Primary chools - thoughts about Larkrise / Windmill / SS Mary & John / Rose Hill / St. Ebbes

[CairoLucy]

... we came for our summer hols to see family and friends in the UK, but due to the political situation 'back home', and family emergencies here, we are having to stay for the foreseable future and live in Oxford. Our DD, who turns 5 in Sept, is due to start 'Reception'/FS2 IN TWO WEEKS, and so we are desperately trying to apply for a school place for her. We can stay with MIL in Iffley/Rose Hill, and use her address on our application, until we find a home of our own. Getting a school spot will be a bit of a lottery, but I still want to make sensible choices for our 3 preferences. We want to live within walking distance of school, ideally in East Oxford or Headington. We are a mixed faith, non-religious family, so we really want to avoid a school with a strong faith-based ethos. I'm trying to contact the schools I'm interested in, just to try and have a conversation with the Heads - and find out whether there would be any chance of a place for our DD - but with little luck so far. Since we can't visit the schools at all, I would be very grateful for any 'school gate' thoughts about any of the above schools, which we are currently considering. (Also, if anyone needs housesitters/tenants for a few weeks/months, we'd be EXTREMELY interested).

Sorry, I accidentally posted the same thread twice (using a strange, bug-infested computer). Please post your thoughts and opinions HERE. Many thanks.

I'd love feedback from any parent with children currently at Rose Hill, East Oxford, Larkrise and St Ebbe's - or reasons why you decided against them.

I saw the Head of St Ebbe's and really liked her, but have yet to hear from families there. I have not been able to reach staff member at, or speak to parents from, Rose Hill or East Oxford, so have not been able to gain any sense of those schools. I have mixed reports about Larkrise - mainly positive, but a couple of negative.

Really grateful for any help and opinions.

DD isn't at school stage yet but I can tell you that Windmill is well regarded BUT oversubscribed and pretty hard to get into - Headington catchments are very small because we've got 3 primaries. I'm nearest Wood Farm and unless we move I can't see her getting into Windmill (though DH favours Wood Farm for some reason; he thinks Windmill parents are pushy). Wood Farm, for the record, is OFSTED rated good and has a brand new building. From the sounds of it St Andrew's would be out for you and that's your lot in Headington.

I have two friends in Florence Park who are hoping for St Ebbe's or Larkrise eventually; I will ask them and report back.

Rose Hill... I will be honest and say a friend of a friend worked there and was utterly miserable and disillusioned by the time she left. This was a while ago and it may be on the up but I don't know.

Schools in Headington are oversubscribed. Last year people could not even get to Bayard and were send to Marston :). You'll get there if you live close enough. Windmill, St Andrews (Church of England I believe), Sandhills are OK-good and about the same. Bayard - everybody who cares tries to avoid but I know some parents who're happy with it. Whitley Primary - a friend of mine is really happy with it.

As for contacting the heads/looking at the school in reality you don't have much choice. You'll get either into the school that is not popular, which is not a good sign, or into the school that is really close. Or you might get lucky like the school decide to get extra class in the middle of the summer. If you don't get the place in your choice of school you could go through kind of appeal. General advice - make of another 3 schools. The friend of mine, the one with Whitley Primary, avoided Bayard this way.

Thanks Zanuda, it's a done deal. I really liked the HT at St Ebbe's, and they're adding a new F1/Reception class this autumn, so they've doubled their entry, so DD's got a spot and we start TOMORROW (found out TODAY - thank God it doesn't have a uniform, because it's been enough of a scrabble anyway).

Congrats on your luck :). I've got a place for 1st child the same way, by the way :). As for uniform, most school could sell on spot. And ask around, some school sell used uniform for fraction of the price (I mean jumpers, the rest is easier to buy and not very expensive, just pop up at ASDA, Primemark or Matalan).