Can anyone recommend primary schools Highbury & Islington

[elvisjules]

Please can someone help me! I am moving to London from Oxford in August because of my partners work and we are looking to move around N1 or N5. Our son is due to start school in September and we are obvioulsy late getting into any of the top schools in the area but can go on waiting lists depending on proximity to the school. Which primary schools can anyone recommend? I am aware that Canonbury is one of the best but just wanted to hear anyones thoughts on any others? Does anyone know anything about Drayton Park?

Not these days, but I went there myself. it was very good then.
Sorry, no help I know. It was just strange seeing my old school and area (I used to live in both areas) asked after.

I'd be interested in what you find. Good luck.

Have a look at this thread from 2006 - should still be fairly accurate. Frogs seems to be in the know, if you can attract her attention. I used to know, but haven't been there for about 6 years now, and things do change, so it's best to get up to date info. HTH

Ah, the sound of someone taking my name in vain!

I don't know so much about Highbury schools, I'm afraid. Of the ones in N1, Canonbury and William Tyndale are generally regarded as the desirable ones. St John's in Highbury is meant to be great, though v. v. middle-class, but I think you need to clock up several years industrial-strength churchgoing to be in with a chance. I know of people with children at Laycock, but no real info.

Bundle would probably know more about Highbury schools, since I know she's been looking around for her dd2.

Thanks for any advice - I know Laycock does have some places as well as a couple of others so will have a look around before term finishes.
Might also try and trackdown Bundle!

hi elvisjules
whereabouts are you moving to?
I know people at Canonbury who are v happy and as frogs mentioned St John Highbury Vale is very well thought of. My dd goes to St Joan of Arc which is a catholic school and doing well in the league tables as well as having a good reputation generally and a bit more representative of the local community imo. have you looked at the league tables? (not that they're the be-all, just gives an idea)
I only know Laycock through dd1's choir (she goes there on a Saturday). Other friends chose Drayton Park over Gillespie though my dd2 would have been going to Gillespie if she hadn't got a place at her sister's school. CAT me if you'd like more, x

Drayton Park is not great.Was on special measures but perhaps slightly improved recently.

Laycock - ok, but does tend to have places and lots of kids coming/going mid term. Again, not great.

Canonbury and William Tyndale are good.

St Johns Highbury is good but very posh. Most of the parents are a bit arsey imo.

Gillespie, ok, not great.

Ambler, again, ok, not great, probably on a par with Gillespie/Laycock/DP.

Drayton Park has a boat in the playground, which my dc think is immensely cool. But probably not grounds for choosing a school in its own right...

sorry but ambler definitely not on par with gillespie/drayton park - many parents who use their nursery take kids onto st john's/gillespie etc.

Gillespie just has new head, i know one of the governors there who's v pleased with her daughters' progress.

friend whose bil taught at ambler said he wouldn't like his nephew to go there (he's going to st j of a). my neighbours walk twice as far (as they would to say gillespie) to drayton park as they believe it's a much better school & have do lots of social things with other parents.

AGree with bundle re. Ambler. Friend's ds was given a place there in Reception as absolute last resort, and they moved him out as soon as a place became available elsewhere.

the boat is a real pull

Thanks so much for all this info. have been bogging myself down with league tables etc and it just seems to be a case of choosing the best school out of a bad bunch of limited availabilities!!
Well Drayton Park sounds like the best one and the only option is to then be put on a waiting list for Canonbury, Joan of Arc or St. Johns. Other availabilities are St Andrews in Barnsbury or Newington Green - any info?

sorry have no idea about either of those but friend who lives nr newington green sends her daughter to joan of arc which is about a 25 min walk

newington green quite rough, I think. We used to live near there and knew loads of people at the Stokey end too, but don't know anyone whose kids are at Newington Green. The better Stokey schools are Grasmere and Betty Layward. The latter is not so much a school as a way of life.

Don't know anything about St Andrews, but you'd probaby be out of their area if you're in Highbury.

The church schools will probably require baptismal certificates and priest's references, even where there is a vacancy (we had to do this recently when we moved ds, even though there was a fairly long-standing space in his new class). So be prepared for this.

Ah N1 schools, now there is a subject close to my heart

From someone who lives in the area, has kids in local schools, works in a local pre-school and runs a baby and toddler group, I get loads of opinions (and I have my own of course)
If you discount the Catholic schools, which are heavily oversubscribed, the most sought after are Tyndale, Canonbury with Thornhill and Hanover pretty close behind. Thornhill had a fab reputation, the last head let things slide terribly, but the newish head is slowly but surely pulling it back up. Lots of new, dynamic staff; organic, cooked fresh on-site school dinners; lots of extra-curricular activities...It is 2 form entry.
St. Andrews is another improving school. Another newish head, trying to put right some rubbish the previous head did.
St Mary Magdalene also good. Both of these are smaller, just 1 form entry.
Another good one in the borough is Yerbury. Pretty middle-class afaik.
Laycock has a lot of traffic pupil-wise. It wouldn't be for me, just didn't feel right.

ej, do you have a choice regarding where you live? The schools you are looking at are spread over quite a wide area, so wouldn't all be realistic options from one location iyswim. But if you have a choice, then you could try to position yourself favourably for one of the nicer schools. The options are not that bad really -- there are a few schools worth avoiding, quite a lot of perfectly fine schools, and a small handful of fab ones (though will depend on your definition).

Posey -- dd2 has a nursery place at Y school for September, and it is a really fab place. V. v. excited (as is she!). Now I just have to work out how to juggle pickups/dropoffs from two different schools simultaneously...

Hi frogs - Y must be your local school? Where is dd1? I'm sure you have told me.
Can you tell which from my list my 2 go to?

Posey: Y is indeed our local school nowadays -- well, not physically the nearest, but within the usual intake area, so hopefully she'll get a reception place as well. Our nearest is Eleanor Palmer (Camden), where the head was so unbelievably rude to me when I innocently phoned up to inquire about vacancies that I'm not even prepared to apply there.

Ds is at St J on Highgate Hill. They didn't have a place for dd2, and Y didn't have a place for ds. But I'm sure it will all work out somehow... Dd1 travels to Finchley.

Have you decided on your secondary options yet?

Ah yes, I remember now.

We start the real secondary trawl in September. We will look at Mary Magdalene, Highbury Fields, Camden school for Girls (though too far away if we are realistic), still thinking really...
Am dreading it tbh.

Argh. Tis grim. But a great feeling once they're all settled and the anticipation is but a distant memory.

By the end of Y6 they are so ready to leave primary, it's a joy to see them growing into big school. Am still hearing good things about Highbury Fields, btw.