Hertford Infant, Fairlight Primary, Coombe Primary Schools

[breathingmum]

Hello

I am looking for advice and opinions about the above schools.

We are moving to Brighton in February and are in the process of applying to schools. I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old daughter.

Our nearest school would be St. Bernadettes (we are on withdean cresent)but have been informed by the council that our nearby schools have no places available.

The nearest school with places are Hertsford Infant, Fairlight Primary and Coombe Road Primary in the order of distance.

Unfortunately we are abroad at the moment (used to live in London) and are therefore unable to view the schools.
I have looked at the ofsted reports but feel unable to base my decision on that. I would much rather hear the opinions and views of local mums.

Also, if you have any experience with Preston Park Playgroup and /or Dorothy Stringer Playgroup for my youngest, I would love to hear it.

Thanks very much.

Hi breathingmum. I don't know anything about the other two but we looked around Hertford for DD1 and it's lovely. Nice and small compared to the others. I know people with DCs there who are very happy.

The only issue is that apparently the Junior School isn't that good (although things change so I don't know..).

I can highly recommend Dorothy Stringer playgroup - it is lovely. all the staff are caring and they are all mothers with slightly older children. I do not have a bad thing to say about the place. DD1 went there and loved it and DD2 will go there too. It's term time only and 'big' kids go in the morning (i.e. preschool year) and little ones 2+ go in the afternoon.

My ds goes to Hertford Infants and it is a lovely school. It has a really happy, caring atmosphere, which was the first thing that attracted me to the school. My ds has been happy there and is doing progressing well in his school work. I haven't heard great things about the Hertford Juniors, so I am not sure if we will send him on there.

My friends children have done very well at fairlight, another friend has children at hertford infants which she's happy with but removed her eldest from the juniors due to bullying.

No experience of the playgroups, but my children were very happy at fiveways playgroup

Of those 3 I think Hertford is best. My ds went to Downs which was great and still is.

also because the local schools are infant/junior schools once your eldest goes into yr3 you'll be on an equal footing with other applicants and will be likely to get your child into the nearest junior school. My children also are/were at Downs and we're very happy with it

Considering where you hope to live, Hertford will be the easiest to get to. I thought it had a really good atmosphere, is smaller than some of the others nearby, I liked the slightly bonkers head 'i like to speak in Spanish and pose a philosophical question for the day' followed by a little boy asking him what the time was 'yes very good question, what is time.....' You can always start at a school and be on a waiting list for another one if you're not happy.

And i too would echo the juniors school issue....

Dorothy Stringer playgroup is fab - the staff are so friendly, active and caring, always doing differnt activiites. As a mum going in briefly to pick up ds1 it never seems stale. Also the mums are very friendly and that always helps.

Fiveways playgroup on Florence road is amazing too - very busy and dynamic. I would not recommend the one on Hollingbury Park though.

I don't think it's true that you will be on an equal footing for getting into junior school.

Many infant and junior schools are now linked so kids at the infants will have priority over newcomeres even if they live further away. So if you would like, say, to go to Downs Juniors, children currently at Downs Infants would get priority.

Of course there are a few more places in juniors than in infants, so you might be OK, but others might live nearer/ have sibling links

Thanks so much everyone.
This is all great stuff to know, as it would take me some time to figure it out myself.
Making me slightly uneasy thou as really don't know whats going to happen. Council told me that they will only inform me of which school we will be given one week before we arrive in Brighton. Bit short notice I think, especially since we have already applied.
Anyway, I am sure you have all been through it and it worked out ok.

Looking forward to our move now. So lovely to have such a great responds, makes me feel homely there already...

Thanks again ladies

The schools are only linked for siblings, you do not automatically get into the junior school if you're in the infants

sorry, My mistake they have changed things since my ds2 started juniors and upthealdi is right.

However the junior schools can have 32 per class as opposed to 30 in the infants, in the larger juniors (4 classes) this obviously means they have an exra 8 places so it's likely you'll get a place at a closer junior school.

There is a thread already about Fairlight here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/local_brighton/a1302033-Fairlight-Primary-School-Brighton but read until the end because it gets better! Of your choices I'd say Fairlight and Hertford are more highly regarded that Coombe Road.
Good luck!