Nice primary in Bexley?

[chocolatemartini]

Looking to move to Bexley area (so far looked at new Eltham/ Sidcup/ Bexleyheath). Looking for a happy primary school where the children really enjoy school. Results also matter to us as we'd be aiming for grammar schools for secondary but wouldn't want to tutor them out of school for the bexley tests.

So far we like the look of Dulverton, Days Lane, Crook Log, Danson. Any others we should look at? I love the forest school they have at Crook Log.

[HeleneCixous]

The only school I consistently hear of people leaving in a disappointed fashion is Montbelle. I know people who are very happy with Wyborne, Longlands, Dulverton, St Nicks in Chislehurst, Holy Trinity Lamorbey, and Days Lane. Also be aware that sought-after Edgebury got itself an "improvement required" OFSTED rating not so long ago.
Deansfield in Eltham is also very good but probably too far into Greenwich for you.

[chocolatemartini]

Yes I discovered Deansfield yesterday when looking at Greenwich schools. It is a bit far from DH's work and Eltham isn't my favourite place in the world, but I think if a house came up there we'd have to consider it. Sounds like an absolutely lovely school.

Edgebury was the least convincing unsatisfactory ofsted I've read (must read it again). It didn't sound all that awful at all.

We notice there was a dispute with the Dulverton over their latest ofsted, anyone know what that was about?

Thanks for the tip re Southwood Road! We will phone round some agents at the weekend. Not got our flat on the market yet but will do soon and it should sell quickly (fingers crossed)

[VanillaHoney]

Hope community school is very popular and has a great reputation.

DD1 went to Birkbeck and hated it there. There was a fair amount of bullying in the school, despite the "outstanding" Ofsted. Previous HT swept it under the carpet rather than dealing with it!!!! DD2 still there and is lucky to have a nice group of friends. The school is no longer outstanding but still very good apparently. On a positive note Birkbeck have a lot more DC passing the 11+ since the system changed to CEM. DD1 passed and currently at a Bexley GS, very happy there. Can not fault it. Hope DD2 will follow. Working at good level 5s at the moment. No tutor but DIY at home. School more geared at Sahm, as a working mum have found it to be unhelpful to working mums. . It may well be possible that the catchment for Bexley Grammar is changing because they are going through the process of changing head teacher. Good luck, whatever you decide.

[chocolatemartini]

Thanks vanilla. Curious as to what you mean by school geared around SAHMs? Assuming you're always round the corner? No breakfast/ after school care?

[chocolatemartini]

Oh and glad to hear your good opinion of Bexley grammar. I haven't heard a bad word said about it yet. I'm sure someone will oblige now I've said that.

Danson primary anyone? I'm currently fancying one of those houses backing onto Danson park if I don't get one of those Helene mentioned in New Eltham

[HeleneCixous]

Don't know Danson Primary I'm afraid but can't imagine it's a bad school.

Dd starting at Bexley GS next year and we are delighted with every aspect of it.

[AnneElliott]

My friends kids all go yo Danson and she is really pleased with it. Days lane have an um interesting headteacher, but overall the school is good.

Dulverton is good too from what I hear. We live 2 mins away but DS goes to a catholic school. Assume you're not looking at religious schools?

[MistyMeena]

Don't forget Brampton Primary, that's good too.

[chocolatemartini]

Oh helenecixous congrats to your dd! hope she's very happy there.

I phoned a few of these primary schools today to see if I could visit this term but predictably they said no! glad your friend's kids are happy at Danson AnneElliot we'll keep that on our shortlist.

Is Bexley GS 'catchment' something under 4 miles then? I figure new Eltham will be more comfortably in that if they change to distances as the crow flies?

[chocolatemartini]

MistyMeena will look up Brampton...

[AllabouttheE]

Bexley GS catchment is no where near 4 miles.
It's as crow flies and something like 1.8. Days gone by my DC would have gotten in but not now in South Sidcup.
Chis and Sid is about 5-6 miles as it's not as popular.

There's always 180 places pokes children with stick to study harder

Plus birth rate has rocketed but there aren't any more grammar places. My DC have much more competition than of recent years.

[chocolatemartini]

Ah that small, I see thanks. Still have my doubts about the whole 11+ thing as very unwilling to subject them to tutoring/ poking with sticks etc!

[chocolatemartini]

Just answered my own question, this says 2.6 in a straight line last year

[VanillaHoney]

chocolatemartini,

By geared to SAHMs I mean no on site after school or breakfast clubs. They started a breakfast club 10 mins down the road. Children walk from the church building to the school, walking bus system which is great when it doesn't rain o'wise DCs are soaking wet. Not sure if the after school club still collects at Birkbeck. (Children are collected by after school club staff in cars and taken to Orchard primary). My friend's DC got "forgotten" more than once. Imagine getting a call from the school when you are at work asking who is picking up your child.. Not long ago we had to attend one parent's evening during the day, a school play and a teacher training day all in the same week. Appointments for parents evening etc are allocated by a "queue up system at 8.45am" and if the school calls because your child is ill and you can not get there within 5 mins you usually get "tut tut".., from the office. You need a very flexible employer or loads of annual leave to make it work imo...
What I hear from the parents in Dc2 year most parents are not choosing it for younger siblings. Seems they are opting for Bexley Village or the new free school Hope in Sidcup, where some of Birkbeck ex staff are now working... If I was
looking for a primary now would certainly consider Hope. Finally, no help at all with the 11 plus at Birkbeck.

