Greenwich & Blackheath: Primary state school

[jd2408]

Hi, we are looking to move to London in a few months and looking for a good primary state school for my son who is 5 years and 3 months at present. My office will be in Canary Wharf which is why we are looking at Greenwich [ideally] or blackheath. I have done some research on ofsted website, rightmove uk and locrating but not able to figure which are the good state schools in this area [I compared tidemill, john ball, millennium, eglington, timbercroft, sherington, our lady of grace catholic and Christ Church, church of England]. A bit daunting.. all the info :-o

We are looking for a place where he will be happy yet challenged. He likes to read, do math and absolutely loves craft. Thank you v much in advance

There are some fantastic schools in the Greenwich/Blackheath area. Have heard great things about John Ball, Halstow, Millennium, Sherington, Invicta, Brooklands, etc. Am sure there are others in the area with excellent Ofsted rankings and exit results as well. The best way to find the right school is by visiting them - do some online research to begin the search and then go visit your shortlist in the course of a few months! It will help you figure out what you need to look out for.

You need a school with a yr gap
Phone Lewisham and Greenwich council' education dept and ask for a list of schools with spaces and go from there.

There are a lot of good schools - in particular invicta (both sites), halstow, James Wolfe, Sherrington all have good reputations.

But really you need to find out who has space, what their catchments are, then visit those that work for you.

I would look round and see what appeals to you in the area. I wouldn’t just go by Offsted or league tables.

YY, agree that you need to find out where the spaces are and go from there. My dc is in reception at all saints' school in blackheath, which is fantastic but the class is currently full (one form entry school).

Your son will be going into yr1 in September.

This means you are looking for an in-year allocation, and you will be allocated a place at whichever school has a space when you have an address in the area - you are unlikely to get a choice I'm afraid.

If you call the local authority now they can give you some idea which schools have space, but can't allocate until you have an address ( unless you are returning military!)

Thabk you everyone. This has been v v helpful and informative. Really appreciate it.

Hi again. Looks like i will have to evaluate independent schools as well. Colfes and blackheath prep have no space in year 1 starting this sept and im yet to write to pointers and heath house. Both these schools say that they do not want kids leaving before year 6. Heath house further mentions that if the sibling doesnt go to heath house they can ask the enrolled kid to leave .

Coming from outside the uk, this is quite alien to me. Does anyone know the practical implications of this? Assume we move out of blackheath before year 6 or for the sibling (who is still 1) we think that he is better suited in another school or we choose to take our son out just because we think the school is not suiting him... will such a rule prevent us from shifting schools or will the school make it hard to shift? Thank you

Heath House got fed up of people just using the school for boys and sending the girls to Blackheath High. Pretty sure they would stick to the policy of asking you to leave if you didn't send all your kids there.

Most schools want you to stay until year 6 but I don't think they can stop you leaving? Pointers famously refuse to write references before Year 6 unless you are leaving the area - but that doesn't stop anyone.

@jd2408 There are children who move out of Pointers and Heath House to other schools, and clearly they can't do much to "prevent" the move. When references are not given, schools look at end of term reports or do entrance exams for admissions.

Thank you @TJsAunt and @TypsTrycks

Ok so I know of people with children at the following schools:

Millennium - now outstanding (it wasn't always so), parents and children seem happy, mixed intakes but thought of as a good school, great facilities, regular homework. I hope it remains excellent.

Invicta - only downside is that it is close to a motorway but is outstanding and thought to be just an excellent school, great facilities, great head (or there was a great head) I always hear great feedback about this school. It seems like a lovely schcol.

Our lady of grace - difficult to get into but the parents I know who have children there are really happy and it seems to be a lovely school, I think you would need to go to church.

Sherrington - again really positive feedback

John ball - really positive again, great facilities, children and parents I know are happy.

Christchurch - do you mean in East Greenwich- not outstanding but good and parents I know with children there are happy

There is also a church school on the Greenwich peninsula and people who have children there seem very happy with it.

All saints - has a good reputation, very hard to get into. I know some parents there also who are really happy.

Halstow - Very hard to get into but I also know parents who are not happy with the school and think other parents are competitive and pushy which translates to children too, Now that could be just a poor experience from two separate families I know so it perhaps is not reflective of the school as a whole. I also know some parents were not keen on the academy process.

There are some good schools in West Greenwich too - James Wolfe is large but very well thought of, there is another church primary school in West Greenwich but I can't remember the name just now.

Meridian in Greenwich is also well rated and seems a lovely small school.

I am not up on the private schools as much but I have heard mixed reports on Pointers (check out the head) and Heath House due to lack of space. Blackheath Girls gets really positive feedback.

I think that in Blackheath and Greenwich the state schools are of a high enough quality that I would (if I were you) go state and not private. If you go state and the. Supplement any other activities on top but that is your choice.

Secondaries are more challenging but I know a fair few people with school age children and primary level education in Blackheath and Greenwich have improved and seem to be just getting better and better.

Greenwich and Blackheath are lovely places to live too.

I have two children at Pointers. One of them in the year group your child would enter. At least a third of her class is international. You do need to pay £1000 on top of the £4430 per term fees which is returned if your child stays until year 6 and which is forfeited if they do not, but that's it. There are no sanctions other than purely financial and a high level of support for transitioning children. Most children do not in fact stay until year 6 because parental mobility is high. The school has a very strong Christian ethos which parents are asked to support and offers extended hours which are very helpful for many working parents. We have loved the school and its strong international flavour combined with a very traditional style of British education (3 hats required!)

Do you mean Timbercroft in Plumstead? That's a fair way from Greenwich although it is in the same borough.

Thank you very much @gemmy2 and @2pickles.

I will try for public for him most likely but we would cime in only mid term ie around nov which makes our chances grim on getting a seat in the good state schools i reckon. What do u think is the right approach? Shd i first contact the council or first the schools? Thank u again

Both. Approach the Council for the State School vacancies and apply direct to the private schools