Moving primary schools to SE London - anyone any information?

[mybabywakesupsinging]

For job-related reasons we are thinking of moving from North to South east London (?? sydenham area depending on what we can afford). We have 2 DS in years 2 and 4 and wondered how straight-forward it was likely to be getting them placed in new schools, especially as there seems overall to be a school place shortage...
ds2 has autism and I would be unhappy to move him if it was going to be tricky to find him a place in a reasonably supportive school, he's very happy where he is at present.
Any information or experience gratefully received!

it looks like it would be southwark or possibly Lambeth if anyone has been through the process there.
my worry is that with school places tight the boys might not even end up at the same school, + might not be great for ds2.

Does your son have a statement? If so, you can choose the school for your DS2 and then the eldest can be put on the waiting list.
When I was looking for my DS (ASD) I was impressed with Horniman Primary, although he didnt end up going there.
I would just visit, get a feel and ask about support. At the end if the day it is very much a gamble as whatever reputation the school has, you do not know what the individual teachers/ TAs will be like until he is there.
It will be very difficult to get DS1 into any half decent school straightaway unfortunately.
Good luck

Hello my ds doesn't have to apply until next year but we live in sydenham it's actually in the borough of lewisham but depending where you are you might be close to some southwark schools.

Which part of Sydenham are you looking at? Is West Dulwich possible? I have friends with autistic children at Elm Wood and Kingswood and they speak highly of them. I think there is a support group for parents they both belong to. They might be worth talking to. I believe the group is based in Brixton. I can also say that their experiences of getting support from Lambeth wasn't good.

Could you go down further into Borough of Bromley? There is a school in West Wickham with a specialist class, Hawes Down Infant and Junior Schools.

hmm that fits with what we thought. Ds2 is only just diagnosed and is waiting for a SEN to be done...so if we moved now he'd get the worst of it, probably delay getting him sorted for even longer than it has already taken, while he was on a waiting list to be assessed...then wait for a place for him and ds1, who has not been assessed by the autism team but is not disimilar to ds2 in terms of school issues.
Both of them deal badly with change (ds2 is worse).
I think I will pass on this job (and keep my fingers crossed for something n of the river so I don't have to move them).
Thank you for your replies.