Honeywell and Belleville - recent experience?

[charlietoatea]

Hi
We've just moved to the area and are looking at schools for our ds. Has anyone got any recent experience? Would we stand a chance of getting into either, and what are the alternatives? would really value some recent opinions

Welcome to the area "charlietoatea"! These are both great schools, and there are other great schools in the area too. To have an idea of whether or not you stand a chance of getting in, we'd need to know which year you'd be applying for (for Reception you would be a late application now, which would hamper your chances), and also your distance from the school. Both schools have catchment areas of around 400m or less - and this year the distance is measured as the crow flies for the first time, so no one is quite sure what the outcome will be. I believe reception places are allocated sometime in April, so it will all be clearer then. Good luck!

Hi NightingaleZoo thanks for replying! We're hoping to get our ds into either (or somewhere else?!) next year - i.e. for Reception in September 2014. Just wondered what our options are. I hear that Belleville is huge and it has two locations. And Honeywell is impossible to get into unless you live next door. We live on Broomwood Rd. Would be interested to hear people's experiences for this year!

If you live on Broomwood Road, you've got a pretty good chance of getting into Honeywell, even though you might initially be put on the waiting list. good luck!

Hello again! Sorry I haven't logged in for a while. Belleville isn't really huge, it is often just perceived that way because it takes 4 classes per year now instead of Honeywell's 3 classes a year. One of the Belleville classes are housed at their Meteor Road site which is around Clapham Southside. Parents with children there say that it is a lovely new facility and they have the upside of being a part of everything at Belleville, but with a smaler campus feel.

I think you stand a good chance of getting into either school with a Broomwood Road address, but you might not get an offer in the first round. There is a alot of movement after the initial round of offers as some families actually leave the area before starting, and others will decide to take up private school places.

You should go to as many open days as you can, including High View which is close and is well thought of these days. The open days tend to be late October / early November. Well before the January deadline for applications.

Thanks, NightingaleZoo and arniesidd, that's really helpful. It sounds as though we might need back-up or at least to hold our nerve! Will investigate High View. And hopefully learn something from this year's intake, too.

And good luck to everyone who applied for a reception place this year!

Apparently, for this year's intake in Sep 2013, catchment for Belleville was 274m and Honeywell 232m.
But this is for the first round offers in April. It usually goes up by September as not everyone accepts the place offered.

For example, Belleville was 402m on first offer last year, distance increased to 469m. Honeywell was 366m initially and then moved to 450m.

We are on Broomwood Road and our son got into Honeywell this year with no problems. He is in reception now. We absolutely love it. You are not saying which end of Broomwood Road you are - if you are somewhere in the middle, you should be OK. Lots of children in our class live on Broomwood or Honeywell.

Hi Claphammama, we're near Hillier Road, so pretty close. Does anyone know anything about Alderbrook? And I hear there's a new free school in Balham, though obviously too early to say what that's like...

wow - you are very close, practically in front of the school! I bet I pass your house every day then :-) Can't imagine you will have any problems getting in... Honeywell is a lovely school. Don't think Alderbrook is good. My friend's child is there and she is desperately waiting for a place in Honeywell or Belleville. It also doesn't have a good Ofsted report. Have you check Ofsted reports for all schools?

I would just like to share my experience - as a parent whose children actually attend Alderbrook. We feel very fortunate that our children attend a school with such a supportive and happy atmosphere where children are expected to work hard but also enjoy school. Both of our children have had some very good teachers who they have loved and we have found approachable and felt that they have really understood our children.

Agreed the building is shabby ? it is a Victorian building, but there is a new state of the art early years unit being built in time for September 2013 for new nursery and reception classes. This has been funded by Wandsworth Council who had enough faith in Alderbrook to agree to expand it from one to two form entry. New playground equipment has been installed for the older children as part of this package, too.

I get fed up when I hear people with very little first hand knowledge refer to Alderbrook as a not very good school, which seems to reflect what it was like some considerable time ago. After all, it was rated ?good? by Ofsted at the last inspection and it is continually evolving especially with the arrival of the new head teacher, Ms Henry who is very good with the parents and demonstrates great vision and commitment to the school.

My children are both very happy at Alderbrook and are making very good progress. They love going to school and have lots of friends. There is a small but active PTA that works hard putting on a variety of events to raise money for the school and which has the full support of the head teacher.

Go and visit Alderbrook with an open mind and talk to the staff and to other parents. Then you will be able to make an accurate up to date judgement about the school. Personally. we are very happy with Alderbrook (thank goodness as it is our nearest school) and wouldn?t dream of sending our children anywhere else.