North Kingston Schools - any help/ideas?

[StarlightDicKenzie]

Moving to North Kingston shortly. We seem to be overwhelmingly blessed to have a good many 'good' schools within a short distance.

However, are they really 'good' or do they just play the game. For a 'good' school, will I have to put up with an unfeeling HT, dodgy inclusion policies and a disregard for subjects and interests outside of the ofstedable?

Just trying to get a feel for my DD. Bright but not pushed academically so far. I mean she is 3 and doesn't read or do sums etc. but knows in detail how Owls make their nests, the distance each planet is from the sun, how to read a tube map and other wierd things.

I have no personal experience of the schools as my dcs went to school in New Malden, but Fernhill, Latchmere are both excellent schools . Head at Fernhill retiring this summer.

ABA pupils? Blimey!

Though that was considered evil military robotic training!?

Must be a current HT thing though?

We'll be living between Latchmere and Fern Hill I think.

We,ve had some experience of a couple of outstanding top schools with out Ds and I woukdn't put my worst enemy in them, which is why I'm asking for personal accounts.

What's ABA santac???

We used to live in North Kingston, and all the schools there are good and to my mind differ only in size of intake. The main difference between them really is which senior schools they feed into. There is a linking system in Kingston schools and if it is not a link school you are very unlikely to get the senior school of your choice. I know now you are thinking what about Tiffin, but only a tiny number of local primary children get into Tiffin probably no more than 5 this year.
Catholic school links are excellent, St Agaths's links to Gumley,Holy Cross, Richard Challenors, Wimbledon College is possibble and you can always enter the lottery for the Oratory, but you need to be in a catholic primary to get places. Alexandra/St Pauls feeds into Coombe Girls and Teddington School. I think pretty much all the others feed into Grey Court.
If the plan to build a new senior school goes ahead you will be laughing, because all the lovely children from the local primaries will go there, however, there is no sign of bulldozers yet and the retired have nothing else to do but save their flower arranging classes at the North Kingston Centre, they won't go quietly.
I do apreciate your concern, we too had a nightmare when we moved from North Kingston to "an outstanding school", it would be more appropriately be called "an outstanding creche in an area of outstanding tutors", and we ended up moving ours to Indys, but I honestly think you're spoilt for choice in North Kingston.

St Pauls no longer links with Teddington.

MrsRobertD,

It's a bit like when you potty train and you go overboard with praise and treats until the behaviour is established. It's a way of getting children who aren't motivated by the usual things I.e teacher being pleased, peers not getting cross, learning new things, to expand their repertoire and to learn where they otherwise wouldn't. It is often used with children with ASD when they can't/won't participate the usual ways.

Thank you anne for your very detailed post.

My DH has illusions of Tiffin but I have slightly different beliefs from him and think primary is more important than secondary. Plus my Mum had a job in Tiffin Boys once many years ago and asked for an example of how they developed social and group skills to which the HT replied that they don't need to as the boys there woukd be leaders

Not that I woukd turn down a place mind, but I don't think it is quite so important to me.

Interesting Mrsrobertduvall, I can't assume that is by choice as Teddington is a fantastic school with a brand new building.

The new North Kingston secondary really needs to get the go-ahead, the pressure on school places in that area is ridiculous. We have friends who's DCs were only offered Chessington Community College which is miles away.

I think it's because Richmond want it for Richmond children.
Head is linking with Coombe Boys for the future.

Hi, are there any parents who have their kids at Fern Hill or Latchmere Schools here? We are planning to send our son to one of these. I know both schools are graded outstanding by Ofsted. We do want to send our boy to the best school in the area if possible.Which one is better, which one would you recommend? I would like to have some advice, especially from people with first hand experience! Also, what do you mean by saying the primary schools link to the secondary ones? Thanks so much!