Dulwich-Herne Hill/Blackheath/Clapham??

[N1MTB]

Hello,

We're currently considering moving to be near good primary schools and get more space for our money and also be near parks/green space etc. (We currently live at the Angel end of Islington.)

I grew up between Blackheath and Greenwich (and went to school in Blackheath) but would appreciate some thoughts about Dulwich/Herne Hill as I don't know the area very well. It looks lovely (and if we can be in the catchment area for the village infant and junior school that would be great) BUT I'm slightly worried there isn't that much on the doorstep shops/coffee places/restaurant-wise... I appreciate I am currently extremely spoilt, having Upper Street a couple of minues walk from my front door, but our perceived lack of places for "popping out" to in Dulwich, is putting us off a bit.

Commuting time to the city is important as we both work there - Herne Hill scores quite highly on that front because of the Thameslink but London Bridge/Cannon St is ok too.

Anyway, all three areas are lovely options but would appreciate any thoughts, especially from people who know a couple of the areas well! (For a bit more background, we have two children, DS (3) and DD (18 months), and would probably like to send them to independent secondaries after state primaries if we are still in a position to do so in a few years time! So, Dulwich has at least three very good options (that I know of off the top of my head).)

Thank you!

If you are looking for buzz, places to go, cool, facilities, shopping, cinema right there, supermarket, market with great stalls and cool new cafes, Lido, brilliant zone 2 tube transport, lots of MN-Mummies, loads of garden for your dollar and a top 100 in the country state primary you should move into the very small catchment of Sudbourne school in Brixton.

I agree with Blu. Herne Hill's best point is the proximity to Brixton

DV is lovely to visit, go thorugh, pop into - I often go to the toyshop, flower shop, Biff children's clothing and the deli. But I thnk I would slowly pickle myself to death in my own Jo Malone if I lived there and didn't wohm f/t.

(I mean I don't currenly have any Jo Malone products, but I would if I lived in DV )

Ha - well, I just got some Jo Malone bath oil as a birthday present so I should fit right in. (First Jo Malone thing ever though, I'd like to point out...)

Actually, I used to live in Brixton when at law school and didn't like it that much - sorry!! I'd say it was a fun place to visit but would rather live somewhere leafier, more suburban (!) and less hectic - yup, v dull. Mind you, I lived in Brixton over 10 years ago so it may well have got a bit smarter.

Got the day off on Monday and going to have a proper look round Dulwich with DH.

Still very fond of Blackheath but I don't think the schools are quite so good (not that the local primary did me any harm and, actually, it gets an "outstanding" these days so must still be v good) and there's no Thameslink.

And Clapham doesn't appeal quite so much as the other two - not quite sure why but I am finding it hard to get over the tiny paved gardens and the fact that Clapham Common is basically a large roundabout. A bit like Blackheath I suppose...

Anyway, as has been pointed out, we are very fortunate to be able to consider all three areas. Thank you all for your views - very interesting and helpful!

What a great trail. Uncannily like N1MTB, I am currently in Angel (house sold), moving to Dulwich/Herne Hill and like most of you am a lawyer also.

About to exchange on a house in Herne Hill but getting v cold feet now as I didn't fully check out the position on schools until today (v stupid I know - I just hadn't appreciated how complicated it all is (eldest child not yet 2). Dulwich Infants told me today that this year's "catchment" is 650m door to door. Crikey.

Also been reading about HH station having reduced service direct to Kings Cross next year - anyone heard about that??

What did you decide from your visit to Dulwich N1MTB?

Now I have started looking at all this school stuff my mind is boggling...

Not a lawyer but we are buying in Lee, next to Blackheath. Look in the immediate area of Manor House Gardens. Some lovely streets around there. A fantastic Ofsted outstanding primary school there Brindishe Lee though the catchment is literally two streets. A couple of other fairly good primaries around there (we won't be in catchment of Brindishe but looking at St Margaret's of Lee), I think some of the area is also catchment for John Ball Primary in Blackheath and I have friend's children who go there and also heard really good stuff about it. There's also a very big Sainsburys at one end of Taunton Road. Hither Green station is one fast train (about 12-13 minutes) into London Bridge. But generally you get more for your money here than Blackheath (you get a 4 bedroom for price of 3 bedroom in Blackheath). Enough said? :)

spend less money, move to Peckham Rye end of East Dulwich, enjoy the impressive offerings of Lordship Lane and send the little ones to Herne Hill School or another private.

