Schools in Greenwich and Blackheath

[MrsFogi]

Can anyone tell me if there are any good ones (private or state)?

what age are you looking for?

Sorry should have said - nursery/kindergarten/junior school (dd's only 9 wks but pinning dh down to go and see schools is going to take months so I figure I'm going to start thinking about it now).

John Ball (state school) has excellent results in the league tables. It is a Lewisham school but is virtually in Blackheath Village. I know several people with children there who have only good things to say about it.

I live in Blackheath so have some knowledge of local schools - these comments are based on very small samples of children though so do your own research, as I'm sure you will. The state schools probably won't let you visit until the year you apply for a place. private schools are probably more flexible but my experience in the area is that the schools don't operate a list that gets closed when full but select children based on interview/assessment so you don't need to worry yet with a dd at 9 weeks old.

I think John Ball is the local league table topper but I don't really know it. My children go to All Saints which is also excellent but if you are not a regular church goer you will not get a place as it's always oversubscribed. Brooklands has also got a good reputation but if you don't live on or very close to the Cator estate again you are unlikely to get a place.

I don't really know the Greenwich schools but James Wolfe was OK when we looked at it - it seemed quite large but that isn't meant to be a criticism. I think it has special needs facilities for deaf children (as does All Saints) which I like as it encourages the ideas of inclusiveness.

In the private sector Blackheath prep has a good reputation - my youngest went there for the nursery year and would probably have stayed except that the others were already elsewhere and the convenience of having them all at one school is not to be underrated. Blackheath High is OK at junior level I think although practically everyone I know who sends their daughters there does not sent them on to the senior school.

In addition I know people whoc have used Heath House and Pointers - with more enthusiasm in the case of the former than the latter probably.

I don't know if any of this helps and it may be a bit out of date as it's 7 years since I had to choose a primary school. I'm sure you'll make the right choice though.

Just a warning, primary schools in Lewisham use a common application form. You apply for up to four schools and it is processed centrally. Don't count on getting your first place.

We applied for a nursery place for the sluglet at John Ball, they sat on our application for two years, then sent back a poorly spelt letter that contradicted itself in several places, refusing her a place. They obviously hadn't even bothered to read her date of birth! . I sent them a sharply worded letter back pointing out their spelling mistakes and inconsistencies ( I'm a teacher...what can you expect?) and they sent back an even more incoherent reply. Just because they have a good OFSTEAD dosen't mean they have their act together.

thank you so much, these replies give me a great starting point. MrsWobble, I take it that for All Saints that attendance at the local CofE church is required (we go to the local Catholic church)?

I'm in the area and have one at Blackheath High and one at Balckheath Prep. Generally, BH is probably a 'kinder' school, easier to get in too and has done wonders with our dd1, who has has to work very hard to catch up with her peers. BP is much more selective and a more pushy. I am presently in two minds about it, but it does get good results if your child buckles done. They don't seem to deal with anything out of the ordinary as well.

BH Senior is really improving as the Juniors are presently piling at least 75% of year 6 into the Seniors so there is a much more co-herent strategy thru the school as a whole.

I looked at Invicta and also James Wolfe, but frankly they were back ups for us, if we didn't get the Prep place. They were both good though. I preferred Invicta.

All Saints has a great reputation, but we are both non-Church goers so a bit of a no-no for us.

You should also look at Colfe's in Lee Green as great site, bit of change recently at the nursery/KS1 level, but you should consider.

We went to Pointers and Heath House - both too dependant on individual heads/owners for my liking....

Good Luck.

Come along to a SE meet up and chat....

Sorry, so many typo's

Mine are both at Colfes - Y1 and Y3.

If you are RC, St Winifreds has a very good reputation but only really at infants. Quite a few Colfes children come from there at 7.

Brindishe also supposed to be good.

I can't bear the Head at Pointers, so ruled that one out straight ahead. Blackheath High is supposed to be good but very very pushy. Blackheath prep gets good reviews from the parents I know who are there - Laurence Bowen whathisname has his children there, I don't know whether that is good or bad:)

John Bull and Brooklands also good as others have said!

Don't know much about Heath House except that they wear knickerbockers!

All Saints gives preference to children worshipping at All Saints but second in the preference lists are children worshipping at other churches that are members of Churches Together in Blackheath - I know St Mary's Cresswell park is one of these so if that's where you go you might well be OK - obviously depends on other applications as well

Thank you so so much for your replies it is really helpful to hear your vies. I'll certainly look out for the next se london meet up.

MrsWobble - if we had stayed in SE3 ds and dd would be at All Saints - we worshipped and were married there. Still miss it greatly tbh. Not to mention the wonderful Mrs Williams :)
Am another Christian parent creeped out by Mr and Mrs at Pointers, like soapbox! Know more than one family who shipped out after less than a year.
Agree with all the others on here who rate Brooklands, Colfes, Brindishe and St Win's for the various reasons they give. As Beachy says, BHSG is improving, but I believe a lot still go elsewhere for their A levels. It is a very nice school nonetheless. Blackheath Prep does suit some but definitely not others. It does get results.
If you are looking at London Borough of Greenwich as a whole, the league topper is St Mary's RC in Eltham for the borough as a whole. This is a bus/car trip from SE3/SE12 though. I know a lot of very happy RC parents with children at St Mary's.
Christ Church on Shooters Hill is C of E, also good, and, I think like ASB, happy to consider RC families for some places.
Ds is at St Olaves, just about in LBGreenwich, an academically non-selective private primary in N Eltham. It is a really nice school, small class sizes, good proportion of statemented children, and ethnically and socially pretty diverse. It will also be a drive/train ride from Lee though.

HI there, I my sons have been to 3 greenwich primary schools so I can give you my thoughts on those, and a few others - will come back later!

My knowledge of James Wolfe is from 7 years ago, but I'd say it is a good school, but IMO its size goes against it. However it is an excellent choice if you want your child to be in a class with a real cross section of children - and as Mrs Wobble says, it has good deaf facilities.

John Ball has a very good local reputation, as does Brooklands. The two people I know who sent their primary aged children to Pointers took them out later on (but for reasons not entirely connected to the school, to be fair).

Christ Church on Shooters Hill has a great sense of community, and excellent, committed teachers but has with limited space so does not have as many buildings or facilities as most schools. There are two Christ Church schools in Greenwich (the other is in East Greenwich) which is confusing.

HTH - you are starting early!

All Saint's Blackheath School!

For primary schools, Blackheath Prep is your best bet. Its private but its excellent my children really enjoyed it. However my sisters kids went to Brooklands and enjoyed it too