Primary Schools in Warlingham area?

[MrsMonkey]

Hi there, any mums out there with kids going to the primary schools around Warlingham?

We are in the process of buying a house there - and obviously can't look around the schools at the moment as they are all closed for the summer. We would be walking distance to Warlingham Primary, also Marden Lodge, Whyteleafe, Audley and Hamsey green. I know that in the end we will be limited by whoever can offer us a place, but it would be good to know in advance which schools are more/less highly regarded locally.

Thanks so much!

Hi MrsMonkey

I have friends with kids at Whyteleafe (4 kids, 3 have just finished reception) and Hamsey Green (2 kids that have just finished reception). Both the parents and kids are happy with their choices.

Don't know anything about Warlingham Primary although I know someone who chose Hamsey Green instead, even though Warlingham was on her doorstep, can't remember the reason for this though.

As far as Marden Lodge is concerned, there is something about it that I can't put my finger on but it just doesn't appeal to me. While Audley is suppose to be good and is always over subscribed.

Also, Woldingham Primary is meant to be excellent. It has been in great demand in the last few years. I have several friends that live in Caterham and they did everything to get their kids in to Woldingham, with success, over the last couple of years.

Personally, I prefer Whyteleafe or Woldingham Primary followed by Audley.

Of course, all this is going on my friends' experience and I haven't hear anything extremely negative about any of them.

Good Luck

Atwood is just past Hamsey Green and has a good reputation and has an intake of 60 per year. Gresham is just past it and is also very good but only takes 30 a year. These schools are both in Sanderstead but it depends where in Warlingham you are for your chances on getting in. Atwood is the more likely one.

These are just some extra options that haven't been mentioned. There are also good schools in Tatsfield which is just down the road from Warlingham.

Thanks CADS and nikki1978! Very much appreciate your help.

From the Surrey LEA website, our closest school is Marden Lodge, followed by Whyteleafe, Audley, Hamsey Green, Warlingham Primary, and so on. Woodlea in Woldingham would be a short drive away (about 2 miles) - would it be worth applying (we need a Y1 place) or would we be considered too far out of catchment do you think?

We have also been wondering about putting the kids into Essendene Lodge as an emergency measure if we can't get a place anywhere - any thoughts on that. The Ofsted seems to be good.

My big problem is that we can't view any of the schools and don't really know anyone in the area so I don't know any of them by reputation. Any other thoughts would be gratefully appreciated!

Hi

I did actually mean Woodlea not Woldingham primary. Losing the plot with summer holidays.

I'm not sure about the catchment area for Woodlea but I know people in Caterham Valley and Caterham on-the-hill who have children attending Woodlea and I would have thought that Caterham was further than Warlingham in terms of catchment.

One of my neighbours has a son at Essendene Lodge going into Y5 and she is happy with the school. Also, another friend's little one is starting nursery there in sept and when she had a look around she was really impressed. She doesn't plan to keep her there when she starts school, her ds is already at St Francis (next to Audley), and she can't afford the fees for two kids.

It is a tiny school but all the kids I see walking to school in the morning always look really smart. I'm not keen on the location but it hasn't put my friend and neighbour off. I don't know if it would make a difference to you but Essendene offers holiday clubs (definitely have this summer) which gives Essendene kids and their siblings preference.

Personally, Woodlea and Whyteleafe would be my top choices followed by Audley. Whatever, you do don't go for St Johns in Caterham.

Have you contacted Surrey County Council?
Take care

Thanks again CADS!

Just out of interest, what is it about the location of Essendene that you didn't like? It may have to be our fall-back if we don't get offered a place at a state school.

As yet haven't contacted Surrey LEA - our house in Warlingham is still at the offer stage and I'm not sure that they will be able to help us until we have exchanged!

Have a good weekend, and thanks again!

You're welcome.

There is nothing wrong with the area that Essendene is in. It is just that, from the outside, it looks like part of the school is at the back of a pub, which doesn't look very nice. That's it really.

