Looking for state school recommendations around Brook Green/ Hammersmith

[flowerpowerlondon]

Hoping someone can help. We are currently being approved to adopt via a LA 1-2 two children aged up to 5 years. We live on Brook Green area and would need to start looking for a local state school that come's recommended to include in our application process. I'm looking at ofsted reports to but would love to here some recommendations from personal experience's. We will need non denominational options as we would not meet the religious criteria for them lol . Its likely to be boys or one of each but not sure so any with a good balance of community, academic and sport would be great. DH in a New Zealander so sport is a bit thing for him. Anyway thanks and I hope someone can offer some suggestions.

Hi there,

I'm not sure about Brook Green, but I think you'll be quite close to the WLFS I. hammersmith (although that depends on the age of the children you adopt as it only opened last year). Otherwise there's John Betts, but you have to live v close or Brackenbury. They are both the Ravenscourt Park side of Hammersmith, so maybe too far? In Brook Green Sacred Heart is meant to be amazing, but it's. anthology. They may however, have a small allocation of places for non-churchgoers, worth checking out..

I don't live in the area although have friends who do and I think all the schools above are good.
Just wanted to say though that if your children are adopted i think they will probably be top of the admissions criteria anyway so the distance/ religious criteria won't actually matter so it might give you a bit more freedom to find a school you love that might be suitable. My DCs go to a CofE school where churchgoers get priority but only after 'looked after' children which i think now included adopted children. I'm not 100% sure it applies to every school but you would be able to find out on their websites. You could also look round the schools and explain the situation to them. I'm guessing you'd want one that's sympathetic, caring, nurturing etc to the situation and they should be open to discussing it with you. Good luck!

I think your nearest non-denominational school would be Lena gardens- this is becoming an academy this year IIRC.

houseisfallingdown is correct and children adopted from public care are now considered 'excepted children'. This not only means that they have the highest priority for admissions, but that a school can go over numbers to accept them outside of the normal admissions round as they are exempt from the Infant Class Size regulations.

Sir John Lillie and Normand Croft are excellent with trauma experienced children, but they may be a bit far away, and you would have to balance the need for the children to feel a part of their local community, walk to school etc.

Have you visited any of your local schools?

Thanks for the ideas. We live just off the Green Hammersmith side so I will also check out the denominational schools too. I just thought they would only consider those with who's families are of the same faith.Most of my neighbors have their children at french schools and as we do not have children(yet) I've never got to know other local families to get recommendations from. The west London free school looks really interesting. It's hard as its not been open for long and with adopted children having had such challenges already we want to make sure we make the right choice for them as much as possible. I will try and get some more views on it. I was looking at John Betts based on report but its a long walk and it would be nicer to find one a bit closer. I understand schools will need to give priority to children who are looked after being adopted but believe it can be with some pressure from the LA.

Any other suggestions much appreciated and thanks for the suggestions.

Hi tethersend sorry posted and then saw your post thanks. I have not yet visited schools but as we have recently been given an adoption panel date for April and the SW had mentioned presenting profiles from March I want to get onto speaking to some schools and arranging visits as its progressing quickly. I will check the ones you recommended to and thanks for the help.

I haven't heard great things about Lena gardens. I'd recommend Addison. It's 2mins walk from brook green and is a really great school, rated good now but will soon be outstanding I think. The head has been at the school seven years and is really committed, and is a genuinely good teacher and nice guy. The teaching staff in general are excellent and include two men which my son really likes; and the facilities are more than decent, including an adventure playground. It calls itself a values school, and each half term teaches a different value: determination, kindness, optimism etc. I'd recommend going to see it; a nice mix of kids, down to earth and thriving, friendly and caring school. And academically very strong.

Thanks Sandyposy really appreciate your comments. I had not considered Addison. Its fairly close to us so your recommendation is really appreciated . Are the families overall fairly welcoming? I would really want to try and get to know other families to help develop a good friendship support for our children to help them settle? Also these may be a chance of developmental delay and attachment behavior issues so I would want an understanding and supportive school who would get the big feelings looked after children have and how this may affect them settling at nursery/ school. Thanks again very much appreciated.

Thanks again!

Avonmore primary is excellent, small and nurturing with some looked after children doing well and in catchment (just opp Olympia so 5 mins from brook green)

Thanks for the recommendation celestialsquirrelnuts.

Flowerpower, my son is in reception so don't know that many parents, but everyone has seemed really friendly so far both in his class and at school events such as Xmas fair. The pta is also active and friendly, i have started to get involved a little with events etc.

The teaching staff also seem to be really on top of the needs of kids of all abilities in my son's class, there are a couple of kids that seem to need a bit of extra support and they do get it. The

Posted too soon!
Was going to say have also heard Avonmore is fab, I didn't look at it as we wouldn't have got in, but do hear it's great. Brackenbury also worth considering, friends whose kids go there love it. New head last sept though. As for John Betts, well yes it's great academically but felt like a 1950s anachronism to me, slightly hothouse-ish and with a head and deputy head who've been there 25 years and seemed rather dinosaurish! But many people do love it.

Sure you'll find the right school, there are plenty of good choices locally.

Thanks for all the info. Much appreciated and realising how lucky we are to live in the Brook Green area with so many excellent options. Its hard when you are without children as you do not get to know other local families (hanging out at the park on the green childless would be very odd LOL) to get the low down so thank goodness for mumsnet and the fact you lovely people take the time to give recommendations and insight. Thanks heaps