Primary Schools 2014 Greenwich Anxiety!

[crunchybargalore]

I think Millennium School in Greenwich is where my DS will be sent to and I think we will miss out on Meridian (which I think I would prefer).

Can anyone provide me with info on these schools.

Sadly I have heard rumours that some of the teachers at Millennium would never send their own children there and that there was some issue with the head or deputy and the school nearly got put into special measures.

I have heard of other people renting for a while to get their children into Halstow.

I have had a look at some old threads but I wondered if anyone had any information about millennium, meridian and Halstow.

And whether anyone got their children into Meridian or Halstow after waiting for a year or so?

Thanks - I have nc to protect my id.

I love Greenwich to bits but I quite disheartened about educational prospects!

My child goes to millennium and although he loves it there, I would say do not send your child there. Just found out today that the heD teacher who started in January 2013 is leaving. The parent governors knew about it since last year as one of the children told her whole class. This makes it 3 head teachers in 4 years that have left. The school is in trouble and the parents are being deceived. I'm not happy at all.

Following, as I'm in a similar situation. Although Halstow is our nearest school, we aren't exactly in any catchment. Hoping to get a place at invicta, but concerned about only being offered a place in millennium. ..

If you get offered a place at millennium, appeal against it. I have spoken to a lot of parents since Friday and no body is happy. There is no honesty at the school. Parents are looking to take their children out of the school.

Greenwichtrendy, thanks for the info. I really hope ds will be offered a place elsewhere. ..

A question: what happens if a patent takes the child of the school? Is it possible to get a place elsewhere or you just have to homeschool?

You can download a "In term admissions" form from the Greenwich council website. There is Jo guarantee of a place in a new school. If you are lucky, zit may take a week, month, year etc. I am seriously thinking over this half term what to do. My child loves the school, as it is a lovely place. The problem is that something is not right. Everything seems ok on the surface, but how can it be ok, if heD teachers are leaving? 3 head teachers in 4 years is not good. We narrowly missed going into special measures. This was kept form parents.even now, they have not told us that the head teacher is leaving. It is on our school web page. Applying for another school and in the meantime home schooling is mine and other parents only option at this school.

Check the school website. It has under the heading "current vacancies" "head of school". Please explain to me what that means? It was posted on Thursday 24th October 2013.

It clearly states that the head of school job is available. Now, forgive me if I'm wrong, but either you haven't been told like the rest of us parents or you are ignoring what's clearly on the front page of the website. Anyone can check it and see. As a parent I am extremely worried and upset over this, likewise so are many other parents who have read this on the website. We had faith in the new heads, but alas this has shattered our faith. We we're kept in the dark about how bad things were until the previous head decided to leave suddenly.

Thank you for clarifying this Nick, although honesty via a letter would have made a big difference to parents. I will however, decline your offer of a meeting, as my husband and I have decided not to let our son returns millennium. We will home school until we find a place at another school.

Had a son and daughter at Millennium. I believe that pastoral care, which used to be amazing, went out of the window with latest leadership team. Caring, experienced older staff have all left. Young, newly qualified teachers with no experience or bitter and fearful older staff. Punitive punishments against middle class children, while the real bullies go unpunished. One child hospitalised two children in a term with no punishment. My friend's son was punished for dropping a pencil! So many parents left. In my opinion the new management changed the nature and face of the school - it is now a tick box culture and heaven help you if you dare complain. Their door is always shut, emails will remain unanswered. IMHO go anywhere else.

Really twokids? My DD is starting reception next month and has been at the nursery. I've been really happy with it so far. Is this happening in KS2? PM me as I'd really like to know. I thought it was a good school now and many of the old problems had been left behind.

I have to disagree with twokids entirely. The new leadership team has been amazing and the changes in Millennium are completely shocking when you consider how short a time they've actually been there. Last year's year 6 kids did brilliantly on the SATs- their progress and results are blowing other schools out of the water.I asked and the comparative results of the Greenwich schools are published by early winter so you can verify it then. They had 22% of year 6s making level 6 maths- national is something like 9%. Their results went from bottom of the borough to exceeding national across the board in 18 months.

The KS2 teachers are mostly young, but they are so incredibly dedicated and energised and they get amazing progress out of their kids. They care about every single one of those kids and it shows. You should have seen the Year 6 teachers after our year 6 kids performed Grease in July- they were so incredibly proud of how far those kids had come and sad to see them moving on, and you know what? The kids were proud of themselves. And that goes for the KS1 teachers as well. And the nursery and reception teachers are just phenomenal. The ones who are still there from before the changes are not bitter and fearful, that's just ridiculous rumour-mongering. The pastoral care is more amazing than it used to be- not only do they care, but they care that the kids are learning and that is so important. Just because teachers are older and more experienced doesn't make them better.

Middle class targeting? Bollocks. Just complete and utter nonsense. And as far as so many parents leaving- that was when all the upheaval was happening. People are staying now because they are happy and they can see what amazing changes are happening- and all those people who pulled out to start paying for private school will soon realise their money won't buy anything better than what Millennium has to offer. They've said they're due an OFSTED inspection again in the spring or summer, and it sounds like they can't wait to prove themselves- for whatever OFSTED is worth. The heads are very approachable and you can usually find one of them at the school gate. They're always happy to talk to parents and I've never felt ignored.

If you ask me, as with any topic people are more likely to go to message boards to complain and stir up trouble, and usually without legitimate merit. I'd say if you have any questions or concerns go to the school yourself to see it in action and talk to the heads. We've been at Millennium for years and are so happy with its evolution.

Hi all,
just wondered if any one is in the same postion or have been through this. We live in the Greenwich borough and our DS did not get any schools we preferred and we refused to take the school offered to us. We also appealed our 1st choice with no luck. Not sure what the next steps are, some have said that by septemer their child got allocated a school, but how true is this?

Thanks

Hiya, I haven't had that problem but I know other people have and it can be quite difficult. What school were you offered and what were your preferences? I see you posted on this old Millennium thread- they are outstanding now!

Sorry if this is hijacking, but does anyone have an opinion on James Wolfe while we're at it?

Hi,
I was searching for some information about the appeal and came across this thread.
my DS was offered a place at Greenacres which we declined.

With live in greenwich boroughn but on the edge of the border. So 3 of our 5 cloest schhols are out of borough we missed out based on distance to all preferences.

A couple of thoughts to recent posters - first thing is whether your first choices were realistic ones - eg All Saints, Halstow, Brooklands, Our Lady of Grace have tiny catchments and/or strict faith requirements and unless you meet them then it's not really worth putting them down. Second, there's lots of movement especially with the bigger schools - so worth hanging on if you've been waitlisted. People move out of the area fairly regularly, especially in SE10 and SE3 where property's expensive: in DD1's first year in reception I think 4 or 5 places cropped up in the first year. tinymeteor do you want to PM me as my kids are at James Wolfe?

Hi elltee,

All of our prefences were realistic unfortunately we were always on the border of the cathcment areas, which shunrk this intake due to the amount of applications they received. Non were faith schools and we are se9.

We are on the waiting list for schhols and are actually in the top 5 for all just wonder if realistically we will get offered any whereby beginning of term on the firts weeks of term if at all.

Thanks Elltee, will do when I have a sec

I would be surprised if you didn't have an offer either by the beginning of term or early in the school year, especially given the amount of property for sale - people usually don't notify a state school until the very last minute that they're not taking up a place if they're moving or considering another school.

Hello, any Mummy has children in Windrush? Any opinion about the school?
I have moved to Greenwich in August and need a school for my son who should be in Year 2 now.