Grazebrook, Grasmere, Betty Layward, William Patten and surrounding Secondary Schools

[MadeleineM]

Hello,

We are considering moving to Stoke Newington in time for Reception admissions deadline. I would appreciate any feedback you may have on the above schools. We appreciate that the catchments are small and would move accordingly.

We are looking for a small (1-2 form), warm school environment where children of all capabilities are challenged to their full potential.

Thank you in advance for your time.

Just jumping on here as also keen to hear feedback from parents with children at these schools!

MadeleineM - we are in William Patten catchment (I think - the catchment is so tiny!) and parents I've spoken to seem happy with the school. It does seem quite big, though... Have you had a look around any of these schools?

I don’t have first hand experience of these schools but briefly looked into them a few years ago when we were considering moving to the area. William Patten had the best reputation (creative, warm) but the others were also well regarded. Grazebrook was thought to be quite strict—but it got the second best SATs results in Hackney last year.

www.standard.co.uk/news/education/primary-school-league-tables-2018-find-out-how-your-state-school-compares-to-the-others-in-london-a4017441.html

Two form entry schools are not considered large in London, GentleParent, and are perhaps the norm. Grasmere is one form and the others are two form (as far as I remember). The standard advice on Mumsnet is that one form schools are good when kids start school (nurturing, everyone knows everyone) but not so much in the later years (claustrophobic, limited after school activities, not good preparation for secondary).

Unfortunately, William Patten is among those London schools which suffer from bad air pollution. You can find out more about that by searching Google News.

Touring schools is the best way to get a feel for the environment.

I have children at William Patten. I didn’t move for the school - we have lived here a long time - but my younger’s class is totally stuffed full of families who came for WP. They moved for the admissions deadline too, and shrank the catchment.

It’s a good school (and definitely not perfect) but its reputation seems to be exaggerated. Probably a self-perpetuating thing. Parents who moved for it, or hung on the waiting list for it and finally got it, have confirmation bias. I wouldn’t move for it, personally. It’s ok, but it’s not amazing!

And yes, there’s a big pollution problem that is likely to only get worse.

I have friends who have children in the surrounding schools - Betty Layward, Grasmere, Grazebook. All pretty happy - but again, they already lived there so didn’t have unrealistic expectations. I think there’s a lot of pressure if you come to a neighbourhood for a school.

Grasmere is the only one that is one-form entry (but it, too, has a pollution problem).

To be honest, I think they’re all pretty nice schools. Nothing particularly special about any in my opinion (I was a teacher until I had my youngest).

Where are you moving from?