primary schools in Brighton, any recommendations?

[planningahead]

We are planning to move back to UK from Germany very soon, for lots of reasons but partly because I am convinced British primary education is better than where we live now, Brighton is our destination, where should I apply? My daughter turns five this October. She is growing up trilingually, we would lose the German if we move but I just want her to go to a good local primary school instead of faffing about with bi-lingual international schools with a high turnover of staff and pupils. She is also currently being tested here for delayed development, not just on the language front but there appears to be a cognitive problem of some kind, we don't really know for sure yet as all the test results aren't in yet. She's doing ergotherapy and speech therapy here in Germany. So a good primary school with special needs support would be a good start. I would also love to hear from anyone who has had experience of Montessori schools in the UK, particularly in the Brighton area - are they all private? Thanks for answering my post!

[Pollyanna]

There are lots of goodo primary schools in brighton. The problem you will have is that your daughter will be in reception next year and all those classes will be full and/or have waiting lists for the most popular schools. Whereabouts in Brighton will you be living?

I have heard good things about the montessori school in Brighton (at least for younger children), but I think it is private here.

[planningahead]

Thanks for writing Pollyanna. We don't have an address in Brighton yet, we're coming over for 10 days in July to look at schools/possible areas to live. I realise it is probably too late for this coming September but I have to give it a try anyway. Are all the good schools in Brighton oversubscribed? I'm probably being very naive thinking we can get her in somewhere..

[Pollyanna]

I'm afaid I think they will be, as we have all just applied for reception now, and all spaces will be allocated, even if there weren't enough applications for each school.

having said that, if you live here, Brighton education dept will have an obligation to provide you with a school place - it just might not be a close school. You would have to go on a waiting list for a school and hope a place comes up soon.