The best secondary school / areas London

[RollerSkating]

Been following a couple of threads about London areas. We have small DC and need to move area within London in next few years (for various reasons). Preferably not too far out. Our top priority is secondary schools, however we are a bit specific in that we want non-religious, mixed and not grammar schools. My DH also needs a decent commute to City, and green space would be very nice.

The areas / schools I have narrowed down are:

Richmond / St Margaret's - Orleans Park / GreyCourt
Tooting - Graveny (possibly Dunraven?)
Alexandra Park - APS
North / East Dulwich - Charter Schools

I used to be a peripatetic and supply teacher and know quite a few of the secondaries around. To my mind I can't think of any other excellent ones that are mixed / not Catholic etc.

Can anyone else recommend any and / or areas?

I've heard Epsom has good schools - but otherwise I'm shamelessly following this thread! Thanks for starting it.

Riddlesdown collegiate near Purley is excellent. Purley is 25 mins on the train to London bridge. A bit further out than your other options but lots of lovely green space. What's your budget?

Isn’t there an excellent secondary near new cross/ Telegraph hill? Nice area too. Also depending on how fussy you are (does it have to be amazing or just a good school?) I have friends who have kids at Thomas Tallis in Greenwich and St Cecelia’s in Wimbledon/ Southfields and are very happy. St Cecelia’s is partly religious but not fully (you do have to live very close to get a non religious place). I should also say that having lived in Tooting I have actually heard mixed things about Graveney, it gets amazing results but it isn’t for everyone. I’d definitely advise going for open days before you make a decision.

Habadashers Askes is the one I was thinking of in new cross. I love telegraph hill too.

There is also Kingsdale in Dulwich but be aware that it has a lottery system for admissions and selects 15% of its intake on music or sports ‘scholarships’.

Haberdashers’ Hatcham in Telegraph Hill is well-regarded (although it dropped from ‘outstanding’ to ‘good’ in 2019). It’s a co-ed school but virtually all of the teaching is single-sex, with the exception of the fully co-ed sixth form.

Seriously, hasn't this topic been covered a million times on Mumsnet already not to mention everywhere else on the internet? No one cares where your currently young dc go to secondary school.

You could always take an "incredibly brave" punt and send your children to an average London secondary school. If they have anything about them they will do well.

Mossbourne and Mossbourne Victoria Park in Hackney get good exam results.

Fortismere in Muswell Hill

Holland Park

@Chicchicchicchiclana

Seriously, hasn't this topic been covered a million times on Mumsnet already not to mention everywhere else on the internet? No one cares where your currently young dc go to secondary school.

You could always take an "incredibly brave" punt and send your children to an average London secondary school. If they have anything about them they will do well.

Wow @Chicchicchicchiclana what's got your goat!? No-one forces you to comment on a thread you believe has been done before 🤷‍♀️

@ThanksItHasPockets Hatcham is fully coeducational and not taught in single sex classes.

Haberdashers Askes is not taught in single sex classes any more. Also they have had lots of changes of leadership and staff, work is often not marked and it's generally a bit crap. My two are happy enough there but I'd not choose it again.

Apologies, my knowledge is seemingly a bit out of date. Interesting to hear that this has changed; it used to be the signature policy of the Aske’s federation.

The catchment for Graveney is tiny, and you wouldn’t get into Dunraven from anywhere near Tooting. Their catchments don’t overlap, not even close.

There are many London secondaries doing a really good job.

Chestnut Grove in Balham, for example. The Norwood School is now highly favoured.

The Graveney results are predicated on a significant proportion of the cohort being super selective (and pushy mc parents), Charter on a very low % of FSM compared to most S London schools. Kingsdale by scholarship system.

Academies like Mossbourne (and Bolingbroke in Wandsworth) are run in the ‘zero tolerance’ boot camp ethos now so popular (Michaela school et al).

The pursuit of ‘the best’ secondaries is beset with smoke and mirrors. Which is not to say that these schools are not doing a good job (I have had kids in 2 that I have mentioned).

Schools can change a lot in 5 years, too. For better or worse.

No, not Holland Park School. Just google it - toxic culture, high teacher turnover. I would not recommend (my kids are there).

@MojoMoon

Mossbourne and Mossbourne Victoria Park in Hackney get good exam results.

Fortismere in Muswell Hill

Holland Park

Definitely not Holland Park. Toxic culture, huge teacher turnover. I've got kids there and they can't stand the place - waiting til the end of Year 11 to pull them both out

Swanlea school (and 6th form) in Whitechapel is rated as Outstanding. Not a grammar, very mixed (gender, race, income, you name it).

Walking distance to the City in one direction, and Victoria Park in the other direction (plus smaller parks such as Weavers Field, Bethnal Green Gardens etc).

There are lots of secondary schools rated as outstanding...

Definitely not the haberdashers askes or Holland Park options. Both have huge teacher turnover and burnout rates.

If going to Muswell Hill then APS is far, far superior to fortismere these days.

@ThisIsNotARealAvo

Haberdashers Askes is not taught in single sex classes any more. Also they have had lots of changes of leadership and staff, work is often not marked and it's generally a bit crap. My two are happy enough there but I'd not choose it again.

Good to know. Did yours go to the free primary? If so, what did you think?

I work with a fair number of Haberdashers’ kids through my work - always the middle class living in ££££ houses locally variety. They are, unsurprisingly, bright, articulate and well turned-out, as they presumably would be if they went to Deptford, Addey, Kingsdale or any of the other local options.

OP I think there are probably good schools in most London neighbourhoods. Rather than starting with a map of all London, think about where you would like to live and then see if the schools nearby are good enough. I think that most kids from supportive families will do equally well in schools a, b and c - it’s not a quest for the holy grail of secondaries.