New in London -Chalgrove primary school

[Nuala73]

I am from Spain. I have been living in London (NW) for a year with a (soon to be 4) girl and a boy (20 months old). We have been looking around schools and we think Chalgrove primary school may be our first preference.

We are very lost though. We have never considered a private school for economic and other reasons. We looked at all the schools in our area. They are all sooooo different.
I hope I am not making a big mistake and I am not sure how anything really works. Anybody has a clue/suggestion/being in that school or others in the area?

Is it Chalgrove in Finchley? What area are you in? Chalgrove is meant to be ok. It depends where you live as to what school you will get into as it is all done on catchment area. Moss Hall in Finchley is excellent but you need to live within its catchment.

You can look up Ofsted reports on schools. Type Ofsted in to google.

Thank you pudding,
i did look at the Ofsted reports. Not so great but I live in NW4 and although Chalgrove is not NW4 is actually the nearest school. Since i do not have real preferences, I am very confused and I do not know how much to trust the Ofsted reports. I imagine we will not be in the catchment area of Moss Hall but I will give it a try.
Thank you very very much

It was a great school for years, then went completely down hill (bad management and staff morale, I think) and got some shocking Ofsted reports. Last few years it's been on the up again - new head, I think? - and is considered a pretty decent school again, and definitely improving rapidly. Is it really your nearest school if you're in NW4?

I think you have to live about 0.6 of a mile away from Moss hall to be in with a hope in hell of getting in...

Yes,
chalgrove is the closest.
And then: Sunnyfields, Bell Lane and Parkfield
We do not follow any religion so it would feel weird to consider a catholic or church of England school. In any case, we would not get a place. We are unable to lie (saying we go to church and getting a signature) to get into a school.
We may have to "move home" at big speed...

Hi Nuala.

We were a similar boat. DH is a (fairly lapsed) Catholic, I'm an atheist...and we really didn't stand a hope in hell of getting our son into a religious school, nor did I particularly want him going to one. In the end we've applied for the 3 nearest state schools - none of them outstanding Ofsteds, but all nice little schools. Go and see the ones nearest to you - you may be pleasantly surprised (we were).

I wouldn't panic at all about Chalgrove. My son is due to start reception next year (we live in N12), so I know lots of local people in N3 / NW11 who are considering Chalgrove - all good people, nice kids etc .

If you are going to move (especially within the borough of Barnet) you'll need to move practically next door to the school you want your child to go to. it really is that competitive for the really 'outstanding' state schools in this neck of the woods.

Good luck!

Thanks again to all of you
Our leasing is finishing by the end of November. For different reasons (mainly because we live accross a huge road with the noise driving as crazy) we decided to move. We will be in a smaller flat in NW11 but at least it seems nice, peaceful and close to Hampstead Garden Suburb school. This seems to be a very good school. Hopefully we will be in the catchment area. Otherwise we will trust our luck.

I have no experience on this. But I felt the ofsted reports were not always loyal to reality. For instance, we really, really loved Parkfield school. However, it was the furthest away from home and quite incovenient. The reports on that school are not good. But the environment there was just fantastic