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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Independent schools for someone living in Islington - help !!!

39 replies

LittleDorrit · 16/10/2008 15:44

Right, this is really stressing me out - my DD is 2.5 and for lots of very complicated reasons I did not really think about where she would be going to school up to now. So right now I am madly trying to find something and of course it does not help that there are so few independent schools on this side of London. I really like the sound of the Children's House, but at the moment it seems unlikely that we will get a place there.
Charterhouse Square is also full up...
I have an appointment next week at Cavendish - any views?
Also visiting the Gower School next month, but I am not completely sure about the whole Montessori thing... Any views on that one?
What about St Andrew's Montessori?

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Original poster

LittleDorrit · 16/10/2008 16:50

bump - anyone?

OP posts:

spudballoo · 16/10/2008 16:58

The Children's House is generally thought of as 'the' place to go, but places are incredibly difficult to come by, sometimes it's so full not even siblings get a place . It's unlikely you would get a place unless she'd been down from birth.

Don't know Cavendish. Gower School used to be v v good but I heard recently that it's gone to pot a bit. St Andrew's not as good.

Not sure that helps one little bit! Sorry, just passing along what I know from my NCT friends in Islington.

frogs · 16/10/2008 17:15

Cavendish is nice, but there are loads of good state primary schools in Islington. And places do free up at the private schools further down the line -- it's only reception/nursery where there's a huge crush.

Which primary schools would you be in catchment for? There are MNers with kids in loads of different islington primaries, so sure someone would be able to help you.

Original poster

LittleDorrit · 16/10/2008 17:20

Thanks Sbudballoo - very helpful. I guess that's why the Gower School was happy to consider me...

I feel that I have somehow failed DD.
I guess all I can do now is just put her down for as many places as possible and hope that something comes through.

Is anyone else in this situation?

OP posts:

Original poster

LittleDorrit · 16/10/2008 17:24

Thanks Frogs.
I am in N5. Fairly close to Canonbury, which I understand is very good, but I have a feeling I would have no hope of getting a place there.
I guess my greatest concern is that DD ultimately goes to a good secondary school, and I know that in the UK at least it will be very hard for her to get a place at a private secondary school if she has not gone to a good private primary.

OP posts:

bundle · 16/10/2008 17:31

why are you so worried about secondary school when she's only 2?

if you live close to Canonbury you stand a good chance of getting in. I live closer to Finsbury park and my children went to a good, small, friendly community nursery, not at all posh or with a particular philosophy like montessori, just good, warm carers in an environment where they flourished - 3 days a week from 6 mths to when they went to school (our local catholic primary)

I know plenty of happy mums at Mary Magdalene's. why does it have to be an independent school, as frogs says there are plenty of other options

Original poster

LittleDorrit · 16/10/2008 17:43

Bundle - but your post sums up the issue - your children went to a local catholic primary - as far I am aware, most catholic primary schools are very good, so you were lucky. I actually have a good catholic school very close to me - I would be extremely happy for DD to go there but even though we are catholic, it is extermely unlikely that we would get her a place there (we don't attend church regularly, etc).
I guess I just want to give my DD the best start in life that I can.

OP posts:

frogs · 16/10/2008 17:46

AS long as you don't panic, you'll get into a decent primary school, even if you have to move her in Reception/Y1. We got offered places for dd1 at 'desirable' schools we were miles out of catchment for -- Canonbury, Tyndale, Hanover, blahblah. But we were happy with the school she was at, so we didn't move her.

That business about not getting into a good secondary if you haven't been private at primary is complete cobblers, take it from me. It's put about by people who feel they need to justify having shelled out £12K a year for somehting that is a bit more polished and shiny but not radically different from what's available for free.

Dd1 was offered places at all the schools (private and state) that she applied to (City, Channing, SHHS, HBS), from a non-top-flight primary in N1, and she wasn't alone. All the selective schools have big intakes from state primary schools at 11+. Saying 'you've failed her' at the age of 2 just because you haven't been offered a place at whichever private schools is currently fashionable is just ridiculous -- in the nicest possible way, you need to get a sense of proportion!

