Primary Schools Walthamstow

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Hi all,
we are about to move to Awesomestow in January and need to find a good primary school for a 8 and a 5 year old. We are in the Billet Road area, so catchment area for Roger Ascham, Hillyfields at the Park, The Winn's. I'd really appreciate some feedback on those schools. They all have good or even outstanding rating, but it's the personal parents view that interest me most :-) I had a really good feeling about The Winn's, but found it a bit too large, with four forms each year....?

Thanks so much for your feedback

Julia

Hi, i am not in Walthamstow but in Wanstead, and by reputation I think that The Winns Is a very good school. Don't be fooled by the size - there are advantages to a four-form entry. My children are in a one form entry and they struggle to attract good teachers, and have limited resources and expertise for children with SEN. Yes it's great that the Head know every child, but we have limited outdoor space, the kids are stuck with the same children in their year group throughout their primary education. If you like the school don't let the numbers change your mind.

Thanks for your reply. You are right, it is the first feeling you get when entering a school. I haven't seen it from the perspective of a smaller school, disadvantages etc.
Have you heard anything about Roger Ascham or Hillyfields???

Thanks a lot :-)

I don't personally know anyone who send their child there, but locally they are known as good schools. I think either of your three choices would be good. It's a great area to live in now, loads of young families.

Yes, I think the area feels amazing. So llooking forward to move there, just gotta figure out schools :-)
But thanks for your feedback

We looked at Hillyfields it's a gorgeous school. The staff and facilities are great. There is building work going on there at the moment so not sure if that would be an issue for you.
When we looked around the children all seemed calm and happy and it had a lovely feel to it.

Thats great, thank you! Is this the Park site or the Hill site?

I know The Winns very well.
I know a bit about RA and Hillyfields.

I love The Winns. Its a friendly, happy school and I suspect will be over subscribed in the near future.

I didn't have a good experience of Hillyfields but that was some time ago (although I think much of the management is the same).
RA has a good reputation and lots of my friend's kids have been or still go there.

As they are all good schools I would go for the one that is most convenient for you. If you are on The Billet that would be RA wouldn't it?
(depending on where you are of course).

Yes, RA ist the nearest option for us. And they do have large grounds, what I like. In the end, it is down to the council and available spaces. Argh!
The Hillyfields at the Park, seems rather small in terms of outdoor space, but they have 4 forms each year.
Thanks a lot for your feedback, much appreciated!

Hillyfields in the Park use Lloyd Park as an outdoor space. I have seen them do PE on the fields.

Winns is VERY limited for outdoor space. They have recently done a whizzy upgrade to the playgrounds but its a downside to an otherwise lovely school.

Don't stress too much. I think you have a very good choice of schools and which ever one you get will be fine.

:-) thanks

My son is at Hillyfield in the Park and we're very happy with it so far. It has indeed been a building site solidly for the last three years but they are just putting the final touches to the last bits now, hurrah! My son's classroom is in the brand new block, purpose built. The outside space isn't brilliant, but they are meant to be putting some playground equipment in next summer, and indeed they have the whole park before them which they use a fair amount. And many of the classrooms look out over the park so the school has a very green, open and leafy outlook which I like - the site doesn't feel constrained like some. It's a big school but feels very nurturing and my son is thriving.

Everyone I know whose kids go to Winns love it too. As for Roger Ascham, I don't know many people with kids there but I've not heard anything bad about it. Chapel End was the other school we looked at, which we really liked as well - we only went for Hillyfields (which we liked equally) because everyone else we knew was applying there! Basically all the primaries in this area (north of Forest Road) seem great.

What years are your children in? I have a feeling that Reception at Hillyfield is currently full (although spaces come up often, of course) but I'm pretty sure there are spaces in all the other years. Current year 4 is lovely as they are the oldest in the school, and there are only 2 forms of about 22 kids each. They do plenty of stuff with kids from the Hill site so they don't have the disadvantage of being the oldest all the time, but I think it must be a lovely year group to be in.

Thanks a lot for your feedback :-)