Epsom Nurseries and Primary Schools

[elk4baby]

Hi,
We're looking to possibly move to Epsom in the near future. Does anyone have any experience with nurseries and primary schools in/around Epsom? How are they? Are they difficult to get into? How long in advance do you have to apply?
I'd appreciate any advice before we take the plunge!
Thanks!

What sort of thing do you want to know? I only have a 2yo but nieces are 7 and 4 so know enough about the schools to be a leetle bit helpful

Generally schools are very good. Apart from the Catholic school, most sought after primary seems to be Stamford Green, very nice catchment area, long queues! There is also Epsom Primary and the very very new Southfield Park Primary. These are all around me so obviously there are others in different parts of Epsom that I don't know about. Others will be along to fill you in!

DD attends a nursery one day a week and will be starting the nursery attached to her (hopefully!) primary school in the autumn. Both of them are very good, the school nursery is bursting with outstandings from Ofsted.

Epsom comes under Surrey County Council so for primaries you apply in the October preceding the child being due to start in Reception the next September (ie. when they have just or are going to turn 4 by then). You can look up online at SCC which schools are around and how many children are admitted according to each of the various priority criteria ( Special Needs, Siblings, distance etc)

There you go. That's far more use than my post

We are a bit outside Epsom and I don't know much about primary. But you should be aware that two of the sought-after secondary schools in Epsom are single-sex: Rosebery for girls and Glyn for boys. Both are state schools, but have an element of selection (i.e. they take a proportion of children who do well in an entrance test, even if they live further away than would normally be admitted).

You might just want to think through what you feel about single-sex education before you get stuck into the local system!

The Epsom schools all have their own foibles, so on the advice of a friend do do (?) some research as they all differ with arrangements for Yr 3 and you can end up displaced

For the popular school Wallace Fields you need to reapply and live really very close to the school and do not get priority if you went to the infants school.

For St Martins on the other side of the town at present you need to reapply but you do get priority if you were at the Infants.

Stamford Green goes through to 11.

Southfields initially had a lot of places taken by siblings but I think is bigger now. Maybe someone will be along soon to let you know about chances for getting in there.

If you live say 700 metres from one school and 750 from another or your nearest school is the Catholic one, you can end up being allocated neither choice and offered a further away school. Hence some house prices in the immediate areas by the schools.

If you get the postcode of properties you can go on the Surrey CC website and it will locate your nearest school in metres as the crow flies, which is how they calculate it.

Just some thoughts.

Forget about St Joseph's the Catholic school - oversubscribed and you have to attend the church (and have the form endorsed by the priest) to get into the school.

The other top school is Wallace Fields - it is difficult to get in to - prctically have to live on the doorstep and no guarantee that those who attend the infants (5-8) will get into the junior school.

At present, St Martin's entrance criteria meeans that if your child is in the infant school they will have a place at the junior school.

Funnily enough, my closest school is Southfields, but because of the way the appeal process and admissions have gone, my daughter was allocated St Martins on the other side of town. (in spite of living less than a mile from Stanford Green our first choice).

I think you need to look at the admissions procedures and rules.

As far as nursery places - most good pre-nurseries are again oversubscribed. The young children tend to get afternoon sessions (never ideal) and no guarantee that they will get into the adjoining infant school.

As far as private schools go - there is a good pre-prep (mixed) St Christopher's, Kingswood House (boys prep school with girl's allowed up to a certain age) and nearby Ewell Castle (mixed) in Ewell. There is also Epsom Lodge - pre-prep of Downsend school.

Hope this helps. The Surrey website will have all the info about applying and salient dates

Hello

Would like some advice- thinking of moving to Epsom, have 2 girls (3 and 8 months), so keen on Roseberry.

Does anyone know the best primaries that are in the Roseberry catchment? Not private if possible!!

Thanks v much in advance
EMcB

St Martins (CofE, church attendance required, oversubscribed) and St Josephs (Catholic, requires regular church attendance, very oversubscribed) are the nearest, Stamford Green also if you are not religious (but also oversubscribed!). All are good, but different as you can tell.

If you search for a bit there was a specific question abotu Wallacefield a while back..

I would add 2 schools to what has already been mentioned

Cuddignton cruft (oversubscribed and not in Epsom but in Cheam) however many parents from Epsom Banstead/area aims for it..

Also Ewel Castle a infant school. I have had friends send their children there whom were happy with it but it is only a infant and you need to find somewhere for your child for year 3

Ewel also has Danetree school a primary I do not know much about it I have to admit when we left the area (3 years ago) it was not oversubscribed.

There is also the Vale on Epsoms downs i know nothing about it

A bit further over in Stoneleigh is the mead and Auiriel school again good schools that friends used with happy children .

this website is a good idea to look at www.epsomandewellschools.org.uk/partnership_schools.htm#the_mead

Fur nurseries I would highly reccommend Kingswood house (you do not have to move onto the school but you may want to laughs)

we also used the methodist church nursery and The cresent in stoneleigh happy with them all

thanks both, really helpful. have just had offer on house in epsom nr Roseberry accepted (eek!) so we're definitely off.

sounds like everythings oversubscribed...

don't suppose anyone knows anything about nurseries in the same catchment?
thanks again, much appreciated

Do you want full time day care or half day/full day to use the 15 hours free allocation? Can't comment on the former, but my DS enjoyed Little Hands (next to Christchurch)

Thanks for that - I think I'd need a bit of both (some for the 3yr old pre school and some for the 8 month old). Is Christchurch a place or a road (sorry to be dense)

Sorry! Christ Church is a Church ;-) situated on Christchurch Road which exits Epsom to the east. Little Hands is located in the scout hut next to it.

PS we live in Epsom and moved here 18 months ago with DCs then aged ust 5 and 3.5 so if you want any more info just shout! We like it here a lot.

we had a look at Greville School in Ashtead today which looked great I thought, but its 1.2miles so may be too far. just wanted to say thanks again for the advice, I would definitely like to keep in touch if it all goes through, so thank you Patricia & Lonnie!

Hello.
My family is moving to Epsom Downs and are thinking of putting in an offer on a place on Shawley way. We got two little kids 4 and 6. There's Shawley community primary very closeby. Anyone have experience of this school? I called Surrey council and they mentioned I could apply to Epsom downs school, The Vale, Wallace Fields and Tadworth primary. Any experience of these schools. We won't apply to WF as we want stability (don't want to reapply later!)
Any info highly appreciated.

I have just stumbled on your post and I know its a little late but Epsom Primary School is a lovely school. My daughter went there (now 18 and just finishing his a levels) and my son is in Reception having been at the nursery. The school has a reputation among some but that comes from the way school was ten years ago. It is a wonderful nurturing school with loads of amazing things that other schoools dont have. It is well worth calling and ask to come and look round. Hope you get sorted out!

"A little late"??? Try 5 and 3 years! I think both the OP and follow up poster will have sorted something out by now..