Looking for the best Primary school in St Albans

[floridaa]

Any opinions on good primary schools in St Albans (proper). Also need opinion on St Albans boys independent school for my first son.
Thanks in advance

All good primaries in St Albans are oversubscribed. You will not get a place unless you live in catchment or want to go private.
Hertsschoolguru website is really helpful.
I don't know anything about St Albans boys, sorry.

Thank you. Hertsschoolguru is helpful but doesn't give any insight about the school or any reviews about schools.
Looking for good/outstanding schools in St Albans only.

St Albans boys is a very good school. It's very strong academically and therefore pretty tough to get into. How old is your DS?

i think that boys from the state system go in at 11, boys in the indie sector go in at 13. Either way, there are challenging exams to get through. You need to contact the school to get an idea of the timetable and what is expected.

Thank you Nigella.
He is nine now. I already spoke to them yesterday. Looks very tough to get in.

What about Primary Schools , do you any that is genuinely good

Do you know any ? Typo

I'm not too sure, I'm afraid, your best bet is to go onto the Herts council website and get the list of schools and then check the Ofsted reports which will be on the schools' websites.

Here is something quite unscientific...
primary-schools.findthebest.co.uk/d/a/St-Albans

However, I would caution 'picking' a school. It is not a case that you find a school that you like and apply. You have to wait for a school place to come up, and there will already be a list of people waiting for that place at the good schools.

Therefore you have to be living closer than anyone else and be ready to take up a place at sometimes one days notice.

So, say, you fancied the Abbey School, which I know is very good, you would have to move right next to it, send your child to whatever school you could get into, and wait for a place. I presume your child is in Y5, there is a strong chance that no place comes up for the next year and a half, so you would have to buy/rent in one of the most expensive parts of St A on the off chance that they would get in.

The sad fact is, that you don't really have a choice. There will be a list of schools with available places on the council website.

On the other hand, if you are keen to look at St Alban's, have you looked at St Columba's? It is a prep school as well as a senior school. I don't know much about the admissions, but if you can pay, you may have more luck. Ditto, the other boys prep schools in the area; Heath Mount, Lockers Park, etc.

Can I do home schooling and then get the second son into private after year 6 . Do they accept home schooled children ? We have been offered the least choice schools in St Albans which I am not comfortable. Very confused .
First son is currently in a private school .Worried about my second son. He is 6 year old. We moved recently to St Albans. Primary school is the one that is keeping me really worried. I don't want to blindly believe ofsted as well.

We were in St Albans few years ago , but there is so much gap, lots might have changed !

Are your boys currently in school in St Albans?

I'm afraid I have no idea if being home schooled would act against your boy getting into an independent senior school, but I would doubt it. You really have to ask the school. (or in the meantime, ask on the home ed boards here).

However, if he is bright enough, engaged at the interview, and the right kind of boy for that particular school, I can't imagine that they would mind how he was schooled. You as a family would have to be fully committed to the school.

I think that it is extremely difficult to get into the likes of St Albans because it is such a good school. I reckon most boys who go there in Y7 have some kind of specialist tutoring, and I know that prep schools put a huge amount of effort into preparing the children for entry at Y9.

I can't advise about private schools, but I'm a bit confused about what you want for state schools for your second son? So you need a place in Year 2, if he's 6, is that right? As Nigella has said, St Albans schools are often very over-subscribed, and so you can't just choose the best school and go there, it depends on which schools have places, and whether you live near enough to get a place.

This Herts Council website lists all spare places in state schools in St Albans. For the schools without a space, you can go on a waiting list. You say you've been offered "the least choice school" - do you mean the Council has offered you a school you don't want? This sounds like there aren't schools with a place in Year 2 near where you live. Have you asked the Council School Admissions team for advice about your situation?

As well as looking at Ofsted results, the other things you can do are to look at results here, and actually visit the schools.

Both sons are bright. First son is currently in Habs boys. Second it is difficult to afford at this stage. Second also very bright social type and likes getting challenged. He accepts he is also a nerd like his brother and proud about it, both of them are very matured.
Yes , I was offered least choice schools by Council.

Floridda I really don't think there are bad primary schools in St Albans. Go and visit them. Some that used to be less desirable like Samuel Ryder have turned themselves round recently.

It's just not as simple as finding the "best" state school in St Albans though - if the Council has given you a school, it's presumably because there are no other schools with spaces in the right year group closest enough to where you live. You really do need to speak to the Council about what schools have places, which you would qualify for, because otherwise thinking about the "best" school in St Albans is an entirely theoretical exercise.

Unless you are prepared to move house in order to be close enough to get a place in the school of your choice, and that still assumes that school has a place.

Legally the council could offer you some hell hole in Hemel Hempstead like the school my daughter goes to provided they pay for taxis. I think it's unlikely.

If a child wants to get on and the school is OK they will achieve. My daughter's primary has a terrible reputation but she did incredibly well in her key stage 1 SATS last year. A hard working, bright and determined child in historically one of the worst primaries in Hertfordshire can outshine a lazy child at Habs. If you choose to go down the state school route I would not worry too much about where your child is allocated if the school is in St Albans. Generally St Albans state schools are good.

I believe that St Columbas has a good prep department if you can afford private and don't mind a catholic ethos.

Can anyone recommend a good reliable plumber in St Albans?