Primary schools in East Sussex/Kent

[stephspain]

Hi, we are returning to the UK from Spain later this year with two boys who will be 8 & 9. We are looking for schools (state - no money for private!) from Haywards Heath to Sevenoaks. Any help would be good - I have been looking at the Ofted reports - but need a bit more help "on the ground" - if possible?? Older child has ADHD which is one of the reasons we are coming back as schools here do not cater for anything other than "normal" - he is mild/moderate so can manage in mainstream school fine - just needs a bit of understanding! We can work where ever and will rent to start with so all areas are an option. Would also be interested in opinions on 11+ or not as Kent offers Grammers? are the state secondary in sussex i.e.Heathfield (which has a 1 rating from ofted) be better than say a Grammer in Kent??
Any help or advice would be very welcome - there is so much choice I am confused!!!
Thanks so much to all !

I live on the Kent/Sussex border and know a reasonable amount about schools in the Tunbridge Wells area, down to Uckfield/Heathfield and out to East Grinstead.

Firstly, if you're at all unsure whether your DCs will pass 11+ (and it is increasingly competitive in West Kent with 2 out of the 3 boys grammars being super-selective ie only score and not distance) then I would opt for East Sussex. Uplands in Crowborough, Uckfield Community College and Heathfield Community College are all very good comprehensives. In addition, Beacon Community College in Crowborough is a vastly improving school and, with the increasing competitiveness of getting places at grammar schools in Tunbridge Wells is now gaining a lot of children who would have previously gone to TW.

TBH I'd avoid Sevenoaks as they have a very poorly regarded non-selective secondary and also problems with children from Sevenoaks not getting places in Tunbridge Wells grammars due to distance - they have no grammar schools in Sevenoaks itself.

Primary places in Tunbridge Wells are scarce, especially in the schools that are perceived to be "better". You would have more success in the outlying areas and village schools, for example Crowborough, Uckfield, Heathfield or Wadhurst.

I can't comment specifically on special needs but the school my elder child went to (Hartfield CE Primary) had a reputation as being a good school for children with SEN. However the head is leaving at Easter so changes are inevitable. Other primaries to look at in the East Sussex area that I have good reports of are St Thomas's in Groombridge (but usually full) and St Michael's in Withyham. Crowborough has good primaries as does Uckfield.

Hope this is of some help.

Sorry - Uplands Community College is in Wadhurst, not Crowborough. Don't know where that came from! Doh!

Gosh!! Thanks so much! I had read that Cross in Hand primary is good - do you know anything about this?
Any other primaries you could mention would be good - I have not come across any of the schools you mention (other than Heathfield community) so it is really helpful -there is just so much information on the web that it is soooo confusing. So all this information is great! Thanks so much.

Perhaps you need to narrow down your choices by deciding where you might like to live (and whether you can afford to do so in your chosen area) and then take it from there?

With the ages of your DC I'd be looking at secondary options as a priority, with a view to being able to get a decent primary education in the same area as the secondary you want to attend - most primaries in East or West Sussex in the area you're interested in will be reasonable, if not outstanding. You can judge to a certain extent on OFSTED and SATS but you also need to visit to get a feel for the school. OFSTED is often about ticking boxes for the majority so you can get a better school for your child's particular needs if you look at them and judge for yourself. SATS results, especially in small schools can be skewed by one or two children so take them with a grain of salt.

So, back to secondary schools - in the area you've defined then I'd stick with the schools already mentioned ie. Uplands Community College (Wadhurst), Uckfield Technology & Community College (Uckfield), Heathfield Community College and Beacon Community College. Or if you venture into West Sussex then Imberhorne Community College in East Grinstead is preferred over Sackville Community College. Haywards Heath is unknown territory to me, sorry!

Look at their individual specialisms and see which would best suit your DCs. I was very impressed with UckfieldCTC (and their current Head is very charismatic) especially their art and textiles and they also have a good science/maths area. It's too far away from us to be guaranteed a place but we may sneak in for my 2nd DC who is 9.

Uplands and Beacon will often pick up places from Kent children who just fail the 11+ and are much preferred over what was the old Tunbridge Wells High School, now Skinner's Academy and not to be confused with The Skinners' School which is a super-selective grammar in Tunbridge Wells!

