Purley primary schools-Woodcote, Roke, Beaumont

[hopperdee]

After discounting my 3 nearest schools (2x catholic and 1 x CofE - not willing to do the pretend church-going for school thing), I'm looking at my other catchment options which aren't as convenient but look like they might be nice or even better than my nearest ones.

Woodcote Primary in Couldson

Roke Primary in Kenley/Purley

Beaumont Primary in Purley

Have you heard good/bad things about these schools. Does your child go there? I'm going to go to open days/car boots, whatever comes up but it would be good to have some human opinions as I know ofsted can be a bit misleading.

Thanks

They are all very different schools! We have friends who either have children in each of them or have had children in each of them and have since recently removed them.

Roke is a feeder school for Riddlesdown, whilst Woodcote obviously has its senior school next door. So whilst it is early days in terms of thinking about senior schools bear in mind that your choice of primary school will affect your choice of senior school. Equally if you are interested in the Sutton grammar schools, then Woodcote will have more children sitting those exams (albeit privately tutored) than Roke would.

To be honest I would be telling you more about me than the schools if I gave you my opinion - they are so different to each other that you will probably easily form your own preferences just from walking around on an open day.

I don't know whether you're in walking distance of all of these schools, but if not then I would think about parking and travelling across Purley Cross at peak times.

Thanks, Roke is just about walkable but probably 35-40 min walk. We'd have to drive to Woodcote but I could in theory do this via my route to work.
Thanks for the info about Riddlesdown, I didn't realise this so that's a help.

Could you hint as to why your friends removed their children from either of these schools?

Nothing dire. One child moved her dd from Beaumont to Christchurch because whilst she had wanted a small school, Beaumont is very small, and its location wasn't brilliant for her as a non driver. One friend has just moved up north, thus leaving spaces at Roke. Others at Woodcote have moved their children into the private sector. In general this seemed to be due to a concern that whilst Woodcote does have about 25-30% of children heading to selective secondary schools, they felt that the school wasn't "pushing" their child enough in their first year or two. I suspect a lot of it is down to getting cold feet when their neighbours kids come back with 200 page reading books at the end of reception rather than Woodcote being a poor school. There will be more ambitious middle class parents at Woodcote than at Roke.

If you are within the catchment of Christchurch/Regina Coelis then it is also worth looking at the Sanderstead schools too, as their catchment can reach down to the Brighton Road - though would depend on which side of the Brighton Road you are on.

35-40 minutes is quite a long walk if you have to do it both ways twice a day, and there will be some days when you have to do it more often due to extra appts.

Don't know the others but Woodcote is a good school from what I have heard. I'm hoping mine get into Woodcote secondary in a couple of years, and with hindsight perhaps I should have sent DDs to Woodcote primary as we may now be out the catchment area for the secondary.

Ladymuck - nothing sounds so bad there at all. Will be interested to see which one we're drawn to after visiting them all properly. Woodcote does seem like a favourite with people I've spoken to but it doesn't sound like any of them are seen as bad schools.

I'm the Regina Coelis side of the Brighton road so I am slightly restricted. My nearest school is Christchurch (which I may try as a third choice despite not going to church..).

sandyballs - more brownie points for Woodcote. It is a bit of a shame that it isn't at all walkable for me. I walked to all my schools when I was a child and didn't realise that I'd moved to a spot where my nearest schools are catholic/cofe.

I hate seeing the 'mummy run' of cars outside schools but might well turn into one of these.

I'm going to time the walk to Roke, might not be as far as I think...

Hi there,

I am a new parent in the area and looking into schools. I've been reading what you said above but there's still one burning questions about Woodcote Primary.

I've heard that Woodcote is thought of as a good school given what there is in the area but that it's too big. The children don't get pushed so most of them end up being part of that 'unmovable' middle set or even with NC average marks in spite of parents not agreeing with the results.. Only the exceptional ones are truly challenged so end up with good reports and therefore in good secondary schools.

Is this school a good route to get into the local grammars?

I guess my question would stretch to Woodcote Secondary too.. and whether this school would push children enough.

I would really appreciate your views as this sounds worrying.

Thank you :)