A great mixed state school in London?

[Wednesday101]

We’re relocating from Manchester to London with 8 and 10 year old children. Main criteria for new house is to be near an excellent mixed state secondary school. We’re looking for an inclusive, supportive ethos with good academics as well as extracurricular activities (sport / drama)
Does anyone have any advice? We have friends north and south of the river so we are open to anywhere at the moment. South London is a slight preference.
Appreciate this is very broad but if anyone has any tips of great schools I’d love to visit some in the summer term.
Thanks all!

For starters:-

https://simplylondonrelocation.com/knowledge-base/the-best-secondary-state-schools-in-london/

What's your budget, and are you looking to rent or buy?

What’s your budget and do you have any idea of area? Some schools in link I posted are in East London, you may not want to live there.

We will probably rent to start off and then hopefully buy. Budget will be 820k max.
North or South preferable (East and West less so)
Thank you so far!

The Charter Schools are very good (North Dulwich and East Dulwich). Teeny catchment though, your budget is going to get you a flat not a house (or a doer-upper in the Sunray Estate or Delawyk Crescent if you fancy a project - they are good houses but just slightly out of price range).

Kingsdale is excellent but a literal lottery to get in. No catchment area.

Graveney gets good recommendations, as does Habadashers Aske in Nunhead/Brockley. Should be plenty in price range in both catchments.

Thanks so much! Great advice. I’ve heard of a couple of these schools. I’ll look up open days.

That’s a bit of an odd list tbh. I live and work in Camberwell and DS goes to school here, and while Sacred Heart is a perfectly good school, I don’t think anyone locally would rank it number 3 in London. Nobody moves to Camberwell to get their kids a place there.

If you're looking in Zone 2/3, not fixed on a mixed school and have boys, then recommend a look at Harris Boys East Dulwich- it's Ofsted Outstanding and recently been on some list of best schools in London (anecdote - I don't have a link).

If you want mixed then I liked John Roan in Greenwich, but you won't get much for your budget immediately round school as Maze Hil is £££.

Hmm, agree that's an odd list! Some of data is old, and Mossbourne Federation has been investigated for "harmful disciplinary culture for vulnerable students".

Graveny is also very tricky to get into. Miniscule catchment plus an 11+ style test.

Glenthorne in Sutton is mixed with good academics. It also has a performing arts entrance test so take a proportion of people in via that route. Not sure how it fairs on supportive - I’ve heard it’s very strict.

If you are ok with a flat spacewise, all of the options mentioned above would work. If you need a house for some reason, you will have to look further out eg Kent grammars.

Actually 3 bed houses in Orpington are that budget but girls and boys schools only. Are you set on a mixed? Friends of mine sent their DD to Kingsdale she’s left now, actually didn’t do brilliantly there at all. Other local parents send their DC to local Harris academies - these parents are eg Marketing Exec c4, film/tv journalist and wife at Barbican centre, record company CEO and DJ agent (Kingsdale). My mum actually taught creative writing classes at Graveney but have no idea how popular it is to get into. Beckenham has Langley park boys and girls schools both v good.

That’s just what I got from googling.

I second Glenthorne as it’s very good and has a focus on the performing arts. Your budget would get you a decent house in the catchment.

Graveney is similar academic wise but not sure how much focus on drama & you would get a small terrace.

Kingsdale is very overrated in my opinion, its not bad but often the only decent option for kids in certain areas which makes it oversubscribed.

There are more options if you consider single sex.

Richmond/Teddington probably has the best cluster of good state options but I don’t know enough about them re a focus on drama.

North London, Rough guide to Muswell Hill prices, they’re mostly leasehold or share of freehold and more likely to get a house if you can stretch to £900K or £1mK.
Muswell Hill is a lovely area. No train station (I think, definitely no tube!) but a walk or bus to northern line tube. The other houses I briefly saw in harrow were more near Wembley, I may be snobby but my dad used to live in Kenton which is suburban but not as rough to my mind as Wembley. Area could’ve changed. I also drive through Lewisham to take nephew to music class, again not stunning area but some nice properties. Your DC would have to get buses or trains but they’re honestly quite decent and ignore people who say they’re rough, they’re fine.

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/property/3-bedrooms/muswell-hill/

Dunraven used to have a decent drama dept. But all the arts cuts no idea how that’s affected classes.

ooh Dunraven does have a drama dept. Area is not loveliest high street ok one end not other, certain roads are better than others.

https://www.dunraven.org.uk/471/curriculum/subject/19/drama

And it’s mixed. No idea re results.

@Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain Im not sure what has happened to Dunraven in recent years but the school academic performance (progress 8/GCSE results) really hasn’t been very good. They have gone from been a good school to just average. I wonder if it’s the impact of Kingsdale increasing its numbers or birth rates, I know Streatham is one of the badly impacted areas.

Where will you be working - and therefore where will you need to be commuting to?

https://crystalroof.co.uk/school/137093-dunraven-school

Says 70% but no idea if that’s good or bad. I’m not a parent. Pity it used to be good.

Streatham has never been the same for me since Pratts (John Lewis) left but think that was in 90s! High street went downhill too. :-(

My friend’s DD went to Kingsdale and didn’t do well there at all. Parents could’ve afforded private and think they wished they did now.