How close do you have to be?

[OliviaL]

Hi

Quick question - I am a new arrival to London and recently moved to South Wimbledon (Battles area). I'm wondering how near does one have to be to primary schools to get a place? The nearest school to us would probably be All Saints but I know nothing about it. St Mary's could be an option (am Catholic) but not sure how difficult it is to get in. I keep reading about children not getting places and it all sounds a bit daunting.

It's all very different to home and my head's a bit frazzled by it all even though DD is only three. And as for nurseries...that's another story!

O

allocationa

This might be useful to see the catchment areas of schools closest to you - you can them marry to the distance you are - as the crow flies - from your closest schools.

Then think about independent back-up options (if that's possible for you)

Otherwise, sell the house, buy a tent and pitch it on the playground of your favoured school...

db
xx

Well would say that the schools you may have a chance of getting your DD into (presuming she is your eldest and you won't benefit from the sibling policy), given where you are living, are: Pelham (although outside chance), All Saints (has done very well in the League Tables recently but most parents don't rate it very much), Garfield, Holy Trinity (possibly, possibly), St Mary's (but do you go to church regularly enough to get a letter from the priest?) possibly The Priory and probably Merton Abbey (but again you'd be hard-pushed to find many parents who have anything good to say about it). If I were you I would get details from Merton Council as to catchment distances and start looking round the possibles to see which you like/don't like.

Bear in mind though, that Merton Council is still adding 'bulge' classes for 2012/13 and 2013/14 for Reception so the demand is still on the up....

Good luck. Ask around as well, when you go to toddler groups and anything going on in the libraries etc.... and hang around the parks near those schools after 3.00 pm - that will give you some insight into the children at a particular school.

Thanks a lot for that. Good to get the inside track. Have been applying for nurserry places in many of the above for September (again am very late in this but we're only in the house a week).

St Mary's would be great and do have glowing letter from our previous priest - he was feeling generous - but will be putting in regular appearances at the church!!

Got a lovely feel from Holy Trinity but I suspect we are too far from it.

Anyway some time away yet

Cheers
O

You never know they might have built a new school by then....it's still being threatened that there will be a new one somewhere in Wimbledon!

Good luck!

The past couple of years have been dreadful for the battles area getting any of their choices. However, this year With Pelham opening another class, and not many siblings, it's opened up a little bit. They have doubled their area in the last year.
Merton Abbey(good results recently since last ofsted) Garfield and All saints all about the same distance. All saints big changes with supposed new classrooms in comm college in victory Road.

I think St Marys is pretty strict, but don't know anyone who goes there.
The religious applications are all a bit of a mystery to me!

Did you look at any of the private nurseries btw? Spotted your previous thread.

Merton will probably get their act together for next year. It's been such a shambles that they have to!!