Catchment help - Orleans Primary, St Margaret’s

[BlindMelon123]

Hello all

I’m looking for some help with the Orleans Primary catchment.

We are hoping to move to St Margaret’s and have an 18 month old. We would love him to go to Orleans Primary (we are a couple of years from applying but have been given our notice to leave our current rented house and are desperate to buy and get him settled into a nursery when he is 2).

Our concern is the only houses that seem to be on the market right now in budget (appreciating it’s a strange market at the moment) are above the A316 (Haliburton, Ailsa and Gordon Avenue). The information on the Richmond admissions website states that last year the furthest admission was 0.9 miles away, which means last year some houses above the A316 would have been in catchment. Of course no one knows what may happen when we come to apply, but I’m wondering if anyone who lives above the A316 has ever received a place? Or if it’s best to focus our search below the A316?

We are also wondering if anything within budget (£1m for a 4 bed) will ever come up within catchment and give up on this school, or whether we should rent in the catchment for the foreseeable and hope something to buy comes on when things pick up.

Also, I understand Deer Park is moving to the Richmond Road in St Margaret’s, does anyone know if the catchment will change and if so when? I assume it will? Just wondering if that will make places at Orleans more or less in demand.

Would appreciate views!

@BlindMelon123

First off - now you've got No Rain stuck in my head ;)

We are on north end of Haliburton and two of our boys are Deer Park but we were offered a reception spot at Orleans in Sept 2019 so it can happen. Deer Park is moving to East Twickenham in a couple weeks but not sure if that will affect Orleans catchment. Deer Park is growing and is Ofsted "Outstanding" so I gather a few families, especially in East Twickenham who would have sought out Orleans will now be thinking Deer Park. You've also got St Stephens right close by too. Honestly, you're not really going to go wrong for Primary Schools if you end up in St M.

£1 million for 4 bed is about right for north of the A316. South of 316 and close to Orleans is more like >£1.3. South of A316 you're a closer to shops and Marble Hill, etc. but if you end up on the right side of a few streets north of A316 (like Haliburton) the gardens are really long and back onto the River Crane which is great.

Haha sorry about that! It’s a good song though!

Thanks so much for your reply - All super helpful! What made you choose Deer Park over Orleans out of interest?

We just missed out on a house on Haliburton, so gutted as it was perfect but we’re hopeful something else might come up soon. The long gardens are a real draw for us with an energetic toddler!

Can I ask where your nearest play park is? I couldn’t work it out from our short trips there for viewings. I love how close it is to Richmond and the river. And as you say, can’t go wrong with the primary options!

There has been a bit of turnover on Haliburton in the past few months - maybe because of stamp duty holiday - so keep looking. Ailsa and Gordon Ave too.

Redlees park is a few blocks away; the playground there is pretty good and was recently redone. There is a little field on the Thames path behind Richmond Lock Surgery that my boys have christened "Steep Hill". It's not a playground - it's just, well, a steep hill but that seems enough to entertain them. Old Deer Park and Moormeed are both within walking distance and I really like the playground at Marble Hill in the summer as it's nice and shaded with the trees and has bathrooms and a little cafe.

Deer Park vs. Orleans. We thought Orleans before we moved to St M from Chiswick as Deer Park was brand new at the time. But now it's established, has a new Headmaster who is doing a great job, got Ofsted rated, etc. But the biggest factor was the boy next door, who my kids play with all the time, goes there. Selfishly, it has been super easy to drop off as it was in the parking lot and then (pre-lockdown) you could wander into Richmond for a coffee or shopping. The new location will be much trickier for parking but if you walk or ride a bike then no issues.

Late to this conversation, but you should definitely also consider St Stephens which if you look at The Times ranking of all UK primary schools rated St Stephens higher than both Old Deer & Orleans. In fact St Stephens was rank in the top 100 schools in the whole of the uk at no. 99. Both my children go to St Stephens and love it, it’s a fantastic friendly school. Highly recommend