Primary Schools London,EC1/EC2?

[LeahHenry]

Hello, we will be moving to the EC1/EC2 area of London within the next few months due to my husband's work. We have an 8 year old son (artistic, musical...) and are looking at state school options in the area.

Can anyone give me any up to date info please?

Many Thanks,

Leah.

hopeful bump

Have friends with dc at Prior Weston (Islington LEA), which is meant to be the desirable local option -- arty, liberal, yadda yadda. Lots of parents living in the Barbican. Not sure how easy it would be to get places, you'd have to phone and ask. London has a very mobile population, so you might be lucky.

St Luke's meant to be good, but no personal experience.

Hanover also in Islington is also meant to be nice, and not that far away.

Not sure about Hugh Myddleton. Moreland is meant to be one to avoid, and is possibly about to be shut down.

Christopher Hatton?

A friend of mine lives in that area and there were big problems with over-subscription of reception places this year in particular. Islington are also changing the distance criteria from 'safest walking' to 'as the crow flies' which will affect catchments.
There should be a booklet available online with info about this year's allocations which may help you.

Thanks very much all of you

We will have a look at Prior Weston and St Lukes. Would we be in the catchment for Hanover? That is one to check out, definately.

St Lukes is likely to be merged with Moreland and moved to another site. Could be a lot of disruption in the next few years with rebuilding etc, and the demographic will change with the old Moreland pupils (who mostly come from the council estates in Finsbury).

Hanover is top performing academically, although they lose a lot of their children to prep schools further up the school as parents want to prepare for entrance exams.

With in-year placement requests it simply depends whether they have places/waiting lists rather than on catchment -- although obviously if they have lots of people waiting then it will help to be nearer.

So it would be worth trying any school you like the look of and could travel to easily. Hanover used to be a 'sell a kidney to get in' school back when my oldest was starting school, but I don't know anyone with kids there currently. William Tyndale in UPper Street is also a good school, which isn't that far from parts of EC1.

The LEA will just tell you whether there are currently vacancies, but if you phone the schools and get friendly with the office staff they may be able to give you an idea of whether places are likely to come up.