Move to Brighton - what schools for DD's?

[looloolollie]

Hey
I am currently living in West London with 2 dd's as a single parent(7 and 12). Am planning a move to Brighton/Hove area but a bit confused about what schools could be good - I would probably base my search for rental around good schools. Currently oldest DD is at a very good CofE school (girls) which gets great GCSE results so I want something hopefully of similar standard to apply to and then hopefully little one will follow although tips on good primary schools would be really helpful too. I know Brighton quite well but nothing about the schools and some of the reviews I've seen have been quite poor! Any ideas? Thoughts? tips?!! :-)

Although its not all doom and gloom - we are loving Brighton!!!!!!

OP I am sorry you have had problems. We had problems when we moved too - I had to wait 5 months to get my younger children into walking distance primaries. However when we moved here a few years ago we were told newcomers got priority over someone else living within the same distance etc of the school- so what I said in my post was what we were told at the time.

I have to say we did keep getting told different things all the time though about policy. In fact we lost out on places at the local schools we were told were becoming vacant and that we would be first in line for a few months after we moved here to other "newcomers" who haved just arrived.

I think the thing that worked for us was to keep phoning, it was stressful but moving from London was worth it. I have since met people (in my Dc's years) who had no problems and whose children just got easily into the oversubscribed local schools which we were told couldn't possibly take more children and who lived further away than us ?? so who knows what goes on at the LA.

I hope matters get resolved soon.

what a nightmare for you, which schools are you considering in West Sussex? afraid you are correct re Hove Park from what i know.

I am baffled why newcomers should get priority over people who may have lived here for years!

I'm looking at Davisons, which is a long way in East Worthing, but really nice. I guess its just something to get on with and not get too stressed about. I think you're right Javo in terms of persistence but it seems to be luck as much as anything. Its just funny the admissions dept seem to have no idea what to do or say.

In relation to the priority over newcomers upthealdi, I know what you mean, but it just feels that someone without a school place at all should be a priority over someone who has one as its very valuable time lost in education if people are waiting, but I can see your point. Its tricky for all though! Anyway, will keep trying and see how things pan out.

:)

Davisons is nice, have friends there, but isn't it really oversubcribed usually too? good school :)

Seems to me whoever lives nearer should get the school place, as is the case with normal admissions.

If that happened to be the child who already had a school place, then they would free up a place at the school they are leaving.

I'd be furious if I'd been on a waiting list for a school and someone who lived further away got it becuse they had just moved to Brighton.

That is a good point upthealdi, however I think the best option would be to make the schools better across the board so there's not such a desperation to get into a couple of schools! A longer term issue I guess!

You are way out of catchment area for Davisons and as it is always oversubscribed you are very unlikely to get a place. You are actualy last place on their admissions criteria for year 8 and come under 8. Other girls not resident in the Borough of Worthing.
And i know of girls within walking distance who qualify under rules 4 and 5 and still didn't get a place.

So dont go setting your heart on Davisons as it is very unlikely to happen.

On a more posative note i have friends with children at Hove Park and the children are doing well and happy in their school.

Thanks looloolollie for taking the trouble to update me. I can see schools will be a lottery if we move - rather scarey as like yours my dd is very happy in a good state secondary in London and doesnt want to leave.

Hove Park School is in 1% of most improved schools in the UK.
Yes, it wasn't very well managed school until New Head ( very strict ) was appointed in 2011 and he took this school from 29% GCSE to a 65%! in 2012.This year they are aiming 78%.Clearly the fault was in the previous managment not children.
You said that school looks tatty ...which one doesn't ? Funny enough I have seen Longhill school that have not very good opinion and guess what! It looks almost new,clean,sparkly and has the cleanest toilet I have ever seen in my life.
I have seen Blatchington Mill and had exactly the same feeling as yours about Hove Park.
Hove Park catchment area covers posh bits of Hove,wealthy Hove Park and middle class parts of Hove,Portslade,Hangelton and (from the previous years )bit of really wealthy Dyke Road Avenue and Preston.

Like you I'd heard bad things about Hove Park re: bullying etc, and knowing we were too far away to get into Blatchington, plumped for Portslade Community College (as it was then). My godson went there and was fine (he's quite a gentle soul) so I saw it as the better option for my rather shy and small-for-her-age dd.
Worst mistake I ever made! It is a terrible school whereas dd's primary school friends who opted for Hove Park seem to have had a much better time of it, plus their pass rate went up a lot this year, whereas PACA's went down slightly (though they still go on about 'continuing improvements' in the newsletters, they think we are thick). Mind you, we now have a 'new broom' Head who seems to be showing a bit of gumption (to collective wailing from those who think their little darlings should be able to go to school dressed like rock stars) so things could be looking up. Unfortunately he is only temporary so anything could happen.
With the benefit of hindsight I wouldn't have been put off Hove Park so easily and it appears to be still improving.

The new Bilingual Primary School (English and Spanish) is amazing too.

Re-animating this thread because there seem to be a lot of really experienced and knowledgeable people on it.

We are increasingly looking at Longhill, since Woodingdean makes good sense for us, price-wise, space-wise and proximity-wise. Our kids currently attend St Luke's which is fine (we are renting around the corner, but with house prices being what they are, it doesn't look likely that we'll be able to buy nearby).

I know Longhill has had its troubles, but it seems to be on the upswing. I'd be interested to hear about people's experiences with it -- also, there is a new Ofsted report due this week, so that'll be interesting to read.

Hi nrvOus. My friend's daughter started at Longhill in Year 7 and is really enjoying it, a lot :-) My friends son went in age 14 had a ball but flunked his exams, not sure if that was laziness or changing at that age. He had to re-sit, but is now doing A'Levels at Varndean College and is doing fine. I visited Brighton a few years back and saw the kids from Longhill' choir in a local church and they were great, really nice kids :-))

Thanks for the comments about Longhill -- the new Ofsted report actually downgraded the school (now it 'Requires Improvement') although this report has kicked off a major effort at the school to get that verdict overturned, so that may change soon.

What is the latest on Hove Park? I know that Blatchington Mill is considered very good, but is HP narrowing the gap?

Hello, I am looking for a primary school. i can not find any reviews on Brunswick Primary in Hove, it is Ofsted Good, any mums would know how is the school like?thank you.

Brunswick is a good school. My friend was a teacher there, a few friends have kids there. It is big (four forms) but I'm not sure that's such an issue unless you have a kid who is likely to struggle for some reason.

Hello, I was wondering what the latest is on Dorothy Stringer and Varndean - are they both still allocated on postcode lottery, as I was under the possibly very misguided impression, that this was something still in the pipeline and due to be decided on by 2018?
We are thinking of moving to Fiveways, when DD is in Y5/6 and are wondering how on earth we'd ever buy in the catchment of Stringer to guarantee she gets a place there, if there is no actual catchment.
Also, Downs Primary School aside, which other primaries come very highly recommended in the Fiveways area?
Thank you