Does anybody live in/know Reigate, Surrey?

[OzzieinLondon]

Would be interested to hear current thoughts on good primary schools in and around this area.
(+ places to live and places to avoid?)

Have seen a few old one's here but would love to know more.

Thanks,

Hi all!
I'm moving into the area and I have a dilema. I am trying to decide weather to send my 7 year old to sandcross primary or to merstham primary. It would be a year 3 entry. These 2 are my final choices after lookind around schools, just having difficulty deciding which is better as reports and tables a bit better at merstham but head at sandcross is new and very approachable please anyone that could reply soon. I would be ever so grateful.

This is completely irrelevant but I am finding this thread quite funny as I went to a lot of this schools that people are complaining about, Orchards (but back then it was called South Park - they changed because of the cartoon apparently), Sandcross and Reigate school. In fact I was in the year which was the first intake under the new head Mr Cain and there was 80 of us!

Anyway, that was 10-20 years ago (am 28) and just to let you know, it all worked out fine, I managed to escape the woodhatch council estate (yes, I was part of the 'mixed intake' ) and now have a respectable job in the civil service and live in a lovely part of the country with my husband and daughter.

I can't imagine my mum fretted about this when she was picking my schools but I do remember her saying on seeking advice that a teacher told her that you get out as much as you put in, and a bright child will do well anywhere. And I was always top of the class with the top GCSE results and have a 1st class degree and distinction at Masters, despite my thoroughly un-middle class background!

Khasha - The two schools you mentioned are both good but geographically spread! I would go for the nearest to where you live as I wouldn't fancy the drive across Reigate/Redhill in the mornings to reach the other.

Although I do not have direct experience of Merstham - I have a friend with a child in year 3 and my brother has a child in reception. There are both very happy with the school. It has quite a villagey atmosphere where the Year 6's really look out for the youngs ones - it's a small school with an intake of 30.

Sandcross is much bigger - benefits would probably be better facilities (?). I know it seems a long way off but I would also consider what secondary school they would be likely to progress to (depending on where you live) as children who live in the Sandcross area go to Reigate School and Merstham would be Warwick - unless St Bedes is an option for you.

Just to throw in another option - have you looked at St John's in Redhill? It doesn't have an official intake for Year 3, but I know there are a couple of Year 2's moving on to the Priory in September, so there may be a place there too. Hope I haven't confused you!

fin35, yes I know, it was the lack of infomation that finally decided us against Sandcross Primary - though that was last year, the year it turned into a new school - I am surprised that is still going on. I would have thought that under the circumstances they would have been ofsted inspected asap to try and rectify the situation, though I guess they haven't done a full year yet so it may be a little unfair. I was told by a very senior member of staff that the Reigate and Banstead were "using the opportunity" to "bury" a damning ofsted report for Orchards which stood in the way of their only current plan for addressing the places crisis in Reigate - namely getting people from further afield to send their children to Sandcross primary and Junior to take pressure of other schools. They wouldn't/couldn't (anyone form council or school - tried everywhere) give me any information or stats on the school - would not give me the old ofsted (which I had downloaded before they erased it), did not have a brochure, could not tell me whether there would be an after school club, or indeed any clubs, and had no clear statement of intentions as to how they were going to improve the school - other than "do what they did at Sandcross Juniors".

I am sure this has/will work but I found it very worrying, sinister almost, that they had effectively erased part of the public historical record of an educational establishment in the area. All schools go up and down and v.v over the years, everyone knows that, but you are able to view historical data. The fact that they effectively closed Orchards and erased all evidence of its existence/performance mid-way through an application cycle (i.e when we applied for schools in the October it was listed as Orchards, when we got our letter it was Sandcross Primary - no explanation or infomation given) was deeply worrying to us.

Still, as the previous poster said, you can do well at any school - it's just hard to send your 4y old to one with little or no infomation and hope for the best.

Interested to hear more on rumours of a new school being built?! Will come too late for us as well but it would restore my faith in Reigate and Banstead council a bit - despite being told, categorically, by the head of education that it "will never happen in our lifetime", surely it must?

