Primaries in Hammersmith/Kensington HELP!

[schoolless]

I've name changed for this. Thoroughly expect a bit of bashing so bring it on, provided you can give me some advice based on personal experience (anecdotal, not-so-recent, whatever you've got).

DS currently goes to a well-known private school in Notting Hill, which we can just about afford. DH and I both went to private schools and we thought it was the best school we could find for him.

It's not. The teaching isn't great, there's a kind of la-di-dah nice Home Counties feel about the Music and French and Art, but pisspoor maths teaching, hardly any science, no computing. Almost all of the other children have full-time nannies, even though many of the mothers (and fathers) don't work. There's little sense of community, and the only social things are playdates that I set up with other people's nannies (often never meeting the parents, while having myself to take time off work) or birthday parties held in outrageously expensive places with lots of champagne and kids in designer frocks. Few after-school clubs, no sense that parents might work, constant requests to go in and help in the middle of the working day (admittedly, without much take-up), other children away every school holiday on elaborate vacations that we can't afford and don't have time to take.

The private school I went to in the 90s was unashamedly academic and the parents/ families were very ordinary people. (Admittedly, it was not in Notting Hill.) My own parents lived when I started in a council house and I had an assisted place. We chose a private school because our son was obviously bright and we thought we were doing the best thing by him. In fact, that hasn't happened. He was given as learning objectives in his homework book every single week during reception things that he had been able to do for a really long time. He read pretty fluently when he started, and was on short chapter books by Christmas. Over the summer holiday he's read more than 30 books (currently reading Dr Doolittle). He can do multiplication and division and so on. I don't say this out of any sense that he's a genius or unusually special or gifted, but he is quite a long way ahead of the other children in his class. Which would be fine, and might change, but he complains constantly about being bored. This summer he spent a week at a childminder with his younger sibling and preferred that to school because they didn't 'stop me reading'.

His teachers are really reluctant to set extension work (and I don't want to badger beyond a certain point), the school is expensive, and we both feel an increasing unhappiness about the values and ethos, focus on getting children into the next school, the lack of parental involvement, etc.

So I want to apply for places at state schools in Hammersmith and Fulham and RBKC, fully expecting that they may not have our first choice or indeed anything available! But I want to try. The problem is that I haven't and now can't visit any of the schools and without doing that I'm finding it impossible to know which to pick. I guess they just go down the list, and so I might as well put the schools I most want at the top even though the chance of getting them is minuscule.

Which should these be, mumsnetters? Any opinions would be useful. There are 22 primary schools within a mile of our house, with about 1/3 of these in Kensington and the rest in H&F. He was baptised as a Catholic but we are not churchgoers, nor are we really willing to go every week (too hypocritical) to keep a place. But maybe that isn't necessary?

Some of the schools on the list: Avonmore, Kensington Primary Academy (did go to look round this school but have to say it felt very formal), St Mary's on Masbro Road (I really like the buildings but can't find much info about it), Larmenier (but is it super religious, as well as hard to get a spot?), Miles Coverdale (seems a great school but we aren't within the usual catchment area, Thomas Jones (ditto), Greenside (ditto), St Francis of Assisi by Latimer Rd, Avondale Park, Brackenbury. Very willing to consider others or to travel over a mile for the right school (should it have a place). We would also consider moving house within the local area.

Any thoughts on any of these, please? The Ofsted reports are written in such bland officialese they don't tell us anything useful. We aren't too bothered about whether the school has 'good' results but would like one with a good sense of community which will stretch a clever, shy child.

I think results would be a good thing to look at to identify the schools that have bright kids that they do stretch. I’d say that in areas like Notting Hill it’s pretty divided, ie the super rich going private vs a very deprived intake in a state school (based on my teaching experience in secondaries).

Also, have you considered changing areas and going private? There are plenty of areas that have very academic preps with a better ethos but the intake is a bit more down to earth, ie professional families living in mortgaged houses. You’d get a much better sense of community.

