buying house in St. Albans near St Peter's School

[kiwi19]

We have just moved from New Zealand after a death in the family and are looking to buy a property in time for primary school allocation. We don't really know the area, but have done a bit of looking around and have rented for 3 months. We've found a property we think we'd like to buy, but are not definitely sure as someone mentioned they thought the area might be a bit dodgy.

Leyland Avenue is where the house is, it's just on the right after Prospect Road as you come down Cottonmill Lane. We've only got a limited budget and can afford the house we've found. It's only .3 miles from St. Peters School which has an excellent Ofsted rating, so we thought we'd try to move there to get my son in this upcoming September. But, I don't want to move there if it is a bad area. It seems nice, but we don't really know many people here and would love some advice.

If anyone out there lives in St. Albans and can give me honest advice of what you think of the area, and St. Peters for that matter, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

Also, do you know anyone on Leyland Avenue or streets surrounding that did/did not get into St. Peters in the last year? Wondering if we are close enough. Also, what do you know about Mandeville School which would be our second closest, then Aboyne Lodge.... thanks

Ring the LEA and give them your postcode and ask which schools your child is most likely to get into. St Peters is v good but dont think Mandeville is all that hot. If you are not going in at reception ring the schools directly and see who has places

kiwi - this is going to sound ridiculous but I know St P's quite well and it is greatly, greatly oversubsribed. It was one of the schools that had a 'bulge' class a couple of years ago and now younger siblings are filling the places. I think there were only something like 4 or 5 non-sibling places this year. Leyland Avenue (and those streets the other side - Boleyn Drive etc) should normally get you into St P's but perhaps not guaranteed now.

The same situation applies to Aboyne Lodge - I know of someone in the same road who didn't get in last year. This is a major issue in all city centre schools in St A I'm afraid.

I dont personally know Mandeville - it did have a poor reputation a few years ago but I understand that that has changed and it's now a good school.

This year the rules for distance allocation are changing - to as the crow flies rather than shortest route, so that will change everything yet again.

By the way as an area it is v nice, have some friends in that area. Lots of families and you will be absolutely fine. The area further up Cottomill Lane (away from the city centre) has a more mixed reputation. The other school you could apply for from there is the Abbey - though a church school lots of non-churchgoers in the area go there, but again it is also a very popular school.

Thanks to both of the previous posts. I appreciate your time. I have spoken to the council on our three closest schools at Leyland, it's St Peters, then Mandeville, then Aboyne Lodge. All three actually have an excellent 1 rating by ofsted, but I'm still not that keen on Mandeville just for the location really. Do most people definitely get an offer at one of the three closest schools or do you then have to look elsewhere?

Hmmm. Not sure about Leyland now, I like the house well enough, and it's as close as we can afford to get to the the school, so I'd like to go for it, but who knows? What is the new distancing rule? I've lookd at herts schoolguru, but they haven't updated thier website to reflect this change yet either so I'm kind of in the dark... Our other option is to rent even closer to a school, but that's no real sure bet either! We're going to have to break our current lease where we are to do this whatever we do which will cost us money. Hmm... any other thoughts?

Also, there is another house on Cottonmill Lane which is literally about five houses up the street from St. Peters. I would imagine that would be a safe bet. What do you think? I don't like the house nearly as much, and it's on the busier road, but thinking of the schools, it's a much better chance for us for St. Peters. Just wondering if I'm crazy to think of a house I don't like near as much for assurance of a good school. Ah, the things we do for our kids.

Hello kiwi - if more applicants meet the criteria better than you (siblings, closer etc) then it is easily possible not to get a place at any of your 3 schools. TBH I'd say it was pointless putting Aboyne Lodge down because you won't stand a chance - I'm guessing after that next nearest are Abbey, then Camp (which is v like Mandeville - used to have not so good reputation but has changed now), SS Alban and Stephen (catholic). Actually, are you sure the council have got it right? Aboyne Lodge is MUCH further away than the Abbey school - have they mixed up the names? As it's a church school maybe they've not mentioned it because it has slightly different selection criteria - but I do know families from that area that have gone to Abbey school and they're not churchgoers as far as I know!

Hi QueenofHerts,

I asked the council not to send me faith schools as we are not religious so did not want to choose a religous school. I do not want religion in my sons education, I believe religion should be thier choice when they are old enough to look into it themselves. Nothing against others who are religous of course.

Do you know how much religous study is involved in your friends kids daily schooling? Would you mind asking what they think of that side of it? I'd really appreciate it. I suppose we may need to think of the Abbey as an alternative as I do know it is a good school, and maybe just accept the religous aspect of it for now... Another thing to think about.

Ha, so I just rang the Abbey School and talked to them about admission and explained we were not avid church goers, but could we still be considered. They said since we wouldn't be in the catchment we would be category 6, which to be honest they haven't admitted anyone in several years. We wouldn't be willing to start going to church for access to the school. So, that's a no go unfortunately. Ugh.

kiwi - there's the religious studies curriculum (which all state schools follow and is about different religions rather than religious teaching iykwim), then I think they do things like say grace, hymn/prayer in assembly, and visit the abbey for a short service once a week, things like harvest festival/carol concert etc.

Apparently the families there include a range of views from churchgoing, agnostic, atheist, muslim ... I get the feel it isn't too 'full on' but I suppose it does depend on your own personal viewpoint. I couldn't think of any other school nearer! There's Cunningham Hill which is very good but again I think that's oversubscribed and quite a bit further away. Tricky.

Ooops just seen your last post - drat. If you don't get St P's then I guess you may get Mandeville - it's just that there isn't another obvious school near enough that isn't over-subscribed

Yep, thanks for your advice/time. Just have to think it all through!