Take care and all the best.

Hi there

Have you considered Oakhyrst Grange School. Also an independent school but has lovely grounds and the general atmosphere has been lovely when I looked around it for my DD

Thanks Waiting2Exhale!

Oakhyrst looks like about a 10 minute drive from us - Essendene about a 5 minute drive. How bad does the traffic get through caterham during rush hour?

We are getting close to exchanging on our house now which is fantastic, so at least I will have an address to work from.

Current plan is to contact all the schools that look like they could work, and see what the waiting lists are like for a Year 1 place and take it from there!

Would love to hear any more recommendations on schools/nursery schools in the area. Thanks!

Hi MrsMonkey,

A good nursery I would recommend would be Caterham Day Nursery on Burntwood lane. This is their webpage:
www.asquithnurseries.co.uk/findanursery/showdetails.asp?id=69

My DC went there and their most recent Ofsted Report was Outstanding.

I hope this helps...If you don't mind me asking...how may DC do you have and what are their ages?

Sorry that was meant to read..how 'many' DC do you have...

So far as schools are concerned...in the process myself of applying for a school place for my DC for next year so don't feel I can really help outside the Oakhyrst suggestion which is an independent school.

Oh...there is also Cumnor House School (Treetop) nursery...

Three DCs 5, 3 and a baby - so I'll be looking out for mum's and baby's groups too!

The Warlingham/Caterham area seems to be blessed with a good choice of excellent schools - at the moment the big challenge is going to be finding one that can give us a place for both the older kids, as we will be coming in mid-term.

Hi MrsMonkey

Traffic around caterham starts to pick up from 8.15am and by 8.30 it can be a pain, although not as bad as places like wimbledon. From warlingham you will either be going up whyteleafe hill or burntwood lane to get to Essendene or Audley. Near the top of burntwood lane you have De Stafford school and traffic likes which causes a back up and on whyteleafe hill you have the train track and whyteleafe primary. I think providing you leave home at 8.15, you should be fine especially with two younger dcs in tow. Most school gates are open from 8.30. I know my ds likes to get to school early and have a run around before the bell goes at 8.50am.

Can't help re mum and toddler groups but there are several around. If you are thinking of preschools, I can recommend Nippertime Preschool in warlingham. It is where my dcs have gone or are still there.

You can look them up on: nippertimepreschool.co.uk

Good luck.
CADS

Hi MrsMonkey,

Don't get on this much but when I do, can't hardly leave... .

Now, based on the ages of your DC I can see you will have your hands full. Lots to organise and it must seem not enough time to do it all in... I sooooo don't envy you but do wish you lots of luck.

So far as mum and baby groups go, I do know there are a few in the area but have never been to one myself...you best bet would be to either contact the local council (Tandridge) and they will no doubt give you info on things available in the are (their quite good like that) or contact you local midwife once you move to the area and they will be able to tell you about local mum and baby groups.

There is also, come to think about it, a local magazine called the 'grapevine'. I found this very informative when I newly moved to the area about 2 years ago.

I hope this helps and again best of luck. If I can help further just let me know.

Many thanks - I will make sure I get myself a copy of grapevine!

Having three is busy but lots of fun, I would recommend it to anyone! It will certainly be easier for me logistically though if I can get my elder two into the same school initially - although I know that I will be lucky to do so.

Thanks for the pre-school recommendation - will file that one away at the back of my mind for later!

Have you considered Warlingham Park School? It is a gem of a school in the Warlingham area that is often overlooked. Lovely grounds, fabulous children, good standards, inclusive and friendly. It is similar to Essendene and Oakhyrst but less pushy and more about the child.

