Best Dulwich schools

[Schoolfinder]

Hello my son is looking to start reception 2019. We are moving to Dulwich (haven't purchased anything as yet) but wanted to know best schools. We are looking at independent, public or Church of England.

Hoping we're not too late!

Thanks

Well, for independent, Dulwich College under Joe Spence is pretty damned hard to beat.

Or Dulwich Village Infants School (CofE), but you'd have to live very close to it.

Great thanks anothernewt this is very useful!

My youngest sister has worked at DUCKS (pre prep) for Dulwich for the last 10+years. Lovely school. Formal assessment for trasnfer at age 6/7. DUCKS Website shows exit data in some details. Lots to Dulwich College (not automatics) and others to Alleyns, Dulwich prep or JAPS. Some of these will be no good for you - as girls. But they seem to exit to a number of good schools. Not without a lot of work/exam papers in Year 2 but that will be similar to get into any selective London schools. Ground are amazing. Wonderful setting

Indies:

• Dulwich Prep London: 3-13y (mixed in nursery, boys only from reception); large proportion go onto Dulwich College, as well as Westmister etc but have to pass entrance exams. Everyone I have spoken to raves about it!

• Herne Hill School: 3-7y (ie year 2; mixed), excellent exit results to enter Dulwich College, Alleyn's, Rosemead & Oakfield

• DUCKS: babies to 7y (ie year 2; mixed); not sure how exit results compare

• Alleyn's: Reception - year 13 (mixed); only 18 places at Reception with 50:50 gender split

Entry for all are assessment based expect DUCKS which is waiting list (from the 12wk scan!) with assessments for those on the waiting list, I believe.

Rosemead and Oakfield - both mixed and go until 11y but I know nothing more about them.

(JAPS/JAGS is for girls only).

Dulwich College is from year 3

East, West or Village? Is a big area. By public do you mean state? Dulwich Village Infants is C of E. St John & St Clements is the only other local Cof E option. Bessemer, Rosendale, Goodrich, Heber, Goose Green, Dog Kennel Hill, Belham are the state schools. Plus Harris Primary. The Villa is another pre prep nursery- Year 2.

Thank you all! We are currently looking at independent schools. We live in Clapham but are currently looking to purchase in Dulwich (viewing places between dulwich village, east dulwich and also up towards Peckham Rye). We're happy to send him to an independent school but equally as happy to send him to state of CoE if we find a place we like in the catchment area...

For independent definitely look at Dulwich Prep. It is fantastic.

Most kids start in the nursery (which has it's own site) at 3, but there are places to start in reception too. You need to put you name down by the Autumn of the year before you want our DS to start so you have plenty of time. Then there's an assessment.

For me one of the advantages compared to DUCKS/Dulwich College is that there is no need to do the 7+ (and I know quite a few DUCKS kids who didn't get places for DC). Obviously, you do have to find somewhere else when they get to 13 but the leavers' results are phenomenal. Moving across to DC at that point is not usually a problem - out of 34 who went to DC last year 19 got scholarships.

I can't recommend it highly enough. We love it.

Second the recommendation for DPL!

You've got very good recommendations for independent schools there. With regard to state schools, Dulwich Infants (then you apply at Y3 for Dulwich Juniors across the road) is excellent. I'd go for that over independent personally (although I do love Alleyns).

I don't know East Dulwich. On the West Dulwich side (why aren't you considering that area? Lots of flat, tree lined streets, beautiful old houses, really nice shops on Rosendale Road and Croxted Rd). Elmwood is a really lovely school and so is Rosendale. Both are Ofsted outstanding. I wouldn't consider Dulwich Wood Primary myself.

For all three primaries you need to be living fairly close to get in.

I, too, have heard that Dulwich Village Infants is good. However, I have heard (correct me if I am wrong) that it only goes up to year 2 and then you have to reapply for year 3 entry into Dulwich Hamlets Junior school, which is also catchment based, so no guarantee of a place.

You don't need to go on hearsay. It is on their website. There is no guarantee of a place at the Juniors just because you are at the infants. But if you are close to the school then chances are good. Also many parents have traditionally done the 7+ or 8+ entry to independent school at Y2/Y3.

Sure, I wasn't suggesting it was a badly kept secret. Never been on either website, so was happy to be corrected in case I had misunderstood. I just met a parent with a child in yr 1 at DVI and they were worried they wouldn't get into the Hamlet, so just wanted OP to be aware.

I heard from a friend that DVI gets results because all the parents tutor. This friend tried to transfer his DD to Herne Hill School and they said that she was very bright but too far behind the HHS kids. Am aware of the dangers of anecdata so don't take that as gospel.

My kids are at HHS and love it but you do have to do the 7+ which I'm dreading.

To clarify, because HHS only goes up to Y2, the children have to move schools for Y3 and this generally involves 7+ assessment.

If you are looking at getting your child into a selective independent school then you will have to tutor for that.

Many of the parents at DVI opt for selective independents for Juniors.

However I can't see how that relates to getting good SATs results.

Alleyns
Dulwich Prep
Ducks and Dulwich College
Herne Hill but only goes to year 2

Dulwich Infant and Dulwich Hamlet are excellent schools but I don't think they compare with the education kids receive at any of the above top independents. You need to live within about 500 meters for the infant and about 750 to 800 meters for the Hamlet; estimates as it varies every year or you if you go to church you may apply for a fundation place at DVIS but there is no guarantees. They both have very supportive parents but I don't think the comment about tutoring is true; some parents may have tutors but The majority don't. A decent house in Dulwich Vilage will cost more than 1.2 millions

Thank you all, this is very helpful! NynaevesSister where are the nice streets in West Dulwich?

How does the education differ between the village schools and the independent schools? What is it that the independents are doing which kids won't get at the state schools?