findaproperty website and think that the Corbett estate in Catford would be a good place to live, but can't actually see any senior schools in the area. Are the catchment areas of senior schools as tiny as junior? Do I have to draw a ven diagram around the senior and junior schools I like the look of and hope there is a house for sale there?
I know that we won't be able to buy a house close to Habadashers Hatcham, or any of the 3 Prenderghast schools. Can you live in Catford and travel to them?
Thanks all!

No, secondary schools are bigger so take their pupils from a larger area. From Catford your nearest schools would be:

Conisborough College - this used to be called Catford Business & Technology College or something like that, and previously Catford Girls' School. It's now a co-ed school with very recently established close ties to Colfe's. I think it's 11-16 only.

Sedgehill School - big co-ed school, results have got a bit better in recent years, I think. I think it still has a sixth form.

Bonus Pastor - co-ed RC 11-16 school, consistently amongst the best results in Lewisham over a long period.

Haberdashers' Aske's Knights' Academy - this is a co-ed school in federation with the Aske's on Telegraph Hill. Its results have improved out of all recognition since it was taken over by Aske's. Sports specialisation.

Forest Hill Boys' - consistently one of the better rated Lewisham schools when we were going through all this, a few years ago now. Don't know how it's doing with its new head, but its results are better than some of the other Lewisham schools, which for a boys only school is a good sign. Has a thriving sixth form with Sydenham Girls'.

You might also be in with a chance of a place at a Bromley or a Greenwich school, on proximity grounds.

Oops, forgot another recent name change:

Trinity CofE, formerly Northbrook. New(ish) head, new building. Small co-ed 11-16 school. Has had a lacklustre reputation at best in recent years, but these things can change very quickly, so worth keeping an eye on. Did not historically just take children from deeply religious families but have no idea whether that admissions policy may change. If it gets more popular, it's more likely to end up with a predominantly church-going intake.

The Coniston College website looks good - and would be our local I reckon - phew.
Thanks everyone for your help on this thread

I mean Conisborough College!