Unfashionable Watford primary schools

[AnnIonicIsoTronic]

A.k.a. Places where I can get in-year admission for more than one DC.

Can someone talk me through them?

Location is pretty immaterial, since I've already worked out nothing within walking distance will have space (but consequently, I'd rather avoid an option with especially busy school run traffic/ no parking).

It is important for me to have: stretching academic top end in KS2, warm Early years provision and good KS1 discipline & learning attitude. God SEN support a plus (partic ASD & speech difficulties).

I'm totally neutral towards FSM/ESL/wrong side of the tracks - just want a cracking well led school which listens and works hard for its kids.

We might be in with a chance at:
oxhey wood
kingsway
central primary
beechfield
hollywell
little reddings
maple cross
berrygrove

I'd love to hear any local knowledge on any of these schools.

Hello! I'm from Watford, my children go to a different primary school but my friend has a child in year 1 at Kingsway and she is very happy with the school. I'm afraid I don't know about the SEN provision but IMO your best bet is to go and look at all the schools yourself and see which feels best.

Thanks

Am also in Watford with a DD in Reception (although not at any of those schools). I think you really need to ring the schools and tell them that you need a place in year x and year y - surely that will reduce your shortlist quite a bit. And then essential to visit the schools, particularly to ask about SEN provision. And get a sense of the type of schools.

Berrygrove for example is absolutely huge as a primary school - it's got 600 children, which might suit some children but not others. I think it might be expanding too. Beechfield is much smaller, right next to some playing fields, which is nice, with a not-great reputation, but when we toured it last year (when we were applying for school places) it seemed like a really nice school - very well-behaved, apparently happy children.

Have you thought of looking at some of the other schools in the area? Even "good" schools have spaces from time to time as people move away etc. Worth ringing the "outstanding" ones - Knutsford and Nascot Wood, or some of the other "good" ones, eg Parkgate (separate infants and juniors in both Nascot Wood - the two schools are on the same site - and Parkgate - the two schools are on separate sites).

Afraid I don't know about the others on your list! Good luck researching the options though.

Oh, and have you posted this in the Mumsnet Local topics?