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Original poster

Infant Schools - Downs, Balfour or Hertford?

19 replies

abitclueless · 14/09/2010 07:55

Presuming I have a choice, which I probably won't - any thoughts on these three. I am hoping I'll get a feeling for one of them when I go and visit, but would be good to get others' POV too.

As far as I'm aware pros and cons are:-

Downs - pros - mixed intake, for want of a better phrase 'down to earth', closest to home. Cons - on main road, big

Balfour - pros - excellent results, nice green location, poss merger of infants & juniors means no worry of getting place at juniors
Cons - quite middle class, too academic, merger into one big school

Hertford - pros - very small compared to others, nice homely feel & everyone knows each other
Cons - junior school apparently not so good, furthest walk!

Also, Downs is the closest, so if I preferred Balfour and put it as 1st choice but I was too far, would that reduced my chances of getting into Downs?

OP posts:

jenniferturkington · 14/09/2010 08:40

I am a bit clueless too, but here goes!

Hertford. Pros: mixed intake and gaining a great reputation (I've only heard good things about the infants). Cons: Not as good results (still good though), no green space, Juniors is not as good.

Downs. Pros: good mixed intake, excellent results. Cons: main road, no green space.

Balfour. Pros: Excellent results, great reputation, lots of green space.
Cons: Sooo competitive academically from what I can gather. Also tiny catchment.

FWIW ( we are applying this winter) I'm close enough to get Downs- only if I put it first choice though. You wont get Downs or Balfour unless they are first choice. I am very close to Hertford. BUT, I am moving house in the next couple of weeks and will be on the doorstep of Patcham Infants

Original poster

abitclueless · 14/09/2010 09:37

Thanks JT, seems like you've got the same information as me. The competitiveness at Balfour does worry me - what happens if the kids aren't that academic?

Not that we're in the catchment area but what's Patcham like out of interest - I assume it's good due to your

OP posts:

notsureatall · 14/09/2010 13:24

It's wrong to say you won't get Downs or Balfour unless you put them first.

All your preferences are considered equally. If you can be offered more than one, the council will offer you your highest choice.

So put down the schools you want in the order you want.

The catchments of Downs and Balfour are pretty similar but vary from year to year.

The details are on the council website if you want to see

DS1 is at Balfour. It is lovely - very warm and smiley and the kids have loads of fun (lots of dressing up days etc).

I would say the children are pushed but not in a way that causes any unhappiness. Ds was behind with his reading in reception and was given a little extra one-to-one help from one of the many parent helpers who come in.

Original poster

abitclueless · 14/09/2010 13:45

thanks notsureatall that's good to know. I was worried that it was quite a regimented place! good to know that if I put Balfour down as my 1st choice it won't scupper my chances of getting downs as 2nd - is this definite?

We are closer to Downs and would have got in no problem according to the last 2 years, whereas we are borderline for Balfour. Hertford is the furthest but they don't seem to be oversubscribed.

What do you think of the (possible) merger notsureatall?

OP posts:

jenniferturkington · 14/09/2010 14:02

TBH I don't know much about Patcham at all, it is meant to be good though I think. The was because I'm actually glad to be moving to an area where there isn't really a 'choice' i.e. my children will go to Patcham because it is by far the closest school, they can walk there etc (We are moving to get a big garden, not for school reasons).
Living where I do at the moment (which obviously is near you OP!) there is constant discussion about Balfour/Downs/Stanford and how to get in. And I've over heard so many people in Blakers Park bad-mouthing their friends because they didn't get their children in to one of the schools (not sure what they are supposed to do ).
I have never been to look around balfour (I have been in to Hertford and Downs as a teacher), but all I seem to hear about is how 'good' it is- I'm not sure that's all I care about if you see what I mean?

notsureatall · 14/09/2010 16:40

abitclueless (we'd make a good pair as I'm notsureatall...!) that was certainly the case when I applied 2 yrs ago for ds1. As far as I know it hasn't changed but I don't want to misinform you so check the council website for info on this year - you can download the admissions booklet.

Re the merger (which hasn't officially been agreed but I am sure will go ahead!) I'm not delighted because the school will be huge, and at the moment the infants has a lovely nurturing feel to it.

Having said that, there won't be an increase to the number of kids in the two schools so I suppose it shouldn't make much difference on a day to day basis

mamasmissionimpossible · 16/09/2010 18:10

My ds goes to Hertford Infants and it is a lovely friendly little primary school. I would recommend you have a look around if you are thinking of it as an option.

noddyholder · 16/09/2010 22:10

My ds went to Downs it was great quite a bohemian arty mix or at least it was then.balfour more yummy mummy and harder to get into.hertford is fast catching them up and is a lovely school but I am out of the loop a bit and don't know anyone there

Original poster

abitclueless · 17/09/2010 09:14

not

OP posts:

Original poster

abitclueless · 17/09/2010 09:17

oops
notsureatall I know what about mean about the school becoming huge, that IS a worry.
mamas I'm definitely going to have a look round Hertford. I think I will probably prefer this as I like the idea of a small school - my worry is that the Junior's isn't meant to be as good - any thoughts?
noddyholder I am definitely not a yummy mummy so not sure we'd fit in!

