Brixton schools: Loughborough Primary and others nearby

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Hello all. Wondered if anyone could help me with Brixton schools? I've read all the other threads on here but they don't quite apply to our situation.

We are looking at a flat in SW9 7BP which we love, which is about ten mins up Brixton Road when you turn right out of the station. The flat is in the catchment for Loughborough Primary, Hill Mead, St Johns Angell Town; not far from Comber Grove and Christ Church but still outside their catchments... Our daughter is two, so we have to think about schools soon.

It's not in the catchment for any of the schools regularly mentioned on here, like Sudbourne, Jessop etc - and we can't go private. So I'd really love to know if anyone has any advice. I am a novice to this stuff, so don't know how likely you are to get your kids into a school when you're out of the catchment etc.

Thank you very much in advance!

Those schools serve quite poor areas - Loughborough Junction has one of the highest percentages of social housing in the country. I would think they don’t get mentioned for a reason.

These schools don't have official catchment areas but publish the last distance offered. Currently numbers of children in Lambeth starting school are low due to a lower birth rate and families relocating, so some schools may offer to people living further away.

I agree with PP that a lot of the popularity of the schools is based on the cohort of kids going there.

Thank you both - Bendingspoons, do you mean that the schools I mentioned don't have official catchment areas? And that some of the more competitive ones are now offering places to kids further away due to the changes? Thanks!

A catchment area is where schools say 'if you live in this area drawn on the map you have priority'. None of the London schools have this.

The schools in these areas prioritise most children based on how far they live from the school. Admissions (apart from some faith schools) is usually something like: children with an EHCP or adopted, siblings, distance from school.

The 'last admitted' distance changes each year. This means if there are less 4 year olds in the area, a school may offer further out to fill their places. So a school might say something like: 2019: 430m, 2020: 406m, 2021: 490m. If you live 480m from the school, you would have got a place in 2021 but not the other years. For a number of schools in inner London, the 'last admitted' distance will be bigger due to less 4 year olds. I think there was a 7% drop in school admissions in some areas this year (I can't remember if this was a Lambeth stat or across inner London sorry!).

Of course none of this is a guarantee. The popular schools will still be popular and different areas will have different amounts of movement. Plus there is a chance families will return to inner London post-COVID etc. Good luck deciding.

Look at Jubilee, it's not usually over-subscribed and is a lovely friendly school. It's on Effra Road.

I would say though if you can get slightly more over towards Loughborough Junction/Camberwell/Herne Hill way the schools are all fantastic. Jessop, Saint Saviours, Judith Kerr etc. The vibe is more chilled and family friendly too.

Jubilee School is on Tulse Hill not Effra Road.

Could you get in to Reay Primary from there? I know it has a very tight last distance but may have expanded recently for the reasons cited above.

You're really not far from Jessop Primary and it doesn't have a crazy last distance from what I remember. Are you definitely too far from there?

Also if you don't get in first time round then you can also go somewhere and then move with an in-year transfer. Places do come up all the time at London primaries. I know for a fact there were year one spaces available at Jessop this last academic year.

Stockwell Primary is in central Brixton and may be preferable to the other schools you mentioned despite its 'requires improvement' status. The staff and governors are working hard to change that.

Of the schools you mentioned I know a parent who transferred to St Johns from our school and prefers it - they're fairly religious though. I know another parent with kids at Hill Mead but they're not overly impressed.

Hello all - Bendingspoons, Nightmanagerfan, Bear2014 and Dotty81 - really sorry not to get back to your advice about Brixton schools and thank you properly! It actually looks like we don't earn enough to can't get a mortgage (!) so a house at this point remains a distant fantasy... the one we saw in Brixton isn't a goer for us. This wasn't what we expected but there you go. But I really appreciate your advice on the schools and will bear it all in mind for when we can move. Thanks again!

Ah that's a blow. Hope you work out something suitable down the line.

I have friends with children at Jessop and Rosendale, very happy there.

We left Sudbourne for Jubilee ( great Sen, happier school, by the park)