Merstham primary school surrey

[Sobloodyworried123]

Can anyone give an opinion on this school?
Bad ofsted and very unsafe looking fence at the front, anyone with any experience with this school?

No direct experience as until recently I was living in Horley and my primary aged children attended Horley schools. However I worked in a secondary school in Redhill of which many children came from Merstham primary. It doesn't have a very good reputation to be honest. Are you actually living in Merstham? I will happily pm you if you want more information but it wouldnt be fair to say too much on a public forum.

I've pm'd you :)

From what I've heard Merstham is very oversubscribed and if you're not a sibling then a tiny catchment applies.

Do you think you are actually close enough?

Ah , just caught up with your other threads. It really isn't a safety issue as school is well set back from the road. Locally it was a respected school just gone off the boil in past few years, maybe would benefit from change of head. People travel past other schools to use it. The Ofsted I think came as a shock and was a couple of years ago so don't rely on that alone.

Can't be very over subscribed, they had 3 places after reception intake this year hence our offer.
Has gone from a 30 intake to a 60 though so maybe that's part of it.
The ofsted is pretty bad and although set back wouldn't take long for a kid to hop that tiny fence and then they're on the main road after a few seconds! It's odd in comparison to the other schools.

I think the intake might be down due to Lime Tree opening on its new site and siblings getting in elsewhere following a bulge class at a sought after Reigate school 2 years ago. LT. is being built just down the road and that fence is no higher despite it being a new build. If you want security in that area look at Furzefield but suspect that might not appeal on other grounds. Really don't think security at Merstham is such an issue.

OK so maybe as a 30 intake school it was very over subscribed but not so much now they have an extra class.

My anecdotal knowledge was always that Merstham was the school of choice over and above furzefield. Maybe now that limetree is open its not as popular as it historically was.

Is the low fence in an area the children can actually access if so it would bother me and perhaps you could raise it.

Where do you live? If you are a late applicant there really is very little choice. There have been threads started by people driving 8 miles.....

Can you afford private as they may be your only option i

I've heard nothing but bad things about furzefield however I'm not entirely sure why? I don't know the area though so is it more down to it's location?
Private schooling is not an option, home educating a possibility although not my ideal choice.
Church school have advised me to keep him home, get younger son a place in the school for next year which will bring him up to the top however chances of a year 1 leaving a good school must be slim so not sure about that advice.

I wasn't recommending FF particularly just as the other extreme nearby as regards fencing and security. Don't rely on local rumour and Ofsted alone though, for any school. Have you seen Merstham even if just from the outside? Parking could be tricky and the journey not easy, especially homewards. You could keep ds1 home for now and wait it out. as this an in year application or can you still do that after half term if nothing comes up.

I want to wait it out, obviously just worried we will have nothing come January as even though number 1, a child would still need to leave!
I have emailed requesting we stay on all waiting lists as they removed me from 4/5/6 after the offer and they've said they will put me back on but will have to see it to know although parking seemed horrendous and the ofsted is pretty bad too. Have only seen the outside so far am waiting for them to call back to arrange a visit

To be honest I think it is a pretty average school, no better or worse. Having said that with your proposed journey I wouldn't have bothered even to list it as it isn't attractive enough for that trip to be worthwhile. Also others will be very local so socially it could be difficult.

Very true, just feeling pushed into taking something rather than nothing with my youngest sons application needing completing my January.
Makes it very hard to complete that without knowing where eldest son is