Blackheath/ Greenwich primary schools

[Inyournewdress]

If anyone has any experience or opinions of primary options in Blackheath, Blackheath standard/Westcombe Park I would really appreciate hearing your thoughts. Looking to start Reception next autumn so will need to put my name down later this year. Some Greenwich schools might also be possible if their radius stretches enough for us at the time. We would definitely prefer state options.

I am clueless so welcome anything to help me choose!

Looking to start Reception next autumn so will need to put my name down later this year.

No experience of the schools around there, I'm afraid (although we did live in the area decades ago, just off the heath on the Lewisham side), but just checking that you understand that the actual process of application is by expressing your ranked preferences on a form which you submit to your LA (via the eAdmissions system in London, I believe), rather than by 'putting your name down' at a school? I apologise if I misunderstood and you were just using a turn of phrase, so to speak, but unfortunately, 'IRL', I do get to meet quite a lot of people who have assumed that the system works in some way other than the reality wrt school admissions.

@MarchingFrogs thanks for your reply, I was just using a turn of phrase but you were absolutely right to check! The full reality of it is gradually being revealed to me and it’s quite daunting!

Halton used to be the 'best' primary school but the catchment was tight. All Saints was also popular. There is also Meridian and Millenium primary s hooks, not quite as popular but still good. Independent schools are popular in the area; Blackheath Prep, Heath House, Pointers, Colfes etc.

Halstow not Halton!

All saints, invicta and John ball all ok. all have a fairly varied intake so lots of time spent on behaviour - luck of the draw really how much your dc will be impacted.

all the private pre preps locally are good but possibly not worth the current fees + 20%.

Thank you @Turmerictolly @Wishlist99
I will go and have a look at these, I thought Halstow looked interesting but I don’t think we would be in with any chance catchment wise.
@Wishlist99 if you don’t mind my asking, do you mean luck of the draw regarding how much behaviour issues affect other children in the class?

I’m a bit worried because dd seems, as far as you can tell with a three year old, very bright and is so keen to learn. I looked up the last Invicta inspection report and it mentioned several times that the brighter children were not challenged and were finishing Reception with a lower level of attainment that they might have due to this.

DS is in reception at Brooklands and we're really happy with it. There is lots of green space, the staff are warm and caring, and the families are lovely. He's also flourishing academically. We also have friends with kids at John Ball who are very happy. In terms of the preps we have friends with kids at Pointer, Blackheath High (sorry I missed whether you've got a boy or girl) and Colfe's who are all really happy. Our friends with kids at Blackheath Prep don't seem very happy with the direction of travel under the new head but their kids are doing well academically.

Oh I forgot to mention that a couple of families have joined DS's class from Invicta as they were really unhappy with it. I believe they have a new head too.

John Ball is terrific but the catchment is still very small I believe

Thanks @avocadotofu thats really interesting, especially about Invicta as that’s our nearest state school. Brooklands does look very nice, I’m so glad your DS is enjoying it.

Thanks for the info @dreamingbohemian, it seems most people have good things to say about John Ball. We’re right on the borderline of catchment, I think our street probably makes it some years and not others so worth a try!

It's worth signing up to this website for a month, it will tell you the catchment for schools going back 5 years, which can give a more realistic view of chances as catchments change each year

https://www.locrating.com/

I have heard good things about Brooklands but from where it's situated I would have thought the intake would be quite mixed.. ?

Thanks @Londonforestmum that website looks very helpful.

Halstow catchment used to be about 50m. It got ridiculous with the sibling rule and the number of rental properties in the streets around it used to turn over regularly. So if you are not in catchment currently, or not planning to move I would discount it.

Traffic as you know in the Greenwich area is a disaster. It's worth considering how you are going to manage pick ups and drop offs from any school on your list. What are the pre and after school clubs provisions like? If you have to commute by train or bus, how will that work with a school run as part of your day.

On the school, anything good or outstanding should be on your radar but also check SENCO provision as you never know. Worth considering that some Outstanding grades will not have been reviewed for a considerable time so check the dates.

My experience is that the vast majority of Greenwich and Blackheath schools provide a very good education. It is a very different landscape outside of London.

Thanks @TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams
I’ve been looking on the website @Londonforestmum suggested and we hardly seem to be in any catchments as I had been advised it looks like Invicta or maybe an outside chance at John Ball, some years it extends to us and others it doesn’t. All Saints did offer places in our area, but who knows why, probably siblings or church goers.

I don’t really like the look of Invicta partly because of the location right by the motorway, the air quality must be very low.

A friends children went there and had atrocious asthma but they also lived right beside the A12. The school to the best of my recollection did all kinds with parent involvement to reduce the effects of pollution - green walls that sort of thing but no idea what it is like today.

And now there's the ULEZ, what's changed? The school was in active measurement for pollution so what does the council say aside from no driving on the street during school run time which is a bit of a sop with the A12 so close.

Visit - ask what the deal is. Their attainment levels are very high.

Thank you @TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams

All Saints and John Ball in Blackheath are really good options. A lot of people get out off applying for All Saints because they assume it's too oversubscribed. It always used to be back in the day, but apparently less so now. I don't know if that's because more families are leaving London with small children or because fewer people want a religious school for their kids. But I reckon worth looking into, as long as you are ok with it being a Christian school. Pastoral care and community spirit appears strong there.

Thank you Olinguita, I think it’s worth a try!

decreased birth rates means that catchments are all over the place - some of the schools mentioned on here that were previously oversubscribed were not filled in the recent first round of allocations.

So if Halstow/All Saints appeal then three is a much better chance of getting in now than there was 10 years ago,

Thanks @Charlotte120221 that’s encouraging and I think dd’s year was a relatively low birth rate, covid and all that!

My vote is for Halstow. I switched my DS from Milleium primary school to Halstow and he is enjoying it there.

Please avoid Millemium primary school if you can, Me and many other parents from my DS's class had an awful experience and had to switch.

I have heard great reviews about Invicta as well.

@SUSHA123 may I ask what made you and others unhappy with Millennium? We're also looking at primaries for DS, Millennium seems okay from the outside

@Q9325 there are a lot of bullying incidences in the school and the management and teachers are very callous.
My ds was bullied and I wrote multiple emails to the school, never got a reply, infact he was targeted in class.
I am now in Meridian and I can clearly feel the difference, I know it looks ok from outside. I think they all do. Its only when you start attending you will know what the true picture is.

Check this link, it's a recent security incident at millenium

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/30384168/nursery-staff-toddler-road-alone/amp/

Thank you @HAIDEN , that's so very helpful!