Sout Croydon/Purley primary schools, help!

[hopperdee]

So far, we've been looking into Roke, Howard, Woodcote Green, Ridgeway for next September.

Our nearest schools are actually Catholic or C of E but we are going to avoid the 'pretending to go to church' thing..

Any opinions on any of these schools (or others very near by) - good/bad. Feedback would be much appreciated.

Also, is it true that attending the school nursery has no relation to application for the same school?

Thanks

If you are close to Roke then look at the Hayes but you have to be close. Have you looked on the Croydon council website? It will tell you how many people applied for each school for how many spaces. Good luck!

Reception applications are entirely separate from nursery places.

Are you willing to tell us your nearest school? I'm scratching my head trying to work out where you would have a chance of Howard, Ridgeway and Woodcote from?

Whilst St Peter's sounds like a C of E school it isn't actually a church school, and religion isn't part of the entrance requirement, so it appears like the most obvious missing school from the list and clearly has a good reputation. If you are South Croydon rather than Purley then look at Park Hill. If you are within a reasonable distance of Ridgeway then try Gresham and Atwood as well. I found that the school secretaries at these schools could tell you over the phone whether you would have any chance or not.

Have you visited any of the schools yet? Happy to offer opinions, but the schools have an individual feel and it is likely that you would soon have a preference once you visit them. Purley Oaks is also in the vicinity.

Thanks for the responses - my nearest schools are Christchurch, Regina Coeli and Margaret Roper.
We are just outside the Howard catchment area but fall into the catchment of the others mentioned. just proving a bit tricky as our 3 nearest are religious which is why the others seem a bit random/far apart at the moment.
I didn't know about St Peters/didn't look into it as i assumed it was c of e. So thanks, will check it out. Still waiting for visiting days which seem to be end Sept/start Oct. I know that's the main way of getting a feel for a school but wondered what others thought of them.

Haven't heard of Hayes so will check that out too/not sure if we're in the catchment. Have heard that Purley Oaks isn't very good but I may be wrong? Do your children/friends children go to any of the schools I've mentioned?

Thanks again.

I went to Regina Coeli many many many years ago. It was a wonderful school then. And I suppose its just coincidence - but two of us from my class ended up going to Oxbridge. I think RC can probably take some of the credit. :)

OK, well if you are west of Brighton Road then you're probably out of catchment for the Sanderstead schools, and if you are south of Red Deer then probably Park Hill won't be an option. I think that you are way out of distance for the Hays though I think that it may have increased its intake recently?

I think that Christchurch does take some children based on distance ie it doesn't always fill its spaces based on church attendance whereas RC does.

St Peters is definitely worth a look - I'd say that it is probably the best non-church school for your area. Howard gets a lot of its intake from the Duppas estate, and has tended to lack parental support (though my eldest is currently Year 5, so a lot may have changed since I visited). Good vibes from the staff but doesn't compare with St Ps. Roke has had money thrown at it over the last few years, and is now a school that does well, and has loads of TAs. I'd ask about budget cuts though, because it does seem to be the case that if you live in Kenley you aim for Hays rather than Roke. Woodcote is good, and is obviously in a fairly middle class area. Has a larger catchment as many of the local parents go private because they can.

Just to add to ninamag's comment - do be aware that when you look at the application numbers for the school, this includes all applications so not just first preferences. All the schools can look oversubscribed because parents have to put down 3 choices.

Thanks for the info. That's really interesting about the 'oversubscribed' impression that can be given.
I have a good feeling about Roke and have now visited it/ had a lovely atmosphere. We are also looking into St Peters after your tip. Christchurch is super local and may be on the list but I've been there for a couple for fair/disco type things and was slightly put off for various reasons (eg. only junk food available, seemed quite chaotic on more than one occasion).
Really appreciate this feedback as it helps to give a more complete picture, along with Ofsted reports/ visits.

The over subscription criteria can best be seen in the 3 Sanderstead schools, Ridgeway, Gresham and Atwood, which have respectively 90, 30 and 60 reception places. Local parents typically put down all 3 schools in some order of preference, and all end up in one of them. But on paper, all 3 schools look ridiculously over subscribed, with Gresham looking the most so.

My DCs go to Ridgeway and it is a very good school with a large intake so you may be able to get in. Purley Oaks is not a good school IMO and I would not send my kids there. You are definitely way out of the catchment for Gresham and Atwood (I was too and I live near Sanderstead Library. Roke is supposed to be good - I put that down as one of the choices. Christchurch is very good if you are C of E.

And yes attending the nursery makes no difference to getting into the school unfortunately.

My dd has just started at Ridgeway, and I live west of Brighton Road, not far from Regina Coeli, so it is possible to get in there.

St Peters is harder - it was a 1 form entry class but this year they have had to create an extra class because it was so over subscribed - and I do know of people nr Brighton Road getting a place.

Park Hill is popular, and again I know people near RC who go there.

Purley Oaks though - not a good reputation at all

Does anyone have any ideas of what are the chances of getting a yr 5 place in a primary school from Sept in South Croydon and if so, which ones are likely to have a space ?

I'm thinking of moving my DS from his current school. I understand the process is to complete the inter year transfer form but I'm not sure what happens next.. Will the council give me details of which schools have spaces ? Will I have the opportunity to go and visit the school and meet the head teacher before I accept a place ?

My son had SN and I would like to talk to the school(s) before accepting a place, to ensure they are aware of his needs and to ensure they would be happy to support him.

Is it worth contacting some schools to arrange a visit before I fill the transfer form in ? The only problem then would be I don't know if there are spaces at the schools I contact.

I would be very grateful for any advice.

Sorry... Posted this in the wrong place. Will start a new thread