Areas in SE London with good schools

[Tsunamika]

We need to move to a bigger accommodation and wondering which areas in SE London (Plumstead, Abbey Wood, Eltham , Bexley, Bexleyheath, Shooters Hill) have good primary and secondary schools?

New Eltham, Eltham, Sidcup and Bexley (latter two in Bexley Borough with Grammar schools). Shooters Hill also nice but transport is lacking a bit.

West Norwood/Streatham have excellent primary and secondary schools.

Sydenham and surrounds have some great primaries. Sydenham girls is a good secondary too.

Beckenham

The area around Blackheath/Greenwich that stretches into Charlton - commonly known to estate agents as Blackheath Standard and the Charlton Slopes has excellent schools. House are Victorian terraces with gardens. I find it a lot nicer than places like Eltham where the houses could be bigger but have less character and soul and the Victorian terraces are still pretty good sizes, especially those that have had the loft done.

There are some terrible schools in this area - Thomas Tallis is the closest thing to anarchy I have ever witnessed. John Roan has a very bad reputation among local teachers, and Crown Woods has been dubbed "The Zoo" by local supply agencies

If you pick your address carefully the Langley schools in Beckenham are fabulous. Lots of great primary schools too!

OP, do you have a particular budget / buying or renting / want a particular type of property? Or are you relatively open?

I ask because you’ve listed places in SE London that aren’t very loved by mumsnet but were in our own budget when we moved with the intent of buying a house (we ended up in Eltham - we’re in the North part towards Shooter’s Hill. The primary schools are good, we haven’t considered secondary properly yet because we’re a decade off and will likely have upsized by then anyway!). The answers you get on this may vary depending on whether people think telling you to move to somewhere that costs twice as much is an option!

Thanks everyone!!! We are intending to buy 3 bedroom house with a garden,for up to £450.000,maybe this is a mission impossible?? We are currently in Lewisham in 2 bed flat with 5 months old baby

That budget should be do-able in the Bexley borough or Eltham but you'd need to be careful about ending up in one of the big estates where there can be anti social behaviour. You'd find a house on the Shooters Hill slopes within that budget. The third bedroom tends to be a box room and public transport is lacking a bit but it's a nice area.

I don't think you'd find anywhere in a nice part of Beckenham , Charlton or Sydenham for that budget.

Lee is also worth a look (SE12).

Think about secondaries also though. The Lee and Eltham train lines give options for grammar schools in Orpington, Bexley and Dartford.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138911225

This for example, been on a while. Nice road close to a bus stop that takes you to New Eltham station in a few minutes. Catchment for St Thomas More comprehensive school and walkable to Chis and Sid grammar and close to Longlands Primary School which is lovely. Sidcup High St a 5 minute walk.

@Turmerictolly Def nothing in Sydenham or surrounds for that, even Lower Sydenham. Maybe a flat. Def not Beckenham. All of this is why budget is important in these posts

Agree that Lee might be worth OP's while!

@Tsunamika you will find something in your budget in these areas, but you may end up needing to do some work to be on the nicer roads.

Abbey Wood - stay on the Bexley council side IMHO, lesnes abbey wood direction going up knee hill - look at west heath area, some nice roads there and great for commuting to London. Good choice of day nurseries if you need those too. There are a couple of great primaries in the area - look carefully at catchment. Secondary all well served by buses so matters less - depends more if you want to go grammar or not.

Bexleyheath and Bexley also nice. Watch out for overpriced places too close to the A2 down there though - step into the gardens and really listen out for it.

In your shoes I'd probably look for a 3-5 year home and then move again when your budget is a bit higher. (Which is what we did)

Realistically you need a car down this side of London - we drive to all the nice places incl Greenwich/Blackheath/Bluewater etc, or take the Elizabeth line to canary wharf for eating out.

you dont need a car!

Woolwich & Plumstead not great for secondary school, Ark is ok but has a small catchment. Eltham Girls is well
liked, new harris boys school opening at the top of avery hill park, would be worth getting in the catchments for them.

Thanks everyone!! Anyone has experience with schools in Elmstead Woods area? Elmstead Woods Primary School or St Vincent's Catholic ps? Also,what to ask when visiting a school?

We are currently in Lewisham in 2 bed flat with 5 months old baby

Are you in the catchment for Prendergast Vale? You may be, depending on where in se13 you are. If so my advice would be to stay put, get DC1 into Prendergast, which is then also a feeder for the good Prendergast secondary, and at that point move. You’re then not under so much pressure with catchments etc.

For that budget my money would be the west side of Brockley personally.

Plumstead - Bannockburn Primary School is Ofsted Outstanding

Plumstead - Ark Free School (Secondary) is rated Outstanding

Quite a few primaries rated good in Plumstead and Abbey Wood. The other secondaries in the direct area are less good (they seem to go between Good and Requires Improvement) but because the area is near Bexley and even Kent apparently lots aim for the grammar schools.

We moved to the area from Peckham to get more room - area has a nice feeling for what we were looking for (eg feeling like we still
lived in London, greenery, Victorian housing) and for our budget (live in Victorian terrace on a tree lined street for approx £400k)

Ignore some of the snobbery about the area you see on mumsnet. Often comes from people who have never been, live in the Home Counties (hell) and/or have a £1m budget. I’m being ott but you get the point.