Avon House vs Churchfields in redbridge

[alagesan]

Hi ,
i have got my son's admission at Avon house school Nursery for Sep 2018 but i'm confused whether to conside state school churchfields or Avaon House

i'm planning to move near by Churchfields school's catchment to get my son's admission but same time i have got offer from Avon house school as well.

My aim is send my son to Bancroft at 7+ or 11+, some of my friends suggest studying in churchfields school and prepare separately(like private tuition) enough to get in Bancroft.

i'm only earning person so thinking whether send him Avaon House or Churchfileds state school

Could you all please share your thoughts and suggest me best way to get into Bancroft?

Thanks in advance

best way to get into Bancroft: money. Sorry to be blunt, but every child I know who has been accepted there has had private tuition from when they could talk. It costs a fortune to get them in because of private tuition, and a fortune once you are in in fees AND private tuition (you do know that if your child doesn't perform well they can be kicked out).

I know that Churchfields is a very good school, it has an excellent reputation locally, and you will have to live on their doorstep to get in. There are no such things as catchment areas anymore. I wouldn't be able to tell you if the school is 'good enough' to get your son into Bancroft. The answer is probably not, but if you are prepared to pay private tuition on top of that maybe. And think of all the stress you will be putting on your child with years of private tuition in order to get him into one school, and what if he doesn't get in?

@Twofishfingers,
Thanks for your valuable reply.

this is what i'm more concerned if he doesnt want the Bancroft later or if he doesnt get into it.

i'm planning to move very near by(less than 200m ) if i get a rent house hope that should be enough to get a place in churchfields isnt it?

Thanks
Alagesan

Everyone's experience will be different, but I have a child at Bancroft's and they were most definitely not tutored from when they could talk and they don't have a tutor now either.

adding my half pound, dd goes to chigwell and went to churchfields. she had a few months of 'casual' tutoring purely to familiarise herself with verbal & non verbal reasoning for when she sat for the local grammar school but that was it. She had no prep' when sitting for chigwell. I don't know of anyone at Chigwell (different to Bancrofts but similar) who has additional tuition. Possibly some do but there are plenty that don't and it's not all about money. Once you have your uniform there are extras ie trips BUT you don't have to send your child on them, many don't go.

When you say you are planning to rent do you mean that you are renting currently and are planning to move closer or that you own a property and will rent a property for the purpose of your application while keeping your house. The council do check up especially for popular and oversubscribed schools like Churchfields.

@Viques,
i own a property at the moment but planning to rent out the current and rent a flat or house near by Churchfields permanently.

as i'm working in central london, both are same travel time for me.

Thanks
Alagesan

good luck with that one Alagesan, if Redbridge decide you have rented a property just to get a place at Churchfields they are quite likely to take the offer back if you get a place. Your travel time to work is of no interest to them, people trying to get school places they are not eligible for is of great interest to them.

Hasn't Redbridge introduced a new application process that asks parents to reapply for their child when they move from Infant to Junior school (at some of the schools who have a separate infant and junior school, ie Churchfields)?

Those who say it's not the money, how much does it cost to send a child to Bancroft? is it 10k + a year? Forest is now at over 15k a year... so it is money. I know what, 10 families who send their children to Forest and Bancroft and every single one had tuition for their children.

Not only that, but during a conversation with 3 families, they were comparing how much they've had to fork out in tuition fees over the years before going to a private school and it came to an average of £6,000. per child. Before they are even accepted in the school. So please don't tell me it's not about money.

Twofish do you have a dc at a local indie? I agree that most who sit these entrance exams have been overly tutored although not as much as for the local grammar. It's not uncommon for probably most of the kids that get in have been heavily tutored, some since year 4..i must say I am unaware of people that need additional tutoring once in ie forest etc but certainly for some of those pushed into woodford county. Poor sods

No just local state schools, one primary and one secondary.

A friend of mine's son was told that if he didn't get better grades in maths, he would have to move school (he's at Forest).

Geez I didn't know they did that. I don't think chigwell do that as I can think of a few that wouldn't be here if they did ..

Chgwell is a bit different I think. I also have two friends with their DSs there and they are very happy.

@viques

i mean i will move permanently to the rent property, i dont have any plan come back to my own property next few years at least.

@algesan,
Hi! Could I ask what did you decide re Avon house Vs church fields? I'm in a similar situation.
Thanks.