Bromley primary schools - opinions?

[Redhen85]

Hello local mums!
I need to send my primary school application in a few weeks and would really appreciate any opinions that can be offered on the below schools. Valley is our nearest and first choice but the catchment is so small I'm not confident about getting in, trying to work out where to place the others so if anyone can offer some local help I'd be very grateful.

St Marys
St Marks
Harris Shortlands
Parish primary

Thank you in advance!

My DC (one just left for secondary, one still there) have been very happy and have done very well at St Mark's. I think it's a bit under-rated locally, and I must admit it wasn't my first choice when we were applying for DD1, but I'm really glad we ended up there. The head is very approachable, and staffing has been pretty stable over the years which I think is a good sign. Behaviour seems good, other parents generally nice. I don't know enough about the others on your list to compare, but I would personally recommend St Mark's.

Thank you so much that's really helpful and reassuring, especially as St Marks looks like our most likely chance of getting a space.

V specific question (!) But we'd been planning to do a recce to see what parking is like, do you have any idea how hard/ easy it is to get a space at drop off and pick up? We obviously can't see what that's like while schools are closed. While I wish we could walk there it's just not feasible so the parking is a bit of a question mark

We're five minutes away so we walk, but the traffic/parking at drop-off and pick-up can be a bit bonkers (like most primary schools, I suppose!), mostly due to the tight bend where Aylesbury/Newbury roads meet. Just takes a delivery van arriving at the same time as all the parents to snarl the whole thing up. It's worth looking at parking on Ridley Road and walking over the railway bridge, or Queen Anne Avenue and coming down the footpath next to the school instead.

Good luck with it all!

Thank you i will do that!

Good luck with the secondary too, it is never ending isn't it!