Primary schools in Sevenoaks - thoughts welcome!

[Deefle]

I am wondering about primary schools in the Sevenoaks area - boys and girls/mixed. From my research most of the Ofsted ranked excellent or independently assessed well ranked schools are faith based or independent/private. I am wondering which of the independent/private schools - The Granville School, Sevenoaks School, Walthamstow Hallare are best (and appreciate that’s subjective!) or all they all similar? Same for the faith schools we’d be able to get into St John CoE and Sundridge and Brasted which admit based on distance and St Thomas’ Catholic Primary School which admits based on faith. Are these all similarly good schools? Finally, the only Ofsted ranked excellent state school in Sevenoaks (that I can see) is Riverhead Infants which feeds into Amhurst primary. Is Amhurst which is ranked good by Ofsted a great primary school?

Also I wonder if anyone has thoughts on Radnor House Sevenoaks, The New Beacon, and
Solefield School? They are all independent so no Ofsted ranking and independent assessment states they only ‘met’ assessment requirements. Not sure if these are for example as good as Granville which under independent assessment is listed as ‘excellent’.

Looking at secondary it also seems like the only well ranked secondary schools are Independent or grammar schools? Thoughts welcome on these schools and also on any state schools I’m missing here?

Coming cold to this, I’m not sure if the above is all correct or if I’ve missed anything? Your thoughts would be really appreciated.

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/find-a-school-in-england

You can compare state schools on there.

Thank you for that. I will certainly use this. Does anyone else who has direct experiences with schools in the area (especially the ones listed above) have any thoughts?

Hi there.

Along with house prices, schooling in Sevenoaks is a topic which never gets old. I’ll try and help based on local knowledge and being a parent at one of the schools. I would also suggest joining the local FB group Sevenoaks Women’s Forum for advice. There are lots of brains to pick over there.

So, breaking your post down:

independent/private schools - The Granville School, Sevenoaks School, Walthamstow Hall are are best (and appreciate that’s subjective!) or all they all similar? Granville and Wally Hall are quite different, only you would know which one best suits your girl. I have had a friend whose daughter was asked to go back a year because she was bilingual and had spend the last 18 months living in the country of her other language so her English wasn’t good enough for them. She ended up taking a place at St Michaels in Otford which might be an option for a mixed private junior school. Sevenoaks School do not have a junior school.

faith schools we’d be able to get into St John CoE and Sundridge and Brasted which admit based on distance and St Thomas’ Catholic Primary School which admits based on faith. Are these all similarly good schools? There really aren’t any bad primary schools in the area. If a faith school is important to you then you will have no issue getting the required paperwork to secure a place somewhere like St Thomas’. There is quite a distance between St John’s and Ide Hill, however. St Johns has a tiny catchment area due to small classes and high sibling intake. Lady Boswells is another well-regraded school in the town centre.

Riverhead Infants is geographically between St Johns and Ide Hill. It’s Ofsted report is now quite old and the previous head has retired so it is likely to be inspected at any time, however nothing can match up to actually seeing the school in action. We are currently at Amherst and love it but as I say, you’re spoilt for choice in the area. It’s strong on music, sport and is good at stretching the academic pupils and preparation for secondary is strong too.

No experience of Solefields or New Beacon as I have a girl. We viewed Radnor House and found it be a very welcoming, nurturing place but didn’t think it would be challenging enough academically for our girl. But that’s just our opinion and we really liked it.

We’re just entering secondary school applications having gone through the Kent Test so I’m not really qualified on the rest of the questions but there is now Trinity (faith based entry then distance) and Knole Academy (distance).