Direct quote. Also told by a Surrey county councillor hevily involved in the schools situation in the area that "there is no funding for new schools and there won't be any time in the near future, all we can do is shoehorn in extra classes where we can and hope that a proportion of parents will continue to be able to afford to go private".

These quotes are seared into my memory as I really couldn't believe what I was hearing. And yet their own published figures (very hard to get hold of but they are out there) show that they know that 2 whole classes of Reception children i.e 60 children are due to come out of the Water Colour estate alone - never mind the continuing general rise in birth rate and more famillies moving into the area. They even concede that these figures are probably conservative because they only take into account homeowners with pre-school children on the electoral register that have moved in already and not rental properties which are an unknown quantity.

As you can see, I did do my research - which is why I don't take kindly to being told I only listen to playground gossip . I would love to get involved, somehow, in local action on this topic even though any improvements would come too late for my children, as I find it genuinely interesting and appalling in equal measure. I volunteered my services to everyone I spoke to about the situation, but of course they're not interested in hearing from parents in any shape or form. Perhaps as a teacher (I believe you mentioned?) you have more input/influence?

They must surely be backtracking about a new school long term? Surely? I felt like screaming at them, ok you say there is no money in the budget, well get some money from somewhere then! Go to central govt and demand some. You can imagine my thoughts on the MPs expenses scandal that came out shortly after as well, not to mention our local MPs involvemnet in it .....

I know a new 2-form school has been considered - they had even identified a site (which proved to not be viable) - however, it is definitely 'on-hold' for the short to medium term due to lack of funds. I believe they intend to carry on with the temporary classroom solution for the time-being.

I am also concerned about secondary school as my child was in the initial 'bulge' year and I know Reigate School simply do not have any more room even for a temp classroom.

It is all decided at SCC level rather than R&B - also from what I remember when we had the presentation from the Head of Children and Learning during the 'bulge' problems - the money from developers goes into a central pot - it isn't allocated to the area it comes from - it's mad isn't it!

I know swill, I know. I can imagine you must hear a lot of rubbhish from some parents. Just don't tar all us parents with the same brush!

It's crazy isn't it. The comment from the SCC counillor was the year before we applied i.e summer 08 sometime. The comment from the Head of Learning (not Eductaion, I knew it was different terminology) was during appeal time for this year so April 09-ish.

I can't believe they are not considering a new school on the Redhil/Reigate borders, seems to me there is at least room there, but sadly, having lived on a similar development, I think these things are normally in the plans a long time before they even start building. So if it's not in the pipeline already I can't see it. Unless they are just keeping it quite for some reason?

What I still don't understand is why they don't just make all the schools that can physically take it i.e the ones that have ever had bulge years, permanently 3 or 4 form entry and be done with it (as they've done in S Croydon). Would be massively unpopular with the (selfish) existing parents and there will be all the usual hoo ha about who goes in the portacabins but so what - SCC are unpopular with parents anyway. Surely that would help a bit and is all they can do until they get funding for new schools? And surely they can get a bit of funding to build extra permanent classrooms instead of portacabins.

I am probably being simplistic but I jsut don't see how the current situation is sustainable.

Hi! I have two boys aged 3 and 5 (nursery and Yr1 in September) and we are moving to a house between Reigate and Redhill (close to Earlswood station). The 5 year old is currently attending a Catholic school and we would love him to continue to do so... any info/thoughts about St Joseph's catholic school? anyone knows about the best schools in the area?
Thanks a lot!

Hi LIZS! do you know anything about St Joseph's catholic or any of the other religious primary schools in REdhill/Reigate?

brief hijack just incase LIZS is still reading. You said in an earlier post catchment area of RAAS is very small, any idea how small as we are thinking of it for DC3 and 4 (in quite a few years time!)

mo I believe it is getting smaller each year - distance is measured from the flagpole apparently ! - but LA should be able to give you exact admissions data for this year now. Probably easier at 7+ than 11+ as more choice in the area at primary level. I've heard of people renting in Merstham to get in However the new estate in Merstham may mean fewer admissions from further afield. House prices around that end of Redhill reflect proximity to "good" secondary schools, but still no guarantee of admission. This gives you criteria,but would your elder dc have left by then ? School can provide breakdown of figures by category apparently.

