Starting infant school/same-sex parents in Whitstable?

[TaraBW]

My (same-sex) partner and I spend half the week in Whitstable with our nearly-4-year-old son, Emile, and we are thinking of making it our permanent home. At the moment we don't know anyone in Whitstable with children so we'd like to meet other parents, same sex or otherwise, with children of a similar age.

Emile will be starting school in September and we are considering applying to schools in Whitstable as a late admission (he currently has a place at a school near our home in SE London). Can anyone offer us advice on local infant/primary schools? Joy Lane, Herne Bay and Westmeads look best from our online research but we'd trust first hand experience much more.

Thanks!

Hi there Tara, I am a Tsarina for Mumsnet in Canterbury! Welcome to the area. Whitstable is a lovely place to settle. I am not sure about the LGB community itself but I know the area is a friendly one and there are plently of activities and opportunities to meet parents in and around the area. As for schools there are several good primary schools in and around Whitstable. Joy Lane is a lovely school, as is St Alphege, Whitstable & Seasalter school, Westmeads. Swalecliffe Primary is also another great school. If you drive, Reculver Primary is not far from the area and is a good school. I live in Canterbury now, but I went to Hampton Primary when I was a child and it was a fantastic school that is not far from Whitstable close to Herne Bay. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

There is a lovely looking primary in Goodnestone just up the road to Seasalter from Whitstable - I don't know anything about it other than seeing it yesterday & thinking it looked like a charming small village school in either a converted church or old school building. It had new playground equipment which caught my eye too. It wouldn't be as bad for traffic around school drop-off times as anything more central - my parents live near Joy Lane & it is really bad along there at busy times, but that it pretty much to be expected from most schools in urban areas these days I guess.

Oh I just remembered I was going to add there is a Montessori school in Faversham if that is of interest - brand new facilities, abt 10mins from Whitstable.

Herne bay is quite a depressing place to live IMO

Herne Bay certainly hasn't had the same renaissance/revival/re-invigoration that Whitstable has over the last 10yrs or so. Whitstable is fab & vibrant in comparison. I think there are some small pockets of decent residential areas in Herne Bay & I don't mind the independent shops & seafront on a nice day but I wouldn't choose it as a base.

There is also Blean school further out on the way to Canterbury from Whitstable. I went there & apparently it is regarded as a good school now too.

Poor old Herne Bay

at Herne Bay hate

Hiya, here another lesbian parent in Whitstable. Our daughter is 6 and goes to st Alphege, she loves it there and it's closest to our house. We also got an in-year admission, wanted Westmeads initially as we were not keen on a faith school, but there was no space. It worked out fine in the end, her teacher is lovely and she only has 20 kids in her class (although that can be different for other years). We know of other same sex parents with a child in Westmeads, and one with a child in St Mary's,... Most schools here are pretty good but you should visit them to see what style and atmosphere you like best,.. Westmeads is very popular with the 'cool crowd' but has a new head teacher starting in sept and is pretty oversubscribed, maybe also has a very particular view on how children must be taught which may or may not suit you. For us the big question is what to do after infant school. Whitstable Endowed is academically etc. good but it's rather religious, whilst Whitstable junior is good but maybe a bit 'rough' ? Especially for kids who may not exactly fit in, such as having 2 mums or being ethnically different or just a bit shy etc? I'm not sure?