Reception schools Greenwich

[mummywhatyoudoing]

Hi I’m trying to choose between these schools if anyone has experience with them please?

1-Meridian school

2- Halstow

3- Glynworth canary wharf

4- Rachel Owen

Any other suggestions??

the first 2 I live close to but don’t know much about, I have a tour booked in for both.
the last one my friend’s child goes to and seems happy with.

Many thanks

I think you have the names of the last two wrong?
There is no way you will be in catchment for them all so better to work out which one you would actually get in to from where you live?

Number 3 is correct my friend who’s also my neighbour her child goes there already.

you’re right last one is meant to say Robert Owen lol

Robert Owen is a nursery / preschool last time I checked? Typically, in Greenwich, the catchments for primary schools are very small, so unless you are able to specify the school (due to having it named in an EHCP, or previously looked after, or having a sibling there already), then there is usually only the possibility of your closest school (and I have known people (in the past) who are not even able to get into their closest school - but this was a long time ago).

Which school do you actually live close to, and what has been the catchment for that school in previous years? I am a bit out of the loop, but catchments for Meridian and Halstow have never usually overlapped, and can get very small. Have you looked on the Greenwich Council website, they usually have good info about catchments on there (they do an interactive map for secondary school catchments, they might also have this for primaries?).

Obviously Glenworth CW is across the river on the isle of dogs so think about how you want to be doing the school run

Robert Owen is a nursery, not a primary school?

Sorry I’m getting things mixed up, thought Robert Owen does reception too!

So I live in the middle between Meridian and Halstow but closer to Meridian, 12 min walk
and Halstow 18 min walk. I’m new to this whole applying to school thing so I checked the catchment thing for Meridian before and it looks like I’m in the catchment area.

You’re right dunno how to edit the first post on my phone.

yes it’s not ideal to be going all the way but liked the idea of my son having a familiar face there. I drive so could drive there I guess if it comes to it.

@mummywhatyoudoing Have you looked on the Greenwich Council Primary School Offers map? Are you only just within the catchment for Meridian, or are you comfortably inside the circle? It will be worth doing a bit of research to see what the catchment area has done over the last 4-5 years; maybe the school will know, when you go on your tour? You need to find out whether you are at risk of not being offered a local school if the catchment shrinks.

There are a series of streets between Meridian and Halstow that don’t really seem to fall in any school catchments (it’s ’offer areas’ rather than catchments actually, as it changes every year depending on how many children applying and where they live, and how many siblings there are). although I’ve just had a look on the offers map and James Wolfe seems to have a really large circle.

So if you are in the circle (last year’s offer area) for Meridian (on the offers map), then it seems likely that that is where your dc will go, unless the offers area shrinks, due to the number of children applying who live closer to the school than you.

I would suggest it is nearly impossible to get a place at Halstow from where you are living. So, realistically, it is likely to be Meridian, but make sure you have a contingency option that is likely to offer a place (as a back-up) in case the offers area for Meridian shrinks (and find out why the James Wolfe catchment is so large - it may be because of the special unit for hearing impaired children that is at James Wolfe?).

How does your neighbour do the school run to Glenworth? The traffic along Trafalgar Road & Blackwall Tunnel is horrendous, there is no way I would want to be driving that at peak time...

Agree with all this @mummywhatyoudoing
You need to talk to your neighbour because they will have done this recently. They must have a really good reason to be going across the river - my guess would be you are indeed in the gap between Meridian and Halstow catchments.
if so, go and visit any potential back up options. I have a friend who must live near you; her kids are at Invicta (and walk past Halstow to get there :( )

After a couple of days at any school he will have familiar faces there! He won't even necessarily see an older child - sometimes reception have a separate outside area. You'd be much better with a local school where he will soon make friends with other children who live near you. That will make play dates easier, and when they get to the top end of primary school he may walk to school with his friends.

I know this area well and have friends with DC in most of the local primary schools.

Historically, Halstow has been regarded as 'the' best primary school in East Greenwich. This is reflected in the crazy house prices on the nearby streets (£1m for a decent sized 3-bed). Halstow recently 'lost' its Outstanding Ofsted though so I believe things have calmed down a bit. From what I gather, the change in grading is more down to the change of how Ofsted judges schools - the school itself hasn't dramatically changed.
The school is still very well regarded locally. In previous years, the catchment has been tiny, we're talking about 5 streets. However, things in Greenwich are changing dramatically, like lots of parts of London. I know DC who have got in recently from streets that would never have got in even 5 years ago. So you may get lucky.

Meridian is also a very well regarded school. Some people prefer it to Halstow - as you will find, different styles/approaches of school appeal to different people.
Meridan is a small school - it's one-form entry. Again, in previous years, I've known the catchment to be literally the flats opposite it, once sibling preference has been taken out.