Thanks @JoJoSM2. We have considered that but the stamp duty cost to move just a couple of miles away is prohibitive. We aren't huge earners now but we have a lot of equity in our house from when my husband worked in finance. Basically, we'd be spending a whole primary schools-worth of fees just to move and that would make it harder to afford. We have definitely thought about renting in a different area, but want to identify the right school first.

Most of all, I think I just don't agree any more with private schools. When I went to one, the assisted places scheme meant that it was basically open access, provided you had motivated parents (not universal, of course!) and were clever. My best friend's mum was a school dinner lady. There were a lot of non-white children. Now I don't know if that diversity is present in private schools in the areas of London where we need to live for work. But I could easily be wrong.

Any thoughts on any of the state schools h mentioned, anyone??

Also, which results should I focus on, please? Is it the average score for reading and maths at KS2? How does that intersect with the % achieving at higher level? One school near me (Addison) seems to have a higher average score but a lower percentage of people achieving at higher level, compared to neighbouring schools, and that doesn't make much sense to me.

Saint Francis of assisi has outstanding leadership. It’s part of 3 catholic schools - servite in Chelsea and holy cross in Fulham. SFA is a small school /village feel. Had a hard time with Grenfell etc... very small classes - like private school numbers. Second best results in the RBKc borough as teachers care that every child has the opportunity to be great - even if you live on a council estate. I say this as it’s a great school but NH folk are a little snobby as it’s in the shadow of the former Grenfell tower - if you gamer my drift. Catholic school, but very diverse..!

Sounds like taking about BH?! Sounds similar to a friend who has her child there...

Went to see Kensington prim and didn’t like...too new to understand teaching etc

In terms of stats, I’d look at:
-progress scores (teaching likely to be good)
-% of higher attainers (large group of clever clogs is more likely to get the appropriate teaching + you’ll have a more academic vibe)
-progress by prior attainment (to see that the high ability pupils do make excellent progress).

Average scores for the cohort are less helpful as they might just reflect a broad range of abilities across a large year group. Perhaps more useful in one form entry schools.

@Nkmama15 thanks so much. As I looked through all the results this morning I wondered how it was that I'd 'missed' this school before, because it looks excellent. (Current school not that one, but similar!)

Do you know how Catholic you have to be to get into the school or once admitted? We aren't super close (maybe half a mile). We would be willing to go to Mass sometimes but not the 45 times a year that seemed mandatory at the Holy Trinity on Brook Green when we were vaguely thinking about Larmenier.

Actually, I wouldn't even mind the MASS/ God part every week, it was the laypeople going up at the end to get us to pray for babies murdered in abortions and gay people that did it for me. The plutocracy thing at the current school is grim, but it would be hypocritical to expose my son to moral beliefs that I think are wrong. I know that not all Catholic services are like this, however.

Hello

Your son seems really advanced for his age and you must spend a lot of time teaching him already. Did you try talking to teachers first and say your frustration?

I am sure you can find an outstanding state school but not sure it will cater for your sons need that seems more than gifted.

OP the best state primary I’ve seen in NH is Colville. But you’d definitely have to move to have a chance there.

Also curious as to which school your DS is at now! Wondering if it’s the one on HPA?

My 2 dc went to Avonmore and are now at independent secondaries.... it was a lovely school, one class entry. Had a change of management just as ds was leaving and I believe the focus is more academic now. TBH it didn't particularly stretch the dc and I felt the focus was more on helping those who required additional support and the brighter kids were left to get on with it. Very mixed demographic. But very much part of its community. I would see if you could get shown round and see for yourself as there has been a change of focus over the past few years. DM me if you want more info.

Re: Larmenier, a great school, but you have to be Catholic and have all the paperwork to prove it.

Do you think you would be able to access St Mary Abbotts or Fox primaries (ie, are you in the catchment areas?)?

Are you Catholic OP?

Fox Primary in Rbkc and John Betts in Hammersmith are both excellent schools. But your son will be ahead in most schools he goes to.

I’ve sent you a PM..!