Moving to Dulwich can't find a school with places

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We are relocating to Dulwich in a few months. We have a y4 child and a y2. We will live in the village but Dulwich infant and juniors are full, Rosendale is also full. Are there other decent local primaries I should investigate? And what about private? Is there any chance if in-year admissions in the local private schools? I'd prefer state but I'm desperate!

If you're not moving for a few months, even if a state primary had places now you wouldn't get them - they would go to children already living in the area and on the waiting list.

Once you have moved, if you are close to one or or more of the primary schools, you will with any luck be high on the waiting lists for any places which come up, but it is impossible to predict where places might come up in a few months' time.

Thanks. It's so stressful planning a move during the academic year. We would move earlier and rent temporarily if a place came up at one of the schools we really want.

How about Judith Kerr?

"We would move earlier and rent temporarily if a place came up" - but that's still not the way it works: you move first, and then your address/distance from school will determine your position on the waiting list and whether you get any space that comes up.

You will never be offered a place until you have an address near the school, unless by some miraculous chance a school in a nice area of south-east London has no waiting list at all (which I very, very much doubt), in which case you could apply from anywhere in the country.

This may leave in you in limbo for a while, having moved and with no school places, but unfortunately with the way the system works, and the acute shortage of state primary places in big cities, you may well have to deal with that. Or go private.

Hi, try the primaries in East Dulwich, they are all good!

Heber, Goodrich, Goose Green, Bessemer Grange, St Johns & St Clements

Thanks all. I looked at Heber but it's most recent Ofsted is quite worrying. Goodrich is full. Judith Kerr doesn't have a y4 apparently. I will now investigate Bessemer Grange.

I cannot believe how hard it is to move within London once your child has started school :-(

Will you be taking the opportunity to make secondary transfer as easy as possible? Will you be in catchment for Charter?

Afaik Heber is v popular with families who go there, but is a v small school so places less likely to come up.

Have a look on the East Dulwich Forum, the families section, and ask about schools towards the forest hill/ brockley / honor oak / Sydenham directions.

Have you tried Elliott bank?

I'm from east Dulwich a bit clueless on schools yet as DS is only 7 months but just adding that heber is extremely well favoured in the area and you will definitely get good advice on the east Dulwich forum. Have you looked at Herne Hill schools, I believe they have a really good one