Choosing between Danebury and Trafalgar after a last-minute house move

[Nocluescoobydoo]

Looking for secondary school due to last minute house move!!!

Looking at Danebury school Stockbridge or Trafalgar Downton. Son is quite shy, big heart and although no special needs he struggles in noisy environments in order to concentrate (glue ear). Danebury looks lovely but concerned as they're building or making it bigger? Any recommendations welcome 🤗

If it’s an in year transfer, do either, or both, have spaces?

If it’s an in-year transfer, spaces will decide a lot of this – worth ringing both schools and the LA admissions teams this week.

For a shy kid who struggles with noise, I’d ask on the visit about form sizes, corridor chaos between lessons, and whether they’ve got quieter spots to work. Danebury’s the new academy that replaced Test Valley – Ofsted haven’t published a report under the new name yet, and it’s still well under capacity (around 350-ish on a 780 place site last I looked), so do ask what’s happening with the building work and how busy it actually feels day to day. Trafalgar at Downton was Good at Ofsted in 2023. Take him to both if you can – the vibe on a normal Tuesday often settles it more than the website.