Warlingham School or Riddlesdown Collegiate

[Alexandrite]

Hi, I wondered if anyone has any knowledge of these two schools. My dd is in year 5 and I want to find a school where she fits in, makes friends and is happy. She is reasonably academic. (4bs at the end of Year 4.) She is slightly geeky and a bit shy. Tends to have one or two good friends, rather than being very popular with lots of friends. She is a bit sensitive and not very pushy, but is happy enough at her primary school. Any idea whether someone like this would fit in at either of these schools? They both seem to be well run schools and when I have asked parents and children at the school they have tended to be very positive about them both. So I really want to work out where she would fit in and be happiest. Thank you.

I've got a daughter in year 6 and have done the school visits. Didn't look at Warlingham (but friends have kids there and love it especially for sporty kids) but if your daughter is academic put her in for the Riddlesdown test. My daughter passed it :). It might also be worth doing the Wallington Girls test - it's a fab school but hard to get into. Don't dismiss Harris Purley - a lovely school with good results, very arty. We've also looked at St Andrews and Archbishop Tenisons which have good results but the latter requires church attendance. I haven't seen a school I didn't like, feel lucky to be choosing between good schools. Apparently Woodcote is worth looking at too and don't forget that the private schools offer scholarships for bright kids! Good luck.

Thanks for your reply Cobon. Well done to your dd on passing the Riddlesdown test. Did she go for Wallington Girls too? It sounds like you are further into Croydon than us as some of the schools you mention would be quite far and hard for dd to get to.

We visited Riddlesdown and judging by what the head said, we would get in on distance in the first round, so wouldn't need to take the test. We are in Whyteleafe, but up the southern end and outside the catchment areas for Wallington Girls, so would have a pretty small chance of getting in I think.

I hope you get your preferred school and hopefully we will have made up our mind by next year too!