I grew up in Dulwich village and then moved to Herne Hill (many moons ago) and found them to be a wonderful environment to grow up in, and really enjoyed the schools I went to (Dulwich infants and Hamlet then Alleyn's)

april that catchment area sounds insane 650m from the door with the size of the houses in the area it can't include many! Perhaps they have very small classes now days.

without giving myself away... I run a pub in the Dulwich area... we're very family friendly!!
And there is a Shepherds now in dulwich village, which is the poshest corner shop you'll ever come across. (its owned by Partridges)
only just moved here and i love the fact that you can be on a train in ten minutes to victoria (from west dulwich) or 20 mins and you're at london bridge (north dulwich)

AprilfoolN1 - spent the day in Dulwich yesterday... Absolutely loved it. The park is lovely, the village itself is really pretty and has enough cafes (and a pub!) for me, as well as a post office, little shop etc. No houses quite right for us though.

Herne Hill is much better for commuting to the city. Otherwise you have to change at London Bridge (or walk from there).

Which road are you about to exchange on? Have you looked at the Good Schools Guide? (If not, I'll look for you and tell you the "catchment" area from last year BUT it doesn't screen out siblings and think they get preference - not sure the C of E infants school has a complicated admissions policy!)

The Hamlet (7+ junior school) has a slightly larger catchment area as it has a 100% non faith intake. The infants school is 50% church admissions criteria and 50% non-faith (so the non-faith catchment area is necessarily smaller).

If you can afford it, I hear Herne Hill School is excellent and it goes up to 7. So, you could do that if you don't get into the village infants school and then probably get into the Hamlet from 7-11. Actually, there are many good prep and pre-prep schools in Dulwich if you do want to consider private. And if your eldest isn't yet 2, you have time to get them into most of them!

My eldest is just 3 (yesterday) and number 2 is 20 months so we need to get a move on!

BTW, 650m isn't so bad!! Try looking at Honeywell and Belleville in Clapham (between the commons)...

p.s. Boxoftricks - pub looked really nice when we stuck our head in yesterday!!

Sorry - forgot to say to Angel1976 - Lee conservation area does have some really lovely houses, I agree! However, I would prefer to pay more and get a smaller house in Blackheath I think. Brindishe is much the best primary school in the area though.

I went to John Ball - it was lovely in the 80s!! It has had not great SATS results in the last few years but does have a completely amazing Ofsted report and lots of children with special needs etc so I think that would effect the results. Which is probably why they've opted out of doing SATs this year. I doubt it's a true reflection of the school. I'd be very happy if my children went there. However, again, we can't find a house we like in the area...

Thanks for all the feedback everyone - have not been to Lee Angel1976 - will check it out.

N1 MTB - glad you loved Dulwich once you found the main bit! I agree the park and little shops etc are fab - feels like you are outside M25.

Have not signed up to Good Schools Guide but suppose I should! The Road is Winterbrook Road - I will subscribe and have a look, I didn't realise you could tell the catchments on there.

Interesting on the bigger hamlet catchment - sounds like you've been doing lots of homework on this area! Happy bday to your little one and well done to him/her for not being born today - as some of us not so lucky people were!

Was looking at the privates last night but my husband is dead against it for primary. Seems crazy tho that to get into village school we'll be confined to a few streets of very overpriced houses. Goodnightmoon has a good point!

ha ha ha...your husband sounds just like mine AprilfoolN1!! He is adamant we are not paying for primary education.

We looked at a really lovely house in Winterbrook Road yesterday but they'd done some nice work to it that wasn't how we would have done it - all very tasteful but we'd have knocked an extra wall down and done the extension in a different way. The cost of ripping it out and starting again would have been too high! And it would hurt too much to do it to such a lovely kitchen. Thought the road itself was really great we thought....

