Sevenoaks Primary Admissions

[Ghoulwithadragontattoo]

Does anyone have any thoughts about the primary schools in Sevenoaks? I am currently looking at the admissions forms online and wondering which 3 to select for DD.

Anyone?

Best to look at the admissions booklet which states the distance that children were admitted from last year, make sure at least one of your choices is almost guaranteed. Have you been to look round any yet? Lady b's has an excellent reputation if you are looming at actual Sevenoaks town area, outfits also well thought of but depends where you live.

Grrrr autocorrect! Looking not looming and otford not outfit!

Thanks mycat - our nearest school is Riverhead and I have been to look around there and was impressed. Facilities are very good and head was very professional. I will probably put that down first but the problem is it's so popular (and takes so many siblings) I'm not sure we're near enough.

I'm also booked in to look around Sevenoaks Primary which has a good Ofsted and good after school club. But we're even further from there so not likely to get in.

I was actually wondering about Otford but hadn't really heard much about it. Do you know what it's like? Also thought Chevening might be a good option but as it's CofE and we're not religious I wasn't sure what our chances would be.

i grew up in sevenoaks (many many years ago!) Riverhead infants/amherst junior have always had amazing reputation. Sevenoaks CP less so but reasonable compared with some. Weald was always very well regarded then. My friends who have stayed are all loaded and have chosen private prep for their kids or I'd ask for you

Thanks Iwantto. I think if I can get DD into Riverhead I will so it's good that people seem to like the school. I gather from my friend who's DD is at Sevenoaks Primary that it has had a bit of a turn around under the new head.

I don't know anything about Weald so will investigate that. Thanks for the tip.

I think all the schools in Sevenoaks are good - St Johns has a great new head who has turned it around - that was the only one people might have avoided in the past. I understand most of the places at Chevening go on distance rather than religion - the stats should be in the information on the admissions website. I have heard Riverhead/Amherst have a lot of privately tutored pupils/pushy parents which partly accounts for success - I didn't visit myself as we're too far away but do visit to see if it feels like the right school for your child - with 3 form entry they are big schools!

Newlark - thanks that's fantastic. Exactly the sort of thing I wanted to know. Interesting about the pushy parent vibe at Riverhead - that's not my sort of thing at all... I've booked in to look at Dunton Green next week - I don't suppose anyone knows what it's like there? I might also give Chevening a call about visiting in view of what you say re distance being main criteria. They are our next two nearest schools.