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

[LittleDorrit]

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?

Thanks...

Agree that this idea that you can't get to a private secondary without going to a private school from the age you can walk is a self-justifying con. Know so many kids from v normal primaries who've gone onto super-competitive private secondaries.
I'm in islington and we looked round some private schools and frankly I wouldn't send my dog to charterhouse. So cramped and oppressive. Went round our local primary and voila, most space, best atmosphere, most impressive head. Don't fall for the private school hype.

OP gone very quiet...!?!

Oh, sorry - have not disappeared, just have not checked this thread for a while. Thanks for all your comments.
I agree that ideally I would send my DD to a local school - I really want her to have friends close by, and from different backgrounds. At the same time, I know from personal experience that the primary years are very important. The school which is closest to me is one which I would not send my DD to - it's a very large school with very poor results and the teaching has been rated by Ofsted as only "satisfactory". I don't think I can be blamed for wanting more for my DD. That's why I am considering independent schools as well. Who knows - perhaps I will get DD into a local school that we are happy with - but if not, I need a back-up plan.

Message withdrawn

Hi babyboo78, your identical posts today plugging the fair have been spotted and reported to MNHQ. If you want to advertise an event you are meant to pay a small sum, not pretend to be a parent.

have you been to visit the school littledorrit?

my dds' school is biggish (2 form entry) and I wouldn't have had a clue about how good it was until I visited and met some of the children

Bundle - no, to be honest I have not yet visited the school. But the Ofsted report is really terrible, so I don't think I can be blamed for being a bit negative about it.

It's a fact - there are some very good schoold and some bad ones. Some of us are lucky enough to be able to get a very good free education for our children, and others are no so lucky. And don't tell me that it does not matter where you go to school !!

I think it matters less than you'd think! But I do understand your feelings - we didn't choose the closest school to us, nor did we apply to any in Hackney, as our lives revolve more around Islington in terms of friends, dance classes, library etc.

"Satisfactory" is hardly terrible, though! it would be worth talking to some parents at least to gauge other schools by.

Thanks Bundle.

I think most of us agree that ideally we want to send our children to local schools, which are close (and therefore convenient), where there is diversity in background but where there are like-minded parents, etc, etc. I will just see what happens !

(( hijack! just wanted to say to you islington mums that i drove through islington last week enroute from greenwich to scotland(!) and thought it looked fab - vowed to go shopping down your high street next time i venture to London. at your cute shops!))

As a parent who agonised (that's an understatement) about private/state for our 3 1/2-year-old, I am glad to report that, as frogs already pointed out, there is some very good teaching in local schools in Islington.
After much hand wringing we've sent our son to William Tyndale's nursery class, and it is excellent in our view. Just good, old-fashioned teaching from an experienced and loving teacher and a fantastic assistant (plus at least one student teacher at all times, which mean great adult/child ratios). Our son runs to school every day and asks for more at the weekend.