Winterbrook was in the catchment for the Hamlet (junior school, 7+) definitely last year. And you would be on the edge of the infants school catchment area but I think just about in it. I'm due an email back from Southwark county council where I've asked for distances from the school that first round offers were made to children without siblings at the schools already, so I'll let you know when I have it.

(Are you C of E? If so, you'd have a v good chance of getting in if you go to church....)

However, one of your nearest schools would be Rosendale which is also really really good. Might be worth asking Southwark about distances for first round offers for Rosendale too? You have to email to this address:

'[email protected]'

Irritatingly, they won't tell you over the phone.

Rosendale School is a v good and sought after school with a catchment into the E Dulwich and H Hill area.

There'a another v good school v close H Hill - in the opposite direction from Rosendale, but I can't remember what it's called.

Church goers can also get into the very good St Judes in Regent Rd.

Yes, the village school catchment is very small. Lots to do with siblings, and the fact that some people rent in the area in order to get their first child into the school and then buy slightly further away (always an option). Couldn't help but have a look at the estate agents' sites - not that much on the market at the moment, is there? Although I see that one of the houses on our (still overpriced apparently!) street seems to have been put on the market this week.

and seriously, although your DHs are dead against private schooling at primary, if I were you I'd at least look at all the schools concerned (including the state ones) just to be sure about your decision before buying a house whose price is inflated by being in the school catchment zone. Or you might end up in my situation!

There are better state schools in S London than the DV ones, anyway, for anyone wanting to pull the rent-and-apply strategy!

Are you on Gilkes Crescent? We looked at that yesterday... That's what we thought - really over priced! Nice but not that nice...

In fact, it was beautifully done. Just wanted more bedroom space. And was suprised you didn't get it for that price!!

that would be telling :). I'm sure whoever moves in will have lovely neighbours though.

Actually, I have a vague recollection of that house being purchased at some point since we moved in (ie last 3-4 years) and it's had a lot of work done on it (or at least there have been a lot of workmen coming and going. You might be able to find out the previous purchase price and assess the new price on that basis. Generally though house prices around here seem to have held their value.

Ha - can't believe you also looked at Winterbrook Rd N1MTB - we are all cliches :0) We are seeing that same house tomorrow just for a sanity check and when i called to book it yesterday the agent said she had just returned from a viewing there so that must have been you- tiny world! I had said the same thing to my husband about the extension - I prefer the knocked out kitchen for child watching while cooking and it's too nice to destroy. Also not too keen on how, if you did knock it through, you'd have one half longer than the other either.

Thanks so much for the info on catchment - v useful. The guy we are buying from said his daughter got into DV no probs but that would have been years ago. Colleague on Ruskin walk said both her neighbours are in and that is equidistant to Winterbrook. The letters are going out next week for this Sept so I will get more info from my colleague re who has and hasn't got in this year - will let you know. Would LOVE to hear what Soutwark CC come back to you with.

We are church goers but not sure if that makes it harder due to competition..will need to investigate whether to apply for faith or non-faith place.

Interesting what you say re. people renting Legalalien, that hadn't occurred to me - how strategic!

Thanks also Blu - will have been looking at those other schools and they are also ofsted excellent. I guess it's hard to go too far wrong in the area.

Well, if you're looking for a house in Blackheath, and happen to like 3 bed Span houses on the Cator Estate then let me know! We're putting ours on the market soon!

there is a guide to primary school in Southwark (or Lambeth) that will give you the distance of last child admitted for the previous year. Worth noting that Southwark measures walking distance while some other councils, eg Lewisham do as the crow flies.

Thanks Chandellina - was trying to find that (as there is one for Wandsworth so thought there must be for Southwark) but will have another look!

AprilFoolN1 - you can actually do a double-whammy application for the C of E infant school if you are church-goers. If you go to church already anyway, you should definitely think about attending that church when you move - it should make it much easier to get in from Winterbrook Road and I'm sure it's attached to a nice local church. I think you'll still get some "points" on the application criteria if you go to another CofE church locally. I would of thought the churchy applications have a wider catchment area.

Harimad - sounds lovely but we are after 4/5 bedrooms! Good luck with the sale though!