War.ingham Park school- Well for a Private school I am not impressed. I visited this school for my daughter and when i visited the school by appointment on the two occassion I was unable to see the children that would be in my daughter's year. I was unable to get her into a states school and so enrolled her, but too my horror there arent many girls in each class and it seems to be geared towards Boys and football.
The afterschool club was poor and seemed to revolve around the children watching the television in the morning and evening(Not impressed). Poor communication and organisation. On a friday evening I received an email to say that the afterschool facilities on the tuesday would finish 1 hour earlier than usual, which apart from being very late in the day for me to arrange cover, of which I could not and had to sneak out of work early. I will not be keeping her in this school much longer. For 600 a month fees i am very unimpressed and anoyed. It may be classed as a Private school but it doesnt meet that expectation and is more like a glorified state school.

Im told that two girls from the Junior part of the school have left recently due to the lack of girls in their class.
Sorry to be so negative but it an honest assessment

Hi, CADS, you mentioned St Johns in Caterham. Has it got a bad reputation?

Personally I have not a bad word to say about Warlingham Park School, it focuses on growing confident, articulate and well-educated young citizens. Girls and boys are both happy there and enjoy a wide range of activities (including sports like cross country, tennis, netball, hockey, cricket, football, dance and gymnastics). Some of its strengths includes performing arts and singing, encouraging children to become confident at standing in front of an audience and speaking, a fantastic life skill. They have also just won an award for their ICT suite. Children feel safe and are very happy to be at school. The staff are very welcoming, dedicated and enthusiastic and most have been there for many years, which having worked in the education field for some years, I know speaks volumes about the high calibre of the school. I am so pleased that I found this school for my son, my daughter will be starting here next year and she can’t wait!

I think the declining numbers say a lot about this school. There are some very small classes and some with a tiny number of one sex.
The problem is that on E numbers start falling,nit can be a vicious circle and extremely hard for a school to turn around, even if there are good reasons for why numbers first fell.
Once numbers get below a critical mass, people start to feel jittery and look elsewhere, making others more anxious too. And very very small is not appealing to most prospective parents, unless their child really needs to leave somewhere else or has issues which require such a small environment.
There have been numerous cases of local Preps getting into this position and then hanging on and hanging on with tiny, declining numbers. The very loyal and those without other options stick with it until closure.
I'm not saying WPS is going to close. Perhaps it can recover, but it is hard, in the face of small numbers and competition. Where other schools have recovered,nit has usually been via a merger with another school or being taken over by another group which can inject cash.
The idea of paying for a school when it is struggling hugely for numbers and finances isn't very appealing, I must admit.

My experience at warlingham park school is that my son's class has 16 children, my daughters class has 13 children, and both are full of lovely supportive parents, most other classes average at 10-12 children which has been their average for many years. This allows the individual attention but also the social integration, and as the children all get on so well they are always very happy to go to school. My daughter was recently ill and after one day was begging me to go back.

Different schools fit different children but wps was right for us as we wanted a school which increases the confidence of our children and has a family feel and has developed our children's thoughts and their love for learning, drama and sports, with lots of outside areas.

The only senior school we can find which comes close the the culture of wps for secondary school is lingfield, and hopefully they will be able to continue the brilliant start my children have gained from wps.

In response to the comment regarding school numbers, I feel there is a misunderstanding of the school and other schools alike WPS.

The charm of WPS is the small classes, this creates the family feeling where everyone truly appreciated and enjoys the company of others and individual help is given with work. Every child is very important at WPS and they know and feel this.

My children are able to be and express themselves without any pressure to be the norm, and are confident in this environment.

Parents who are at WPS go to the school as they understand this and prioritise this nurturing confidence building environment and so their children are inclined to be very loving and supportive of each other as well.

A couple of years ago we had a child join from another private school where his confidence was low, the change I've noticed has been amazing, and has shown me the importance of nurturing and also peer support.

The class numbers have always been small 10-12, and the parents at WPS really appreciate that the school can be run on these small numbers to create this special environment. My sons class of 16 is very large against historic averages.

Of course there will always be people who enjoy being negative and put comments on, but they obviously do not understand and haven't enjoyed this special feeling. Parents at the school are very supportive as they know and understand this special environment.