Primary/junior schools in Frimley

[terribros38]

Hi there

I am new to mumsnet and hope someone can help me. We are moving to Frimley in August and are busy sending in school applications. I realise we will be given what's available, but are there any schools to avoid? My children currently go to the "ok" schools in our area because we were not in the catchment of the best. I would really like to finally have them in the best!!! We are in the catchment of Ravenscote, but they will have to be on a waiting list.....

I appreciate anyone's help!!

Frimley:
I don't know where have spaces but:
Juniors:
Ravenscote: is full in all years. Not a lot of movement, I know someone who's was number 6 at the start of last year and is now number 4. No appeals got through last year, which was surprising as they have in previous years.
Frimley C of E: was good, has slipped in recent years, but have appointed a new deputy last term, and I think are on the up. They have their own swimming pool if you like that idea.

Both the juniors are very large 4/5 class entry. That has advantages, but also disadvantages, you may not like that size.

Primary:
St. Augustine's: Catholic, don't bother if you're not as they're usually also heavily oversubscribes, especially at junior level. 2 form entry.
Grove: Has a poor reputation and usually has spaces. However as far as I can tell the reputation is undeserved. No one I know (and I know a lot in all capacities from parent, through staff to people that deal with several schools) has complaints about it. It does have quite a turn over, I believe, due to the army nearby. Do go and look.
Lakeside: Don't know why but they've sunk badly in the last couple of years, I think they may have spaces. I don't know what's happened there, but something has gone wrong.
South Camberley group: Don't really know these. They relaunched a couple of year ago with (I think) 3 different schools under one umbrella head. Haven't really heard anything.

One to avoid is Cordwalles, that's not really Frimley, but they always have spaces, and you could be offered that. Poor reputation and I've heard lots of good reasons why that's so.

Hi,
as above...
Ravenscote, big but very good
Frimley C of E, had lot of troubles over last 2-3 years
St Augustines, fantastic but no hope if not catholic
Grove, large turnover of army and hospital staff families, lots of different nationalities but not sure what results/ofsted are like, have a specialist unit for SEN
Lakeside, used to be THE school in the area but as De says something has gone badly wrong.
South Camberley Group, best to look up Camberley Infants, Bristow Infants and Watchetts Junior for past information, merged because Watchetts was failing very badly and Bristow infants wasn't that great either, was supposed to force parents to go onto Watchetts but in reality a lot still move to Ravenscote at year 3.
Crawley Ridge Juniors also very good but always oversubscribed.
AVOID Cordwalles at all costs, its been failing for so many years now that its not funny and had a huge turnover of staff/head/ senior management in the last few years but somehow seems to be able to avoid special measures etc, friends son is there and he hates it.
If nothing in Frimley/Camberley, have a look 'over the border' at schools in Farnborough, you'd need to apply to Hampshire for those.

Thank you so much for your comments, much appreciated!!!