Hope this explains.

[HeleneCixous]

This year the BGS catchment area seems much larger - maybe a one-off blip because of the new test format, who knows? Basically everyone we know who passed the Bexley test and put BGS or any other Bexley grammar down seems to have got a place either right away...or from the waiting list. We know someone in Petts Wood who got a BGS place and someone from Chislehurst too. But we also know an awful lot of children who missed out on a pass by just a few marks
You must keep us posted with what you decide, chocolatemartini, and the best of luck with it all!

[chocolatemartini]

Ah thanks for explaining VanillaHoney looks like Days Lane is a bit far from the station for us anyway.

Will keep you posted thanks Helene. We've got a bit sidetracked looking at Barnhurst, you can get a lot of house and garden for your money there, and Bursted Woods primary looks lovely. However, I think that's borderline for Bexley GS catchment too.

Our shortlist is currently:

New Eltham, Dulverton, Bexley GS assuming they pass 11+ and catchment doesn't shrink

Welling, Danson Primary, Bexley GS

Eltham, Deansfield or Gordon primary, Bexley GS

Barnehurst, Bursted Wood Primary, Bexley GS

Orpington area: Green St Green, Warren Road or Farnborough Primary, then Darrick Wood or Newsted/Olaves if they got in and we changed our minds about single sex education (currently not keen)

Would be very pleased to keep the thread going while we search for houses.

[chocolatemartini]

Oh also Hayes (Kent) Pickhurst or Hayes Primary, Hayes Secondary.

[chocolatemartiniDH]

Hello I am chocolatematini's DH. (Hello Darling)

Can I just ask you all what you think of the walk back from Welling station to say somewhere near Danson Primary? We could afford houses near there, but I don't want to move there only to discover that my wife has been captured by brigands on the way home from work. We are a bit alternative in outlook and seek a certain 'jouissance' (Helene) in a Primary School - so I am going to ask:

Which primary school do you all feel focuses best on the happiness and fun of the children, and in other words cares least (or less explicitly) about results?

I am hopeful of finding a school where the headteacher has no interest at all in OFSTED, values their own things, like one I remember from Oxford, an C of E school where the head had pretty much no interest in anything except Music. It was a brilliant school, and it got high results - but not because it cared about them. It got high results because it DIDN'T care about results. See wot i mean?

[AllabouttheE]

I had a similar primary to you DH
All music and fun.

I don't think it exists anymore. They are all obsessed by results or funding issues.

All the schools in this area are nice and good enough. All the areas you mention are safe and pleasant enough.

Seriously find a house and try to buy it close enough to any of those schools. There is little on the market and competition is stupid in trying to buy.

Lots of houses for sale in bexley village opposite Bexley c of e as it's a good school so folks buy, get school place and move on.

Good luck

[HeleneCixous]

I would tend to agree with allaboutthee ... I don't think primaries are at liberty to spend the amount of time we were all permitted to run wild in the woods, but as far as I know all the schools on your shortlist have happy children in them and do their best to "anoint what cannot be fixed" and subvert the National Curriculum when possible. If you really are hellbent on an alternative education for your children nowadays...then you need to look at independent schools IMHO. Music is currently fantastic at Deansfield btw, their choir is superb!
The housing stock around Bexley GS/Danson does have a certain drab uniformity about it, but if the kids at my dd's taster day were anything to go by, then it's also a very pleasant area in which to live, full of friendly families. I grew up in SE London so am not fazed by places like Welling or Eltham. It's all comparatively safe, very green, and provided you accept that you have to travel for high culture and good coffee it's a very good place to bring up children, and educate them.

[AllabouttheE]

I did ask earlier what year your child is starting. Bexley are changing the admissions to as crow flies. I think it's 2016.
It means that all the previous data for catchments is not worth a jot anymore for you by way of research. Useful but no longer valid.
Especially Dulverton. Their catchment will shrink on the Sidcup and New Eltham sides dramatically and grow to take children on the other side of the railway. Look up Old Farm Avenue and surrounds. This could now be a great place to buy where previously it was a black hole. Call the council.

[Dukketeater]

My cousins all went to Days Lane and werehappyx

[VanillaHoney]

BGS catchment area getting bigger may be down to HT leaving. He is very popular, so would expect this to have an effect on intake.

[chocolatemartini]

DS is starting in 2016 so yes would probably be affected by the changes. We did phone the council but they were pretty vague about exactly when the change would happen.

Yes, we are looking for the impossible, we want a school where they play in the woods half the time, do lots of music and art the other half of the time and inexplicably get level 6 for everything in their ks2 sats. We also want a station nearby and a 200 ft garden. Grateful for all of your sensible advice. Also I misread your post earlier Vanilla and for some reason thought you were talking about Days Lane. My phone doesn't let me read the thread while replying.

[HeleneCixous]

VanillaHoney, have you actually met the new Head at BGS, who was Mr Welch's deputy for 8 years? I think anyone who dismisses an OFSTED Outstanding school just because a Head has retired this year is unwise to say the least. Three years down the line, perhaps we will all hate BGS and how it has changed, but since the letter from the Governors and from Mr Welch himself stated that Mr Elphick was chosen to carry on the ethos of BGS that has evolved over the years. Mr E is a really nice chap and clearly liked by students and SLT members alike.