Thanks - I think you are right. We will visit the schools and see what looks best.
Thanks again.

Have you considered Edenbridge (Kent) oxted Lingfield (surrey) and EastGrindstead (West Sussex) they are all within 15 mins drive of each other and have all got good level primary schools. I have friends with kids in most of the schools in that area and rare that I hear complaints.. (though with ADHD I would avoid Crockham Hill school even though it has a outstanding report imo there is a reason why it does)

A word of caution about Edenbridge - being in Kent you are stuck with a selective grammar system. There are no secondaries in Edenbridge at all so for everyone it's at least a 5 mile (or longer) trip to school. Edenbridge is too far out to be guaranteed a placed at either Weald of Kent Grammar (girls) or Tunbridge Wells Boys Grammar so you are left with having to try for a super-selective such as Judd, Skinners' (both boys) or Tonbridge Girls Grammar - this intake the lowest score for any of these schools was 407 out of 420 (and Judd was 417!) so very competitive. The super-selectives also have no sibling rule so you could have one child in, but another not achieve the score.

The options for non-selectives are in Sevenoaks (recently converted Academy with poor reputation) or a trip to East Grinstead to Sackville Community College in West Sussex (if they have capacity).

The primary school in Edenbridge itself has its problems as Edenbridge has a very diverse demographic and many parents will choose to send their children to village schools in Hever, Chiddingtsone (if they're lucky - v sort after) and even as far afield as Hartfield in East Sussex.

ShellingPeas has good advice - you really need to be looking at secondaries, not primaries. Most of the state primaries in the area will be fine, some will be great, and if you are prepared to drive a bit the area has quite a few small village schools that tend to be undersubscribed giving you an element of choice.

I know kids who went/are going to Uckfield and Heathfield and they were/are happy there. Heathfield is quite arty - a friend used to teach there and liked it. Chailey is good, and supportive of special needs (don't confuse with Chailey Heritage which is a specialised SEN school) but maybe a bit outside your search area - DS1 went there for a while after we removed him from Priory School in Lewes (don't touch with a bargepole btw even though the local primaries are great).

If you want grammar schools it would make sense to move near them - that has an advantage for some e.g. Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar School and obviously makes an easier journey to school. There are some good faith schools e.g. St Gregory's (Catholic) or Bennett Memorial (C of E) but you would need to be reasonable holy. There are forums about the 11+ like this one: www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/index.php - it covers the country but has lots to say about Kent. Not for the fainthearted though - secondary school admissions are stressful and the postings sometimes reflect that!

I forgot about Chailey altogether. It has an odd catchment and is a bit in the middle of nowhere but I know that if you live in Forest Row you're in the catchment for it as a friend's children go there. Forest Row is nice with a range of housing options although has a bit of a reputation for oddness as well - has both Steiner and Christian Scientology schools there and seems to be a bit of a hotbed for 'wooness' but each to their own. Forest Row primary school is good. The downside to Chailey is there is no sixth form at the moment.

LOL at 'reasonably holy' for Bennett Memorial and St Greg's in Tunbridge Wells. Bennett is a fab comprehensive in that it is not selective academically and managed 80%+ for A-C grades at GCSE last year but you have to have been attending church on a regular basis for at 3 years, confirmed as CofE or be active in of a non-CofE denomination to stand a realistic chance of gaining a place. For the 2011 intake they are 50+ children oversubscribed.

St Greg's is less difficult to get into and has a higher proportion of children with SEN which is reflected in their results.

Depends if you want a faith based education or not, or a grammar education or not. And the options if your child doesn't pass 11+ or you don't go to church are pretty limited in West Kent. Stick to Sussex!

