Info on Little Chalfont - Chalfont Valley E-ACT, area, new development

[BuzyMumm]

Hi Everyone. I am super new to Mumsnet. We are thinking of moving to this area from London for more space & good secondary school and read various old threads about the school and the area and keen to get up to date info about: (1) Chalfont Valley E-ACT’s academic performance. I understand that it is improving but it isn’t as great as other schools in the area, (2) children’s behaviour at school. Again read some negatives - may be the reflection of the neighbourhood and there is a big SEN intake?, (3) neighbourhood. I’ve read that the school serves large council estates so it isn’t affluent. Have more professional young families moved to the area?, and (4) the planned redevelopment of the old golf course into new affordable/nursing/care homes. I’ve read some articles about the plan but love to hear what locals are hearing.

The school doesn’t publish the year 6 destination yet some threads talked about how many went to grammar school. How do you validate that info? This school is the only option with vacancies and that probably is the reflection of the popularity hence quite concerned. Our children currently attend academic state schools where they are from mainly double income professional families. So we are a bit anxious to make the move.

thank you so much in advance.

I haven't set foot in the building in about 6 years so things might have changed a lot, but the best way I can describe it then is like a zoo, except all the animals are trying to eat each other and the keepers are all crying.

@MrsSunshine2b thank you for sharing. Were you working there or a mum with children attending the school? In your opinion why it was so bad??

I used to go there on supply and also had a friend who taught there for a while. The kids were out of control and the staff were so burnt out by it, hence why there was always supply teachers in to cover absences. As a supply, I was just left to it- there was rarely any planning in place or any notes.

My friend is not a small man, he can be quite intimidating when necessary and never had difficulty with behaviour before, but he was absolutely destroyed by the kids there. The last straw was when a 10 year old hit him with a metre stick.

I was there for one of their OFSTEDs (not the latest one) and they brought in supply teachers and told them to pretend to be TAs, and all the worst kids were mysteriously off sick.

I had children attend Woodside and Little Chalfont Primary and DCGS, so in the vicinity and was aware of that school.

I knew parents that rented and lived in a small flat locally for a few years to be in catchment for a better school, as their big house was in that catchment. They rented out their house in the meantime. (The Head knew and advised them to not move back before the youngest finished Reception.)

Do you have a property / location in mind, as if you move close to one of the other local schools, you might get in on Waiting Lists fairly quickly? Especially if one gets a place, there is often a decent sibling in catchment priority.

It would be interesting to hear some more recent experiences too - as I think a lot has changed over the past few years (new head etc) so was getting a better reputation

@MrsSunshine2b thank you. I wonder what’s the cause of behavioural issues at that school? I assume parents with vested interest in their children and education would send them elsewhere and the school is left with children with no discipline at home?

@CatsorDogsrule we are in a chicken and egg situation. We are looking to buy there as you said houses are nice. But it seems all other schools in the area around are full and we have two kids and we both work so can’t do two separate school trips. if it’s unlikely that we would be able to find good primary school in the area for our kids to attend together then we won’t move for their wellbeing. Our children currently attend very lovely state school where the children are well behaved and clever, and the parents are like minded professionals working in London.

@Kingofthetyrantlizards yes it seems and would love to get thought from current mums/ dads about the current situation!