Original poster

LittleDorrit · 16/10/2008 17:51

Thanks for the reassurance Frogs. I know I need to get a sense of proportion, and I think part of it is to do with other aspects of my personal circumstances, and my feeling that I need to make sure DD does not miss out at least in this context... But feeling better now !

OP posts:

bundle · 16/10/2008 17:54

frogs knows what she's talking about!

and yes, we did get the school we wanted eventually - but the other local state school we were offered was absolutely fine - I know heaps of VERY happy parents and kids there - but I wanted dd2 to go to the same school as dd1

frogs · 16/10/2008 18:15

Go and look nearer the time, at all the schools that you might conceivably get a place at.

You might find you surprise yourself by liking one that isn't considered fashionable, or hating one that is.

We've just had that experience with secondary schools, and decided we could happily pass up sending ds across London to the Oratory in favour of a much scruffier and less desirable but much happier school on our doorstep.

[phew]

becks5109 · 17/10/2008 14:41

Remember too that schools that are favourable now may not be by the time your DD get to school age. Also same goes for the non favourable ones. We got in a completle panic re schools - our DD did not get into any of the desirable ones and now goes to what most people would consider a very undesirable school but she is happy, has friends and is really enjoying it so far. We are hoping that in the next few years a place will come up at a better school for her and we'll be able to move her. Try not to panic but do go and have a look around places such as Canonbury as you may well get a place if you're local enough. Good luck!

frogs · 17/10/2008 16:50

Hi becks! Where is your dd atm -- did you get into StJ&P in the end?

Dd2 didn't get into Y off the waiting list either, somewhat to my surprise, but she's happily at her big bro's school, so all good atm.

MrsMattie · 17/10/2008 16:52

frogs talks sense

bundle · 17/10/2008 16:53

frogs how long is the waiting list at Y? mahoosive???

dd1's class (4) at StJoA is now down to about 25, amazing what a few years does to numbers.

frogs · 17/10/2008 16:57

Well, we live 700 yards from the school, the cut-off distance for initial offers was 550 or thereabouts, and we were 14 on the waiting list.

Arf.

In fairness, we could have got places for both of them if I'd been prepared to move ds from his current school. But we're v. happy with StJ, so why bother? People get a little hysterical about Y and its ilk, tbh. It's great, but not worth losing sleep over.

becks5109 · 20/10/2008 12:15

Hi Frogs, she's at DeB at the moment and is enjoying it and her teacher is great but we've been recommended to still try to get her moved within 2 - 3 years if we can. She went from number 3 on StJ&P to number 7 but we've now been told that they're not much better than DeB by KS2 and we're number 7 on the list for WT in Islington so hopefully that will come up eventually!

becks5109 · 20/10/2008 12:16

frogs posted that before I had finished glad to hear they're both happy at the same school - I guess these things have a way of sorting themselves out!

akhemsProjectilePeaSoup · 20/10/2008 12:19

what about Channing? on Highgate hill?

bundle · 20/10/2008 15:37

channing v "competitive" and would imo really have to suit the personality of the child

akhemsProjectilePeaSoup · 20/10/2008 18:17

I didn't know anything about it, just that the mummies/nannies create havoc on the road in the mornings at drop off time

Spillage21 · 20/10/2008 18:30

Send DD to local primary school and save your money for secondary school (if you still prefer private). My DS went to primary in Hackney and also Lewisham (DD also): neither of them are top flight hot houses primaries but both children seem pretty well rounded...it's at secondary that the 'fun' starts.

Plus local state primary is more representative of the local community in which they live!

Spillage21 · 20/10/2008 18:32

Dammit why won't my strike out work...

MrsBadger · 20/10/2008 18:33

and it means their friends (hence playdates) are also more likely to be local

MrsBadger · 20/10/2008 18:33

(you hav to strike out each word, not a phrase or sentence)

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