Definitely go and look at James Wolfe, as other people have suggested. I have friends with DC there and they're happy with it. One of the reasons the catchment is so wide is because it's large for a primary - I think 3 form entry? Also, because of it's location, it's tipping into West Greenwich. There are fewer primary school aged children living there and quite a few of those do go private so there's more capacity.

I would also look at Millennium, Invicta, Windrush, Christchurch, St Joseph's and St Mary's. Some of these are faith schools though, just so you're aware.

Greenwich is actually very well served for good primary schools. I don't know any of my friends who have ended up unhappy with their DC's school, even if they didn't get into their first choice.

Thats absolutely valid, you're right. It's feeling less appealing to travel all the way there to be honest I'd much rather something close and there is loads to choose from so yeah ditching that idea.

Yeah I have a day booked with both Halstow and Meridian.
No my neighbour is also my friend, she put Meridian and Halstow as first choices and added in Glynworth as a 3rd etc among other schools in the area she wasn't really expecting to get it but she did guess there wasn't a space in the others.

She walks there through the foot tunnel from cuttysark

I used the map but the thing for calculating it never works for me, you're right I'm in between so not really in the circle missing it by a tiny bit .... anyway I have a tour booked with both and will ask then of my chances.

Thank you this is really helpful, yeah since I have booked a tour with both schools I will ask then on the day but put them as options anyway incase I get lucky!
I did consider James Wolfe as I have a friend who has her 9 year old attending there since he was little. They are happy with the school but the only downside is the school curriculum getting repeated over and over year on year doing the same thing so other kids who're not achieving well can catchup.

Millennium, Christchurch and St Joseph's are defo a big no, lots of parents who have their kids their or pulled them out always warned me against those.

Invicta and Windrush not too sure will have a look.

I would look at as many schools as you can in quite a wide area. As others have said, you may be in that 'black hole' where you don't fall easily into any school catchment area. This means in a 'bad' year you may get allocated a school quite far away.

If you've at least looked at them all, you will be in a better position to know what you are - or aren't going to be happy with.

I would also say there's a lot of movement in this area. I know DC who have ended up being offered places from the waiting list over the summer - or in the first couple of weeks of September.

@mummywhatyoudoing To be honest, if you are not in last year’s catchment circle for Meridian / Halstow, then you really do need to consider other options. You need to look at ALL of the schools near you, on the online catchment map to see which ones you might be in the the circle for. Otherwise, if you don’t have the local ones on your application that you will definitely get in to (ie do millennium or invicta catchments come out as far as you, or any others?), as even your last priority place (no 5 choice on the form), then you may not get a place at any of your choices, and may get an undersubscribed school, that you didn’t put on your list, that still has places, at the edge of the borough, maybe two bus journeys away.

So visit all the Local schools, do the research (re the catchments), and make sure you put down one that you are pretty much guaranteed a place at, even if it is your last choice. Make sure you rank your schools in true order of preference - so put your favourite first, second-favourite next, etc but you do need to be realistic about choice number 5. Better to have a local school, even if not one of your favourite choices, than one miles away, which you really wouldn’t have chosen, but have just been assigned.

The other thing I would say about primary schools in Greenwich is that there is usually a lot of movement throughout all 7 years - lots of people moving due to jobs etc, so there may well be spaces becoming available (if you are on the waiting list) after school starts in September. At my dc’s primary, there were people moving away every year. So all is not lost, on the 1st September, if your dc does not have a place in your top choice school, and if you stay on the waiting list.

edited to add - I got distracted by one of my teenagers while writing this post, and have just spotted that @Toomanyminifigs beat me too it, and I have just repeated a lot of what is in their post, sorry!!

Thank you @Toomanyminifigs @Vivavivavivaviva
That's really handy to know re movement and waiting list, that can be an option too I didn't consider at all.
Never thought it was so complicated with catchment areas etc, I thought you just put it in the list and get your first choice loool wishful thinking!!
Yeah I'm researching every single school and reading their policies etc got a headache but will be worth it!

You might find this useful. There isn't a single school marked as "Satisfactory" never mind "Needs Improvement".

Assuming you work then what you need is a school that is a straightforward drop off and pick up in the right direction for your commute where possible, one that offers wrap around care [or you will also need a childminder], and is ideally a happy well rounded place of education.

In my experience as a parent, it's useful to remember that sometimes the parents that slate a school and remove their child, are a frickin' nightmare and the school heaved a sigh of relief when they took their impossible demands for their "gifted and special" children elsewhere. Millennium appears to have an Outstanding rating so presumably some parents are happy with it.

https://findmyschool.uk/best-primary-schools/greenwich?london_borough=Greenwich&phase_of_education=Primary%2CAll-through&size=9