Primary Schools in Herne Hill SE 24

[ljkelley01]

Hi, my family is moving to Herne Hill near Dulwich in August and we need to find a good primary school for our 4 year old for Sept. We are Americans and not quite sure about the school process. Does anyone know anything about St. Jude's Church of England Primary School or St. Saviour's Church of England Primary School?

thanks

sorry only just joined so just seen your message. Don't know about the schools you listed but depending on where in herne hill you're going you might look at Rosendale Primary School or Dulwich Village Primary. If you on the Brixton side of herne hill you could look at Sudbourne Primary and if you're catholic there is always Corpus Christi Primary on Brixton Hill. There are a few american mums at Corpus Christi.

I live in Southwark but understand that all of the schools named in the above post are hugely oversubscibed; certainly full for reception in september with large waiting lists and you really will have to be living on top of them to get in. I would advise you if you have not already done so to contact the local education authority and get on every waitlist that you can
Good luck and think about investigating the prep schools

Yes, contact Lambeth and Southwark (as these schools cover two boroughs) and find out where the vacancies are.

Each school should have its admissions criteria on its website. If you're very very close to any of these schools you may go straight to the top (or near the top) of the waiting list, but you may have to accept a place where there's a vacancy and then wait for your preferred school.

Herne Hill is a dead area for schools - you don't seem to fall naturally into the catchment for any, so they need to make sure they do their homework on applications!

rosendale is great, large intake but very popular so you do need to be close

St judes has good rep as does St Xaviers. Both small intakes and very popular. Jessops is apparantly on the up and not over subscribed. Dulwich infants good but heavily subscribed.

Bessemer Grange is in Southwark but near HH, seems ok.

I hate to tell you this but school places for 2009-10 have already been allocated (last March -April) so you may have very little choice in the matter. Get onto Lambeth asap to check. You can always go on a waiting list and move your child later (seems to be movement generally around Yr1/2)

If you can afford to go private you may have more choice. Herne Hill school has a good rep amongst some folk I know. Don't know what application procedure is for private schools though.

Hello there, in response to your inquiry about St Saviours primary school. My little one recently started reception in St Saviours, unfortunately he did not transition well, this did not go down well with neither the staff or the headteacher. Everyone has there own individual experiences wherever they go (as if you did'nt know this for yourself) but my experience with this school and a handful of the staff members has been a negative experience. Sorry just wished to share this, but do investigate these schools first, perhaps a visit, rather than just an OFSTED report. :-(

Just got offered a September place at Bessemer Grange primary school for DD and wondered if any current parents out there could let me know if they are happy with it?

BraveNewWorld, it will probably help you get more responses if you start a new thread with our schools name in the title. That way anyone with experience of that school is likely to open it and help, and this thread is from 2009.