Anxious about in-year admissions. Farnham/Guildford/Harpenden/Tunbridge Wells

[Ethny]

Hi everyone! We are considering moving to one of above listed areas during later this year/next year from London. We are currently in very good area with outstanding primaries but I don't think we could afford to buy something here as I would prioritise having second kid. My kid would be in reception or year 1 next year. But it seems that in smaller towns/villages to get to good secondary you need to be in feeder primary that rarely has places post reception. Please share your stories if you moved to one of those areas and ended up in academically advanced school. How long did you wait for a place?

I live in Tunbridge Wells and work in a small primary - schools in the area are great, but hideously over subscribed! Unfortunately I think you will find a similar situation in a lot of places.

Good luck, wherever you decide to go

All 4 Harpenden secondary schools are excellent. There is no 11+ in the area so that is a stress you can avoid.

Secondary admissions are not based on feeder schools but distance from the school and in the case of St George’s church attendance.

You can’t go wrong with any Harpenden primary or secondary school.

You can also check which Hertfordshire schools currently have vacancies. Obviously this can change all the time but there are a few in Harpenden with room currently in reception and year 1.

if you go on Hertfordhire County Council in year admissions you can find the current vacancies.

It's a bit more relaxed In Farnham area. You can apply for whatever follow-on school you like if you're in the catchment area. Obviously criteria applies but waiting lists move pretty rapidly due to parents choosing one selection over another. Plenty of decent schools across the board here tbf.

You would likely be fine in Guildford, numbers of primary pupils are declining and schools are often not filling their existing places. Apart from the Catholic secondary all the others admit on nearest school/distance from school (after siblings etc) so it won’t matter what your primary is, more important is where you live. If you opt for Guildford you’ll probably want to ensure you are nearest to either County (in town, can feel a bit cramped on-site) or George Abbot (Burpham) for secondary.