Primary Schools in Bexley

[muminerith]

Hello everyone

We need help with a dilemma.Our son is due to start reception in 2019. Our older children attended Belmont Primary School but we have now moved out of the catchment area.
The dilemma is do we move closer to Belmont Primary School because it is familiar (even though we do not think they stretch the more able students) or do we apply to Christchurch Primary School?

We are likely to get into Christchurch as we attend church and live locally but I am not sure about the school.
Does anyone know what behaviour is like at Christchurch?
Does anyone know if the school stretches the more able students?

We have read the Ofsted Report however I know that Ofsted reports do not always show the full picture. We would love to hear from parents of children that attend Christchurch or what people may have heard about the school.

We are also looking at Old Bexley School. It is further away from us but seems like a good school. Does anyone have children at this school? What is behaviour like? In what ways do they stretch the more able students? I would really appreciate your opinions.

We also have a dd in year 5. We are thinking of St Catherine's Catholic School as a back-up/ non selective choice.

Any views would be much appreciated.

Kind regards

Old Bexley is heavily over subscribed. Avoid Hurst.

St Caths is wonderful, I worked there for a short time, again it is sought after.

Avoid any of the TKAT (The Kemnal Academy Trust) Schools, which in your area would be Cleeve Park, Welling, & Kemnal (Currently a boys school but it cannot sustain intake and may likely go co-ed at some point). Lack of discipline, falling results year on year, abysmal leadership, no direction, a culture of bulling amongst the SLT to staff.

I expect I'm rather late to join in, but although my DGD is happy at Old Bexley her older brother was badly bullied and in the end he moved to Hurst, where he was very happy, made lots of friends and did well.

Our DDs went to st Catherine's years ago and it is much better now than it was then, but I believe it's very difficult to get in unless you are Catholics who attend Mass regularly. I think you have to apply for a place there before the 11+ results are out, but the previous poster will probably know more than me about that.