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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Primary schools in SE London

33 replies

fourquartets · 23/01/2012 16:20

Hello,

Have noticed that there seem to be quite a few MNers with lots of wisdom about schools in SE London and thought I'd see if anyone could give us a helping hand. We live in Herne Hill at the moment and want to buy a bigger house and make sure we are within the catchment of a good primary school. We'd love to stay as close to Herne Hill as possible but are beginning to think we just can't afford it and that we've minimal chance of buying into the catchment of Rosendale or Dulwich Infants, which we'd have liked. DH has to get to Wimbledon for work and we're also keen to keep his commute to a minimum (at the moment, the thameslink from Herne Hill is ideal)

Any helpful thoughts about good primary schools not too far from Herne Hill, with easy-ish transport to Wimbledon and where we could buy a 4 bedroom house for less than £600000? Or is that just a fantasy?!

Thank you for any advice you can give!
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loverofwine · 21/08/2012 09:24

Have you thought of not moving out of HH?
Bessemer now has one of those maga heads and the place is becoming quite sought after following years of terrible reports. Also they are pouring cash into Jessops. Worth a visit perhaps and would save on the cost and stress of moving.

GateGipsy · 21/08/2012 11:25

OP isn't moving because of schools, but, from her post, because they want a 4 bedroom house and can't afford to buy in HH.

Have you looked closer to Beckenham? I have NO idea what the prices are like there, but the tram could be an option for travel. Friends who live there rave about the schools. However, it is pretty upmarket so could be expensive. I'm thinking it wouldn't be as expensive as HH though?

pinkdelight · 21/08/2012 11:46

Hmm, have re-read her post and think schools seem pretty central to the issue. And you can get 4-beds for that budget in the areas already under discussion. But yes, Beckenham is worth considering if she wants to go further out. I looked there but felt like it was too far from London 'proper' for me. v different vibe but some people like it.

GateGipsy · 22/08/2012 07:49

It is definitely more suburban. I only mention it because the number of transport links it now has. Have no idea if it would be suitable for commuting to and from Wimbledon though. I can fully understand someone wanting a direct route, like you'd have at Herne Hill or Tulse Hill.

Stokey38 · 22/08/2012 07:56

Honor Oak / Forest Hill great for primaries, be warned though if it is Fairlawn you are after, you literally need to be on the doorstep. Friends of ours 15th on waiting list and 365 meters from it's doors.

iwantavuvezela · 22/08/2012 10:55

There is a foru, East Dulwich Forum which has active conversations in and around the area.
Good luck

eastegg · 14/05/2013 22:35

If anyone's still out there, what an interesting thread to read 4 weeks after finding out, as West Norwood residents of many years, we haven't got a place at either Julians or Kingswood. Yes those catchments can be cruel. Interesting to hear there was some suggestion of Kingswood favouring West Norwood at one point; if we were measured to the actual infants school at the WN end where our child would actually go we would get a place but they measure to the upper site as already mentioned on here. It's all so bitterly ironic.

Anyway bless you Gate Gypsy for bigging up St Luke's; I'm like a starving dog looking for crumbs trying to seek out positive feedback about it. Not that I think it's bad; it's just not sought after like the other ones. I'd love to hear more from you if you're still around.

rafiroars · 20/01/2015 10:02

Hi there, I happened across this thread while researching houses and schools in West Norwood Gipsy Hill area and wondered if anyone was still there to give me any advice. We are looking at a house in Gipsy Road which is 580metres from Kingswood School upper site (a lot closer to the lower site but that doesn't appear to matter). So it would seem we are in catchment. However since one of the primary reason we are moving is because of school I am concerned about what you wrote eastegg. Were you actually in catchment or just outside of it? I know there are no guarantees but at 580m away, when the catchment is 650m, we would be towards the edge and i'd be interested to hear any feedback on the likelihood of getting in on that basis? The worry is that otherwise the house isn't in catchment for any other schools really...St Luke's but not sure on that one. And we would be out of catchment for Elm Wood as well.

On that does anyone know if their catchment will be extended once the extension is finished?

Apologies but I'm driving myself crazy studying catchment areas and maps and sometimes it's best just to ask people who live there.

Thanks in advance

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