Moving back to UK. Colchester primary schools?

[lostinthought]

Hello. I'm new to MN and looking for some advice on Colchester primary schools.

We are currently living in Jerusalem and will not move back to the UK till the summer. I may need to choose a primary for my DD without having visited it so I would love to hear any personal experiences of schools in Colchester.

I have posted on the primary education board and understand from responses on there that it will probably come down to which schools have places available, but I would still love to hear your opinions.

We haven't decided yet where in or around Colchester we will settle and I am thinking of letting the choice of school decide it for us.

DD is aged six and will enter year two in September. She is Arabic/English bilingual, but is also taught French in school (five lessons a week) and is making good progress. Will I find any Colchester primary schools that teach French? Or does anyone know of French learning opportunities for her age group outside of school in the area?

Thanks for reading!

Are you looking for for a state or private school?

Hi Grabaspoon. We're looking for a state school. Thanks.

Tbh I would pick out areas you think you would like to live in and then come back and ask about the schools, I would also check spaces in any school you like as we are really short on spaces locally. For example I wanted to move my son but cannot find another school (that I like) within two miles that has a space.

They dont teach french as part of the curriculum but you can often get extra classes or clubs - DS does an after school french club.

North Colchester is a good area if you are starting from scratch. There are no bad primarys that I know of, no special measures or anything, and several Outstanding rated schools and lots of "Good" ones. The tables are good too, not just Ofsted, and good on word of mouth too.

Handy area to live if you work in London as its near the station, and easy access to A12.

There are a couple of good Comps too if your child doesn't make it into the Grammar later.

Hi and good luck with the impending move.

I have recently moved back to Colchester from Hertfordshire, and am very happy with my son's school. St. George's. Small class sizes (max. 25), free music classes, strong links to football club with interesting extra-cirricular activities, head has keen interest in drama and takes school to Mercury Theatre. My son (year 4) is having French lessons as part of cirriculum.

My son has settled in well and is happier in this school than his previous one.

O.k., he is not best-placed for one of the super-duper secondaries. However, as he is a genius, I fully expect him to pass his 11plus with flying colours. (Or something.)