Thanks for all advice - it really is good and great to get other opinions.
I agree that we should be looking at secondary and am a bit put off by 11+ seems at lot to ask of the kids after all we are moving them from the Spanish system to UK and then with in a couple of years 11+ maybe too much stress.
Also the school that DS1 is currently at are suggesting he may need to resit his current year as he is not handing in home work - it is (normally) done but he forgets to give it in - a typical problem with ADHD - plus he dislikes doing more than the written minimum required - verbally no problem so he knows what they are teaching but cannot be bothered to write it down! Perhaps with this in mind - i.e. he still needs to learn how to learn and present work as required a good primary is a must - so that he can progress to a good secondary- Maybe 11+ would be an option then?? So from what you are saying we should move to Uckfield, Heathfield, maybe Forest Row??

Shelling Peas you forgot Four Elms primary school in your dish of Edenbridge and I know of no less than 6 sets of parents whom in this current school year have taken their children out of Hever, Chiddingstone and four Elms and moved them to Edenbridge primary I suspect EP will get a very different Ofstead report next time. Their Senco department is fast becomming one of the best in the area.

the sevenoaks accademy you dont rate is the APA for Edenbridge. For some it will be a valid choice and living in this area I will say that it is a fantastic place to live as it really gives you the options of many counties if you do not care for the grammar system you dont have to opt into it you are close enough to Oxted and EastGrinstead to get into their schools.

I know of 16 children in current years 6 whom are living in that area. 1 child is going to the accademy 5 are going to the very hard to get into Bennet 4 to Sackville EastGrinstead 2 to Sackville Tonbridge 1 to Tunbridge Wells grammar school 1 to Wealds 2 to Oxted. Last year 2 went to the accaemy and I know from parents of theese children that they are more than happy with the school,

the 2 schools were joined together from Wilderness and Bradbury and Bradbury had a good rep Wilderness less so I again belive that here we will see a marked difference in the next ofstead.

Doesnt change my opinion that the particular area that I commented upon (also mentioning Oxted - fast good comute to London if that is of importance) East Grinstead and Lingfield/ Dormansland are worthwhile areas to research. In that particluar area of the country you have the unique abillity to get around 3 counties so it is in my opinion definetly worth a look in. the OP may not like / care for the area but from personal experience I would say that fear of secondary schools should not be the worry of the 16 above they are all in their first choice 2ndary. (2 from waiting lists others by offer)

I've always liked Oxted as a place to be, and the school has a great reputation but you need to live almost opposite it to get in. For independent schools, Sevenoaks (mixed) and Tonbridge (boys) are very good but also very expensive and hard to get into. Kent College, Pembury (girls) is much more academic than it used to be, Bethany in Goudhurst (mixed) is gentle, in a beautiful setting and good for SN especially dyslexics, and St Bede's near Eastbourne is very artistic I think. Cranbrook has a lovely but odd state grammar school that is part boarding and starts at age 13

Stephspain - my DS has low level asperger's. He goes to a grammar school in West Kent but it is not for everyone. They do require a high level of written work and it must be handed in on time or there are issues - doesn't matter whether or not they have it verbally, or otherwise. Depends if you think your DS can cope with that. I've found they are a little inflexible regarding SN and although we can work around it as DS is actually better with discipline and rules and routine, they don't always understand the finer nuances of children who don't always tick all the boxes (so to speak - can't think of any other way to describe, so please no offence to anyone!).

I still think secondary schools are your main concern (my 2nd DC is same age your DS - 9) and I am already thinking of schools for DC2. Different child with different abilities so a different school is needed and we are going the comprehensive route. You need to think about both your DCs. So if ou're definitely looking at this part of the South East, then from my POV Sussex is by far the better bet than West Kent.

Thanks - loads to think about!! Need to take some time to re-read and study all these schools! Will make a visit next month to investigate on the ground!

Possibly the best SS in East Sussex is St Richards in Bexhill on Sea. It is, however, a Cathoilc school.

Stephspain - I found your message and am in exactly the same position as you were when you posted this. My 9 year old son has adhd and difficulties with maths and we live in Belgium, but are planning to return to England this summer as my younger son has a speech and language problem and two languages are too much for him. My headache now is to find a primary school in Kent or in the part of East Sussex close to Kent that will support my eldest son's shorter concentration span and numeracy problems, as he adjusts to being educated in English. Any ideas would be hugely welcome, and if you are still on this chatboard, I would really love to hear how things have gone with you and your children. I really have no idea where to begin at present.