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Original poster

help. choosing primary schools in hounslow/richmond borders

14 replies

soopermum1 · 06/10/2007 22:52

hope someone out there can help me with the age old problems of oversubscribed schools.

i live on the hounslow/richmond borders and am in the hounslow council area. DS will be starting reception next september. the nearest school to us is universally panned by everyone, but the next nearest school is a catholic, excellent, oversubscribed one. the next nearest after that is church of england, excellent and funnily enough oversubscribed (150 applications for 30 places last year apparently as stated on their website, i assume the catholic one has similar levels of applicants.)

am a practicing catholic and make it to mass most weeks and have been getting my face known in small ways by dropping in books and champagne for the school and church fetes etc, but am really concerned DS won't get in. Am about half a mile from the school, and it's on my way to work (work full time) so the school ticks all the boxes as i can walk him there then hop on the bus. plus, i am very keen on him getting a catholic education. plus the after school club is held in the same building as where he currently goes to nursery.

so, my dilemma is, if i put the catholic school as first choice, but put COE school as second choice, have i effectively wasted my 2nd choice as this school is also heavily oversubscribed?

also, as i live near the border, i am as near to a COE school in twickenham as i am to the hounslow schools. funnily enough, that school is oversubscribed too (spotting a pattern here eh?) am i again wasting a vote by putting another council region down? i.e kids from that particular council area would get preference over an applicant from another council, even thuogh i would effectively be as near to that school geographically as other applicants?

it's all so confusing and i am concerned that by putting 3 oversubscribed schools down as my choices that i'll get none of them and DS will end up in the nearest, underperforming school

help!

OP posts:
Teddimac · 06/10/2007 23:26

Hi - am also just about to apply for next September Reception for my dd, in Richmond borough.

Sounds like you've got a pretty good chance at getting into the school of your choice on grounds of religion and proximity. If your ds is baptised I think that is taken into consideration too.

I'd advise you to get as good an indication as possible by either contacting the schools directly, or your borough's Primary Admissions Section. The latter should definitely be able to tell you where the boundaries were for acceptance to local non-church affiliated state schools (I think they call them community schools?) for Reception 2007, tho whether they'll have the same info for church schools I'm not sure.

Also, check whether you can have two lots of three choices, ie three in Hounslow, and three in Richmond, as I believe the admissions process is treated separately by each borough.

Hope this helps, it's a bit of a nightmare I know!

Original poster
soopermum1 · 08/10/2007 23:03

well, it looks as though richmond school is out. called school secretary and she basically told me DS had no hope in hell getting in due to oversubscription

OP posts:
mysonsmummy · 08/10/2007 23:25

which is the universally panned school. i'll tell you if i agree. my son is in belmont - chiswick and thats really oversubscribed. a couple of this friends mums who were in the belmont catchment didnt put second choice so when they didnt get in belmont they were offered green dragon. funny thing is couple of parents in ds class will not put their address on home address list!

no advice sorry just that i feel for you - everything is so over subscribed. good luck

hana · 08/10/2007 23:40

you can apply for 3 schools in Hounslow and 3 in Richmond - they are seperate applications.

I don't know all the criteria for a religious school, but for state schools, after special needs and siblings are taken into consideration, it is distance from the school - regardless of where borough lines are.

is one of the school St Edmunds?

Original poster
soopermum1 · 09/10/2007 12:34

hello, panned school is worple school in isleworth, apologies to any mums who have kids there, maybe you can tell me a different side of the story?

schools i wanted son to go to was
1st choice, st mary;s isleworth
2nd choice blue school isleworth
3rd choice- orleans infants, st margarets, that leads onto junior school st stephens

anyone know anything about these schools or other schools in the area that have had good/bad report? have heard good things about marlborough but i would have to get a bus there, then another bus to work

OP posts:
toomanygraves · 09/10/2007 12:37

hello soopermum. I empathise. My dd2 is at school 3, and it is FANTASTIC. I have friends who were at Marlborough and moved because they felt the other parents weren't as interested in their kids' education as they were. But it's such a personal thing, isn't it. I will try and find out about the other schools as well - I think I might know people with kids at both other schools.

ladygrinningsoul · 09/10/2007 13:15

I know someone who got a place at Orleans Infants just before term started, so they do come up at the last minute.

Original poster
soopermum1 · 09/10/2007 17:09

orleans is the richmond one that i apparently don't have a hope in hell of getting my son into

will check out what a few of you have said about being able to apply to 3 in hounslow and 3 in richmond, that way i can throw the net wider and apply for orleans on the off chance.

OP posts:
toomanygraves · 09/10/2007 20:44

Just spoke to someone whose kids are at the blue school. She thinks it's brilliant, but says you have to be UBER churchy (C of E) to get in. She says St Mary's you have more of a chance.

Original poster
soopermum1 · 11/10/2007 14:47

am also now thinking of ivybridge as one of my choices, will maybe take a peek when i go up to tescos tonight so i can see how long the route takes. anyone got any experiences of ivybridge?

OP posts:
MaryAnnSingletomb · 11/10/2007 14:51

can I just say that ds went to Green Dragon before we moved and loved it - it was great, in my opinion ! Friends have children at Strand-on -the-Green and rate that v highly.

nlondondad · 12/10/2007 09:14

I would have thought that as you are 1. Catholic and 2. Keen on a catholic education,

You should lobby the parish Priest.

Original poster
soopermum1 · 15/10/2007 12:35

well, have pretty much phoned up all local schools and they were all heavily oversubscribed for this year's intake, even the mediocre ones. apparently, after siblings were taken into account, catholic school had only 6 places going and even the school secretary didn't get her daughter in, though this is all word of mouth, so could be an urban myth.

so now i have to worry about not only my child missing out on a catholic education, or not going to the particular school/s i want but having a marathon journey to a school completely outwith walking distance when i don't drive and have to get to work every day.

was told my one school secretary (they have all ben lovely and very honest)that intake for reception in 2007 was pretty heavy, maybe the birth rate or something?

is anyone else experiencing this? maybe you all are and are just not moaning about it like me

OP posts:
Rama84 · 19/07/2015 22:03

My DS is about to start reception in two years and we are debating about schools. would love to hear any onions about either St Stephen's and Orleans Primary School. Thank you

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