East Sheen Primary School

[SamboM]

Anyone got any experience of this school? Have just found out that my dd will not qualify to get into Sheen Mount (my first choice) due to where we live. I don't really know much about this school, any info welcome!

I once met one of the teachers who said that every year large numbers of parents would come up to her surreptitiously, and say 'of course, our dd or ds is exceptionally bright' - when mostly they were perfectly ordinary!
I really wouldn't worry - all Richmond primary schools are good, even the ones at the bottom end of the Richmond tables are actually above average on the national tables. And East Sheen is not near the bottom. It obviously has very aspirational parents! Have you been to visit?

No, my dd is only 9 months old!! I will go and visit it soon though as if we are going to send her there I won't bother to pay all the outrageous registration fees for the private schools! (plus the outrageous fees of course)

My main concern is class sizes, is it true that there are 30 to a class in primary schools? It sounds like rather a lot, can any teachers enlighten me?

Hi SamboM, I'm another local & will be attempting to send my ds to East Sheen next year (any mention of Sheen Mount brings on hysterical laughter). It's a very good school, very popular and one of ds's friends is starting there in September. Mind you, she only just squeezed in due to sibling placements. Out of 60 places there were only 15 available! However as Copper says all the primary schools in the area are v. good.

Why the hysterical laughter bettys?

And what others are there in the area? I only found those two when I looked up the richmond website. I haven't moved to sheen yet but will in August, so don't know it as well as I might.

Hysterical laughter because (as Willow will tell you) estate agents sell houses on the premise that they are in the catchment area for Sheen Mount, without adding that it's bloody impossible to get into the damn school! I was trying to think of a witty analogy but failed due to intake of excellent Kiwi Cuvee courtesy of Waitrose.

Besides East Sheen there's Barnes Primary and a new one at Kew Riverside. Welcome to the area btw!

Thanks! I only live down the road in Putney, but this is the first time I've even thought about schools!

Where will you send your ds if he doesn't get into East Sheen then? And where do you go for parent's opinions on schools? Oh it's all so complicated!

Of the local private schools I thought that the Unicorn School in Kew looked the nicest. Any comments on that?

Hoping to meet up with Willow2 when I move down, maybe we should have a Sheen get-together!

SamboM

I wouldn't worry about the class size there are always classroom assistants about, and very good teachers. The webiste you need is www.richmond.gov.uk/depts/opps/eal/education/schools/primary/default.htm - if you click on the map you get details of schools by locality

As for parents' opinions on schools I've been relying on what others at ds's nursery say, especially those with older children. O f private schools, Putney Park seems very popular. There's also the Harrodian & Ibstock Place although I don't know anyone who goes there. I've had the prospectus for Ibstock Place, it's run on Froebel principles, but there's a waiting list (at both I think). Don't know anything about the Unicorn School.

I'd definately be up for a Sheen get-together!

Thanks ks. Have finally exchanged on Sheen house so will be arriving on 4 August - can't wait! Have decided to apply for Unicorn, Putney Park and one other (not sure which yet) and then wait and see if dd gets into a good state school.

I have put her down for the Rainbow nursery on Sheen common just because it's so idyllic up there - am I insane to choose a school because of that? I just love the thought of her first school memories being of somewhere so nice!

Bettys (and ks and Willow2 and any other Sheeny types, Copper are you one?) I would LOVE to get together, would be lovely to know some Sheen mums.

Ok here goes - Unicorn is lovely. I am biased. I was in the first year the day the school opened. DS got a place, but also got a place at Ibstock. In the end we decided we could afford neither.

Have been to see East Sheen. Lovely headmaster, really warm, kids seem to adore him, school has a very happy feel to it. Neighbour works there, all her three boys have gone there. Would be very happy for ds to follow in their footsteps. Headmaster made the point that the stat tables don't tell the whole story. EG: there are several special needs children at his school who are doing brilliantly. However, their stat results will bring the school's average down. But he was brutally honest and said he couldn't care less that his school will never top the league - what matters is that the kids are happy, valued pupils who bring a great deal to the school. I really liked him for that! Regarding difficulty of getting in - for intake this september they had a record number of siblings and so could only offer a handful of places. Of these two sets of twins ate up four places - leaving I think just six places!

And yes, there is Sheen Mount. Does brilliantly in Stats, is heavily oversubscribed, pupils are predominantly from affluent backgrounds. Have not been to look round yet - going in a few weeks. Heard varying reports from people who have done so. Yes, there is stacks of money thanks to the PTA, yes the school has lovely grounds and its own swimming pool. However, a friend did some work there and said it is pretty much a private school but without the fees, said he felt sorry for any child that does not go on to private secondary school as they "won't know what's hit them". That's not to say I'd turn down a place.

Finally, there is the new school Marshgate on the Sheen Road. This seems to be where most kids who don't get in to East Sheen or Sheen Mount are being sent. Brand new school so nothing to judge it by as yet - but neighbour's daughter is going and she says the facilities look superb. Will be going to have a nose soonish.

Haven't got a clue where ds will end up going. But it will be one of the above.

Don't think you will be able to put your dd;s name down for any of the above though - she is much too young for state registration.

SamboM - I've been on the other thread (house moving one) and am not far from Sheen, so it'd be nice once you're moved in to maybe meet up -(that's if we're still here - ha ha ha !)

p.s. I went to St Mary Magdalens RC primary in Mortlake, many,many years ago, which was a fantastic school..but probably not of interest to you if your aren't Catholics. There's Kew College opposite Queen's School and another private one nearby called Broomfield House (is featured in this week's R & T Times -could send it to you if you like)

Thanks Willow2 & Binker.

Does a RC primary school make any difference? I was brought up nominally a catholic though I am not religious in any way. Dh is nominally C of E but again is not religious. I don't personally agree with Catholicism's way of looking at things, do they make a big deal out of it at a RC primary school?

I went to a C of E school but they never really mentioned it much, we used to sing hymns etc at assembly but that was about it.

I think that Catholic schools prefer you to be practicing Catholics and that your children are baptised - though I'm sure at my convent secondary school there were some non-Catholics. Mass and Benediction played a fairly big part in our primary school,possibly because it backed on the the church (we played in the little graveyard a lot !). Don't know whether St Mary Magdalen's is like that now but I loved it all ! Having said that, my son had a Buddhist blessing and wasn't baptised (my grandma was very worried by this) and I wouldn't feel happy sending him to a Catholic school because as I'm no longer practising (and my husband is an aetheist) I feel it wouldn't be right.

Isn't that rather prejudicial, expecting you to be a practising catholic? C of E ones don't expect you to be pracising do they?

A friend's daughter is at St Mary Magdalen's nursery & loves it, but I think you have to be RC to get into the primary school, which is why she won't be staying there. St Osmund's in Barnes village is RC as well

Ooops posts crossed. Church schools do expect you to attend church, which is why it's so hard to get into Queens in Kew if you don't.

How ludicrous in this day and age. Shouldn't they be there for the wider benefit of the community, not just for church goers (who are only about 2% of the population anyway aren't they?).

Come to think of it I do know people who went to church to get their kids into primary school.

I would just feel such a hypocrite. Also I really do have better things to do on a Sunday than go and pretend to be into god.

Grrrrr
Might set up a primary school for non-believers and ban all god types.

BTW just wanted to say that I have nothing against people who are into god! Didn't want to offend anyone.