Schools in SW18/19

[Sengah]

Resposting here as the Local thread is slow...

Hi, I would be glad of insights into what people living on the grid in Southfields do for school if they don't get into Wimbledon Park (our closes possibility), albemarle, Sheringdale, or Riversdale? The property we are looking at seems to leave us in a bit of a tricky spot for schools. Church going is fine but the two church schools nearby (St michaels & Bishop gilpin) are outstanding and .8 of a mile so I worry we wouldn't get in there either. Any advice from Southfielders in the know? Thanks

The grid would all get Riversdale if not the others just a few years ago. They didn't necessarily want it though. Has that changed? Have you looked at the maximum distances offered on the Wandsworth website?

I asked estate agents the same question. The answer was, 'they go private'.

www.wandsworth.gov.uk/downloads/file/10616/previous_years_admissions_for_wandsworth_primary_schools

Looks like you might get Riversdale from the waiting list. West Hill and Swaffield would be acccessible and offer you a place but not necessarily what you want. If the property if in Merton then I think Wimbledon Park used to have a PAZ so you should be fine. If it's Wandsworth it's trickier. Council tax is nice and cheap though.

Bishop Gilpin has always been very good. If you regularly worship (3 out of 4 possible attendances pcm for minimum of 2 years is the tope category) your child may qualify for a foundation place.

top!

Thanks for replies!

What is PAZ AustrianSnow?

"They go private" is such a depressing response from the EA. are the further away options that bad? West Hill and Swaffield I guess these would be...?

Bishop Gilp could be possible, tho I'm reading scary things on here about the type of parents who send their kids there.

The council was too busy to answer my questions today, they don't realise that house purchases wait for no (wo)man!

Oh, one more q, a friend mentioned that there is substantial churn at all these schools and it is possible to be successful close by after reception. Does this still ring true, do you know?

I don't know much about swaffield and West Hill but guess the reputations aren't as good. Riversdale had a shocking reputation just a few years ago though and clearly people from the grid are sending their children now, which they never used to.

I'd forget Bishop Gilpin as an option for reception unless you are very religious, or very good at pretending to be.

Paz is Priority Admission Zone. The Merton website will have admissions outcomes and distances for that school. It will also tell you if they admitted any outside the paz which you'll need to happen if you're the Wandsworth side of the grid as Merton wants to get its own residents in first. Merton side should be fine I'd have thought but I haven't looked in a few years.

I would imagine most of the schools now have a lot of turnover so you'd get something eventually - especially after children go private at seven.

Thanks for explaining - I will look at Merton now, I didn't realise it worked like that - we are on the Wandsworth side so out of PAZ.

Gilpin would be possible based on church attendance but I'm not sure how competitive foundation places are as we are far and of course it is not something you can predict so feels risky to put all my eggs in that basket.

Appreciate your coming back to me.

If you want Bishop Gilpin and meet the faith admission criteria I think you have a reasonable chance of getting a place, if not on offer day then at some point during the summer period. It's frustrating to wait for a place but there is a lot of movement on waiting lists in this area and definitely at BG as many will go private.
I would encourage you to assess whether BG is a good fit for your child though - there is a lot of hype (and of course statistically their performance is excellent) but that doesn't mean their style it will suit your child. There were several things I didn't like about the school & how my child was supported there but I think because of the schools excellent performance you won't find many people freely giving any negative perspectives!
Good luck!!

Based on church attendance and admissions zone and assuming you transfer to St Michael's church to worship as soon as you move, you'd have got into St Michael's school for the last four years based on the document I linked to above.

Oh and I loved living in the area. It's a great place, school stress aside. Hope you get the house you want.

Riversdale is a lovely school with dedicated staff who really focus on each child being happy and making very good progress. My children are doing very well and enjoy all the extra activities and numerous trips and experiences. The school is a hidden gem with a flourishing Parent group and excellent resources- including an indoor swimming pool.

My daughter goes to Riversdale. We put it as our first choice. We would have got into Sheringdale had we wanted her to go there but much preferred Riversdale. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it, Riversdale is often over looked based on previous misconceptions (usually by people who have never actually stepped foot in the school!) It is a fabulous school where everyone from the headteacher to the caretaker to the TAs to the office staff genuinely care about the kids. The PTA is very active in raising money to benefit the children and they all seem happy. I'm sure your child would do well at any of the great schools we have in the area but I can highly recommend Riversdale as being a fantastic option.

Hi our little one goes to Riversdale, she is thriving there. I had concerns about her starting school (in general) as she was a summer born but the Head Teacher (Amy) was superb and put our minds at ease. As a result of that conversation with her and the School visit seeing how happy and calm the children were we put it as our first choice, and it’s been everything she said it would be. Amy is very visible in terms of if you need to speak to her, her door is always open that goes for the children too. They pop in (unannounced / unplanned) to show her their work and celebrate success with her. All the staff are very approachable. It’s fabulous to see!
It’s child centric, the Early Years Team are fabulous with the children, they nurture. The swimming pool on site is a fabulous bonus. There’s a real community spirit with lots of events raising money for the school that everyone can join in with and the children really benefit from the money raised.
We are lucky to live in an area surrounded by such good schools, wherever you go with parental support / working with the teachers your child will be fine, however, we were lucky with Riversdale.

Sadly house is out of catchment for riversdale but I am glad your kids are happy there.

austrianSnow thanks for the St Michael's suggestion, will do further investigation into that. It does seem like a great area for kids.

@Monkey2333 would you be able to say more about BG? I'd be glad to hear your experience and if it is preferable to message me privately please do so.

Sengah, of course! It's nothing sinister but I personally found BG rather pushy - I wanted it to work but it wasn't the right school for us. I think that the teachers are so keen to maintain their status as the 'top school' that they lost sight of the fact that children develop at different timescales and that that's okay. They were very reluctant to accept that my child might need another term or two to write their name, hold a pen correctly, play 1 on 1 with another child (as opposed to alongside), concentrate for longer periods of time etc etc. These perceived 'issues' were made to feel very significant at the time whereby when I look back now all they did was put my child (and me!) under considerable stress for no reason. I was made to doubt my own opinions of my child (who I regarded as perfectly normal) and again, looking back, it makes me feel sad that I doubted what I knew as a parent i.e that my child was absolutely fine! There was a lot of pressure to be the best/the top of the class. Not every child can be top of the class!
For unrelated reasons we moved to SW20 and consequently moved schools and have never looked back. No issues at all have been flagged at the new school, my child is doing really well, is above expectation etc. It was all just unnecessary BG pressure which I thought was typical of starting school but actually wasn't.
I know others who felt the same although most still regard BG as the holy grail of schooling that shall not be criticised as it is 'the best' in the league tables.
You can make your own opinions :) Wishing you all the best with your search

Monkey233 that is such good food for thought, thank you for sharing. Not least because my DC is a timid little mouse and has taken so very long to warm up at their childminder (who has also given this ridiculous feedback about parallel play) that I am already worried about how the transition to the big bad world of school will go. I was hoping to find somewhere with a heavy emphasis on play, particularly while they are younger, but it is hard to judge without visiting every single school. Anyway, thanks again for sharing your experience.