Is there anyone who lives in WELWYN GARDEN CITY?

[Curlylox]

Looking to move to the area, have liked what we have seen so far (houses) but not sure where to start......when it comes to primary schools? Looked at SATs results but cant just judge a school by SATs results or can you? What else can I do to find out the better performing schools?

Yes there is a well known Mner who lives there, but she's changed name recently and I'm not sure what to. Will see if I can unearth her later. (I'm near WGC but dd not school age yet).

You could also try joining mumsnet local and asking on there.

I live in Tewin - our local school is excellent (Tewin Cowper School).

Apparenltly it's excellent - my two are not school age yet either!

My lo is not of school age just yet either but wanted to cover all bases when we eventually move iyswim. Not sure how to join mumsnet local????

OOh yes - I think I'm thinking of the same one as you CSWS

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Cheers or that.... but no messages posted on there, so not sure if I would get a response (hmm)

hello.

right where to begin.

the most sought after school is applecroft onm the west side. its is v v v hard to get a place there.

i am in the peartree area, and there are 3 school locally to me, a great one (which my dd1 goes to, and my dd2 will be starting in sept) an ok one and a not so good one.

what areas/streets are you looking at?

commanswood, very geared up for SN, large school, would've driven dd there if needed and no other places.

creswick jmi, no idea on this one, i attended when i was younger, but they have since knocked old buolding down and relocated, nice new building, modern and upto date, believe it has its own pre-school/nursery attached.

holwell. lovely old style red brick school. places always filled especially for reception-yr2. no nursery/pre-school but on the same road next to each other, is the oak tree children centre, which consists of private nursery, nursery school (3yrs 9month+) which is again very good for SN and has an enrichment group there. cant rate the nursery highly enough, its lovely.

swallowdell, big school, good, but not the best IMO. several children have left due to bullying, didnt pick up on my dd1 reading problems, she was only put on IEP and small group owrk once i had moved her to one of the above schools.

peartree hmmm not much to say about this. but i didnt even look at it, and it was closer to me than one of the others.

I don't live in WGC any more and left just before ds1 started school but when we looked around, visits etc Templewood was really lovely. See here www.templewood.herts.sch.uk/ The catchment area was quite small though, applecroft also very good.

temple wood and apple croft are v v good schools.

theres another one on that side as well, harwood hill i think it is. looked at the that one was very impressed, but was too far and i didnt drive.

Hello Misdee

Sorry haven't responded sooner as been so busy no time to log on. Thank you all for responding.
Anyway seen quite a few houses in WGC, have like a few but not sure about the schools and am currently driving my DH up the wall. Quite like a house we saw in Uplands nearest schools by postcode is Homerswood, Templewood, Welwyn St Mary's CE and Harwood? We also saw a property in Furzefield Road my husband really liked schools nearest are Holwell, Peartree and Creswick? House hunting is not exciting as it first was so much to take in to account, especially schools, makes my head hurt so any info would be most helpful. Misdee I understand that you put down 3 schools of your choice but how did you manage to get your lo into good school even though it is not your nearest?

you will not get into holwell unless you are in a catchment area (furzefield falls in that catchment, i am on ludwick) or sibling rule. it is hard to get into, basically be prepapred to possibly send your child to another school whilst waiting. dd1 was at another school for 2.5terms whilst waiting for place at h o l well. is your child at school already? we moved here after places had been allocated, and holwell is a small school with only 30places per year group.

how did i get her in there? pure fluke tbh. our property had been empty for a while, and i knew the people who lived here before and the people before them. the school wrote to a person who has never ever lived at this address saying there was a place coming available in the yr group dd1 was waiting for. i called up the school, said these people had never lived at this address, they said oh (possibly someone trying to use this address for catchment porposes?), i pointed out dd1 was on the waiting list so they offered it to her.

peartree is closer by a couple of hundred metres.

No my DD is not in school yet although from what I can understand registration/application forms go out this Sept so she can start nursery Sept 2008. As like any parents we would like to give her the best start possible, hence a good school. That' why we have to get our skates on and find a home. Not considering Peartree. Misdee any other info you can offer would be most appreciated. How do I find out about the catchment areas please?

yes packs go out in sept for next years starters. same for nursery packs. dd3 should get her nursery application pack.

i'm not quite asure how far the catchment area goes, but generally wherever you find a place there are around 3 schools in the area surrounding.

holwell is fantastic, but as you dont have the sibling rule for you, then if you want it then find a place quickly.

furzefield rd is an ok area, dont go for peartree lane, woodhall court, peartree court, cowper road, upperfield or knella.

oh if it nursery 08, then you will be looking possibly at ludwick nursery school which is part of oaktree childrens centre, my dd3 will be there as well then.

i am not too good with the nurseries here, as dd1 was in a nursery in hatfield.

Do you know much about the road I mentioned in an earlier email, Uplands and it's nearest schools, Homerswood anf Harwood? Do you prefer WGC to Hatfield as you mentioned dd1 attened nursery there? Right we'll definitely have to get our skates on then and that would be lovely if my dd gets into the same nursery as your dd.

i am a WGC girl through and through nurseyr palces dont get filled as quickly as school places.

not too sure on uplands myself, dh thinks it might be rough.

dont go to hatfield. to clarify my point go to the town centra and notice all the shut up shops.

I have a friend in WGC. She lives round the corner from a school called panshanger.
Her lo is under a yr old but there's a sign for the school on the way to her house and for some reason it's one of those names that has stuck in my head.

Sorry, this is not help at all! Though my friends house is nice!

homemama, your friend lives in the panshanger part of WGHC (road begins with Dan....??) and panshanger infants is a school there. not sure if theres a junior school there.

Hiya, no her road doesn't begin dan.. The name of her street has a horsey name.

I thought the sign just said panshanger primary but maybe school. Can't remember, I'm sure you're correct as you live there!
So, (being nosey) Is it a good school?

Sorry Curlylox, I didn't mean to hijack your thread. Still, at least I'm bumping it.

i belive its a good school. not sure if it ranks up there with applecroft ;).

not heard anything bad about it.

ooo a horsey name, off to have a nosey on multimap, and get my brain working on that part of town.