I know someone (ex primary teacher) who has dc at St J's and seems happy with it. Not sure how hard it is to get into though. Earlswood Infants is due to open a Surestart centre, if it hasn't already. Otherwise I'm a bit out of touch with that age range (dc now older).

I find it very weird reading these posts as I went to a lot of these schools! Bearing in mind it was years ago (am nearly 30), but just to reassure that they were all probably a bit shit when I went there (my intake was the first year Reigate School was changed from Woodhatch), but I turned out fine! Married with nearly 2 children and a secure job in the civil service , just thought I'd let you know!

LIZS thanks for that information. Will take a tape measure when I go to collect DD in a few weeks.
We had no trouble getting her in as a boarder but have suspected we may have trouble getting DC3 (and 4) in as day pupils. Had wondered about the sibling bit. Now that they have a 6th form there DD1 may still be there if we apply for DD2 at age 7 so fingers crossed.
Funnily enough, was looking at houses in Merstham last night on Rightmove.

Thanks again for your help

Have just re-read some of earlier posts and quite shocked about comments ref size of Watercolor being comparable to Maidenbower.
We've been looking today at properties in Watercolour (on rightmove) and hadn't realised how huge it is.
We've been considering RAA for DC3 and 4 in a few years (as day boarders) but from what I've read here it looks like even if we move nearer (ironically from Maidenbower) we may still not be in catchment area

My kids are at St J's. They are happy there but it is over subscribed so you would need to check if there is space in the years that you need. Most year groups are oversubscribed with catholics (DS1's is the only one I know that isn't) so you would need to be able to provide a priests letter as proof of practise to meet the criteria.

mo , Watercolour also hasn't developed as quickly as anticipated (we looked at houses there 4+ years ago) and still lacks many of the amenities originally promised as yet. Eventually it may link up with the Park 25 development in Redhill. Very close to the landfill too, not ideal when you pay 500k plus for a "lakeside" view!

Thanks for that Lizs, very interesting. What is the Park 25 development?
I bought off plan in MB nearly 17 years ago and thinking back it was a very long time before many of the promised amenities materialised.
We've now moved our search out a bit and are looking at Netherne but imagine that is out of RAA catchment?

Park 25 is a mix of townhouses and apartments along east side of the railway lines near Redhill station. Theoretically it could eventually extend North towards Watercolour. That whole area was industrial sites/quarry until about 10-15 years ago. For a long time there was talk of a incinerator being built at the landfill but that at least has been shelved.

I don't think you'd easily get into RAAS from Netherne (site used to be a mental health hospital), but could be wrong as it isn't that far (5-10 mins over M25) and I'd imagine many head in towards Purley/Croydon from there.

Thanks for that Lizs.
I remember Netherne when it was a hospital. Many years ago I was in the police in Reigate and we often used to find an escapee wandering along the A23 in their PJs and slippers and return them to their or Earlswood which is now another luxury development we are looking at. Funny all the old hospitals are being turned into housing.

Think I might have a word with admissions lady at RAAS about the catchment area but think we may be risking it by buying at Netherne which is a shame as it looks lovely. Can't find out too much about it on internet but assume it is much smaller than Watercolour?

I think you'd be surprised just how extensive it is tbh. Houses seem more "executive" style than Watercolour. Earlwood Park is quite similar to Netherne and there is a smaller version on the old Redhill General hospital site in St John's, near the common. We looked at MB when it was starting out. You could look at Worth and Christs Hospital as alternatives if you like that area.

Have you seen how much Worth is Lizs! Silly money, hence looking at RAAS. Not sure I like the idea of CH as I know they used to have to stay all term without any weekends home although I think I've heard a rumour recently that they are starting to take day pupils now.

I know , lol ! Not on our radar either, but scholarships aren't bad and just going co-ed.

Current distance limit for day places at RAAS is apparently 1.9 miles from the flagpole ! So fringes of Merstham, Gatton Park Road in Redhill etc