OP posts:

mamasmissionimpossible · 17/09/2010 22:41

sorry, I'm not sure about Hertford Juniors. It's a few years away for my ds and I think many things can change/improve in a school in that time. The head at Hertford Infants is certainly making big improvements.

Brightonton · 21/09/2010 14:08

I reckon my assumptions are the same as yours abitclueless.
You have been advised correctly about 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices being of equal weight - this came in about two years ago - so go with whichever school you like best, bearing in mind distance is the main issue for Downs and Balfour.
Hertfort Infants is definitely growing in popularity. The Juniors is improving, but every year some children move from Hertford to Downs/Balfour rather than go on to the Juniors. I think there were 4 from one Hertford class this year that did that - obviously you need to be close enought to Downs/Balfour to be able to do that.

My last thought - if you are really not a yummy mummy, then I would avoid Balfour (sory Balfour parents, but it is a bit Starbucks/Boden). Downs is fairly yummy mummy, Hertford less so!

Good luck with your decision

notsureatall · 21/09/2010 17:05

I think this yummy mummy stuff about Balfour is ridiculous tbh. I am distinctly unyummy!

Talk about labels!

notsureatall · 21/09/2010 19:21

I just think advising people to "steer clear" of a really good school because you're worried the mums might wear Boden (I don't) is pretty silly

Brightonton · 21/09/2010 21:34

Now come on, motsureatall, Balfour largely draws it's children from the 'Golden triangle', where houses cost upwards of 350K. Many cost upwards of 500K!

Fewer children at Balfour have free school meals than at most other schools in Brighton.

Balfour draws its children largely from families with high socio-economic status.

There are exceptions, of course, of which you may well be one, but many Balfour parents are very middle class and better-off than most. The Balfour demographic IS different from the Hertford one.

That isn't a judgement, just fact. Whether you wear Boden or not

Brightonton · 21/09/2010 21:37

...and of course, while you need to choose the right school for your child, you also have to feel it is right for you

mamasmissionimpossible · 21/09/2010 21:42

Hertford is not at all yummy mummy. I like that as you get a range of different people to mix with.

haggis01 · 18/10/2010 15:20

Ask to visit the schools outside of an "open day" and get feel for the place.
I was very impressed when looking around 2 1/2 years ago by both Balfour and Downs. In the end we were offered Balfour (it was a mid year move) for one of our children and Downs for the other - which was impossible with pick ups. We waited and balfour was the one that had 2 spaces first.

I was glad as I really liked that Balfour was all on one level and had fields to play in - which my children have loved. Balfour do outside PE a lot and let the children eat outside and play outside if at all possible (their London primary kept everyone in at the first spot of rain). I have not found it to be academically competitive - perhaps some parents are with each other.They have few "problem " children so anyone who is even a little behind gets extra help. For instance my DS was a bit behind in reading at the infants and in writing and got extra one to one help( in London he would have been top of the class). No children commented on it or teased him. I help with reading recovery for year 4 at the moment - volunteer parents who go into to listen to children read one to one for 15 minutes every day for 7 weeks.The children are all reading fine - they just lack confidence.

The Infants school was very nuturing and caring when my son went through a phase of getting very bad colds and feeling sick. The support staff at the Juniors are also caring The teachers work extremely hard and most of the cirriculum is delivered through projects with visits to or from theatre groups etc and lots of fun stuff.

I have found some parents a bit cliquey and stand offish (we are in-comers)but lack of friends for me is a small price to pay to have my son at a caring school.

TBH the playground which was cramped for the number of children using it in the Juniors and the Victorian architecture of the school which was similar to our horrendous London school were all that gave Balfour the edge over Downs for me - I thought Downs was also a very good school.

k8vincent · 28/10/2010 12:11

I have friends with children at each of these schools. They are all extremely happy.

My son started reception at Balfour this year. We are really pleased he is going there as it is perfect for him. They are very nurturing and supportive, in spite of it being a big school. Balfour is our nearest school and I have to say that even though it is only a couple of roads away the school run is a real shock to the system. I can definitely recommend picking the school that is closest.

There is no denying that there are fewer children on free school meals at Balfour, and the intake is less socially diverse than many other Brighton schools. That is, of course, due to the demographic of the area around the school. But there is really nothing wrong with middle class parents - even though it does seem these days that to be middle class is loaded with so much perceived negativity.

To be honest, I don't think the merger will hugely change the way that the children experience school. From what I can understand of the situation, the school areas will remain as they are but come under one head and one administrative team.

You have to go to the schools and see which one you feel would work best for you. It can be surprising that you are convinced one is your preferred choice until you visit it.

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