Come and talk to me abour Primary Schools in Teddington...

[FlirtyThirty]

I'm relatively new to the area and pregnant with my first child...so this is a little way off...however, I'd be really keen to hear any experiences you have of primary school in Teddington.

Good, bad, indifferent - I can take it!

Hello FlirtyThirty I grew up in Twickenham (parents still live there) and would LOVE to live in Teddington now (but could probably only afford a shoebox there) and I can tell you that you're very fortunate - all the primary schools are excellent. Collis, I believe, is particularly good.

Flirty, I'm seriously impressed by your forward planning. I agree with Emma' the primary schools in Teddington are all pretty good. It really depends on whereabouts you live and what will suit DC(s).

So, you normally need to live pretty close to Collis, St Mary's & St Peter's and Stanley Road to get into these. Collis is a very large school but get's top Ofstead reports. Stanely Road has a seperate Infants School. St Mary's and St Peter's is COE and there's also Sacred Heart, which is Catholic (if you are Catholic also check out St James in Hampton). If you live in central Tedd or Hampton Wick end look at Hampton Wick Infants - it get top Ofstead too and seems to be easier to get into than some of the others.

Best of luck

You can get to look round when DC is two years old. So unless you're looking at private schools or moving house I'd wait till then if I were you.

All the state primary schools are excellent -you can't really go wrong! I know children at most the schools in Teddington and all are very happy. Collis, St M&P and Hampton Wick all have recently got 'outstanding' from Ofsted. I don't know about the others, but am sure they'll be good. As nearlyayummymummy says, the main issue will be whereabouts you live in Teddington (and if you are CoE/catholic)as that will largely determine where your child goes, as all the schools are normally oversubscribed. In the past this has caused some problems with people being offered schools outside of Teddington, but this year, there were bulge classes at some of the schools (e.g. St M&P)and so, I think, it was largely fine.

Thanks so much, ladies! Big help and glad to hear children are happy in all of the school - very important.

I think we're pretty equidistant in walking terms from Collis and St M&P (approx. 5-10 mins walk). St M&P is probably closer, but really only just.

Completely take on board that we need to look at the school best suited to DC but had heard that getting a place was often difficult - no idea what the projected intake will be for his/her entry year yet, so guess we wait and see. Not something I'm going to lose sleep over just yet. Thanks fo rthe comments though...will make aplan to go and look round in a few years.

Thanks!
Flirty

Flirty,

Sounds like you're well located for the two most popular schools - lucky you. If you are COE, christening dc and semi - regular church attendence wouldn't go amiss for St M&P. In some years children, a few hundred yards up the road, have missed out if their application is based soley on location.

In the more immediate future have you considered nurseries and 'mother and toddler' groups? Teddington is a bit of a 'waiting list' town, with people often signing up for things early. Full time nurseries normally pre-natally. 'Toddlers Twickenham' lists the mother and toddler groups. Some have waiting lists so its best to sign up when dc is 6 months old or so.