Maidenhead primary schools

[oneluke]

We are looking to move to Maidenhead but our daughter is due to start school in September and we have missed the deadline for applications. Aargh!

I have spoken to the Council and it appears that she is likely to get put in a school which nobody else wants to go to but will have the opportunity to move to our preferred school if a space becomes available.

Does anyone have any experience of this?

We are totally new to the area and are looking at a house in North Maidenhead near Furze Platt and also looking at the Littlewick Green/Burchetts Green area. Really don't know which is a better area so any guidance would be fantastic!

Also, in case state schools are a total write off, any info on the independents would also be useful!

It is a really oversubscribed school! Take a look at the W&M council website via this link for catchment/designated areas:
www.rbwm.gov.uk/web/ed_admissions_designated-areas.htm

I have also copied the "initial allocations of places for last academic year" info:
No. of places: 30
No. of applications: 176
Number of places offered to Designated area: 18
Number of places offered to siblings: 12 to distance of 0.791m

Good luck if you do decide to move and try and get in!! there are other good schools in W&M area though - but I can understand why you yearn for Lowbrook! ;-)

sorry Mimi3333!!! just realised I posted Lowbrook's info, not Oldfield - though both the most oversubscribed in area!! ...

Oldfield figures actually more depressing for you though:
No. of places: 30
No. of applications: 155
No. of places offered to Statemented pupils: 2
No. of places offered to Designated area: 28 to distance of 0.145 miles

To guarantee a place at Oldfield you need to live on the estate next to the school

We moved to North London and dd just started at an ofsted 'oustanding' and good enough to impress me school after loosing the plot with Maidenhead schooling

The system is really inflexible

I went to Highfield PNEU yonks ago and loved it. I have heard great things about it since too.

@ oneluke - you can still get a space in the school if you move into the catchment area and go on the waiting list even if you miss the applications BUT of course then a space is not guaranteed and you will probably initially be offered a space in a school which is not so popular. We moved last August and are in Oldfield catchment. My son was due to start school in Sep and went on the waiting list for Oldfield and Holyport (which is our next nearest school). We were offered Ellington and I refused the space so we decided to send him to a private school. He did a term at Winbury school in Bray and then we were really lucky a space came up for the Jan intake this year as someone dropped out, so he is now at Oldfield. The catchment is ridiculously small though now, something like 0.3 miles from the school. It's crazy. I'm very happy so far though it's a lovely school and he seems happy. There is a massive shortage of school spaces in the borough though, most of the schools even the less popular ones are now oversubscribed. I think they are extending Holyport and St Edmunds. Even if you miss the applications though don't lose heart as often people change their minds or decide to go private so spaces come up. Actually I think around March time when the spaces are announced is a pretty good time to apply as there is usually a lot of swapping and changing going on.

Actually in the meantime a space also came up at White Waltham, which is another lovely school and ofsted outstanding, but we didn't take it as it's a bit far for us. You just need to keep in touch with the council to find out when spaces come up - keep hassling them!

@Mimi3333 yes you need to ideally move into the estate by the school to get in (it's on Chiltern road). Some of Bray road, Oldfield road (prob not past the railway bridge) the fisheries and chauntry road is also catchment. I think the estates on the farthingales and oldacres used to be catchment, but not sure they are anymore.

We are relocating to maidenhead and my son is going to be 5 in feb 2012.

We have found two place to live, one is on 0.5 miles distance from oldfield primary school and its in the catchment area, the other property is very near to furtz platt junior school.

Now we don't know which is best to go for because both schools haven't got any places at the moment and my son would need a in year tranfer through council.

I am also disable and can only walk to certain distance. If my son doesn't get place in oldfield primary school then i think council will give him a place in St Luke primary school which is not a very good school.

Should we move to oldfield catchment area or a furtz platt one?

SJones, from the previous posts on this thread, 0.5 miles is far too far away to actually get into Oldfield even if the house is technically 'in catchment'. Ring admissions to find out where on the wating list such a distance from the school would put you - it might well be very low.

How near is 'very near' to the alternative? Again you need to find out where such a distance is likely to put you on the waiting list, and what the current 'turnover' is (ie how likely a place is to come up) before you commit to either house.

Hi,

I am disable and i think i will have to teach my son at home if he doesn't get place in oldfield primary school becuase the next school is on 1 mile distance.

Oldfield is doubling in size I believe from sept 2012 (see www.maidehead-advertister.co.uk). I'm not sure if ths will extend capacity in existing years or just new intake, or how it will affect the school. But if you can find out more it might give you more to base your decision on.

Hello,

What are the most recommended primary schools around Maidenhead?
We are relocating to the UK and we want to leave outside London. Maidenhead area was recommended and now we need to rent a house in the catchment area of a good school.

Please advise.

Ziv

We live in Holyport and the school is lovely.

Hi,

We have put an offer in on a house in Maidenhead. Lovely house but just realised house backs on to the Bomber estate (I think that is what it is called). Our daughter is 3 and so we are considering schools with this move. We would be in the catchment for Alwyn Infant School and Courthouse Junior School. Ofsted wise they both come out as good.

However my concern is, we drove round the area and Courthouse looks like it is opposite a horrible estate? Does anyone know anything about Courthouse School and the Bomber estate to help us make a decision as to whether we should withdraw our offer on the house?

Thanking you all in advance for your help .
G

Both Alwyn and Courthouse are very good schools.

If you put your address in here you can find out your catchment schools.

The name comes from the fact that the roads are named after WW2 bombers.

Sorry, just seen you know your catchment schools

I've got friends with dcs at both schools and they are very happy with the education they receive.

Thank you! It is good to hear people are happy with the schools. My concern now is more with the fact the schools are big and I worry whether the children get lost amongst such big intakes. However I am probably being paranoid! The whole school issue is new to me and I am very confused!

Hello everyone. I live in Birmingham and have a 4 year old son diagnosed with Autism. He is going to Reception class in a mainstream school from this September with ABA term time funding in his statement. He is coping very well in the mainstream school.
Due to personal situation (husband got a job), we are planning to move Maidenhead in August.

Could anyone please suggest whether Maidenhead council is good in supporting ABA in mainstream school if we transfer the statement?

Also, how supportive are mainstream schools in Maidenhead for ABA or for SEN children? Because I like to put my son in mainstream because he is coping nicely.

www.rbwm.gov.uk/web/children_ldd_send_localoffer.htm

have you had a look at each school's local offer yet? It might be a good place to start.

@TheEnchantedForest: Thank you for the link

Hi - can someone please provide larchfield school, maidenhead.
Many Thanks

Also how would Larchfield compare to Wessex Primary and Courthouse Junior

Just to rephrase my previous posts:
We have just moved to Maidenhead, Larchfield primary is the nearest school, can someone please provide feedback on this school, the Ofstead report looks good though. Other school where we can potentially get a place is Wessex Primary, the Ofstead is not good but we are told the management is good and school is improving.
Request members to please provide their feedback
Many Thanks