Croydon secondary schools - help!

[Lacuna]

We are in the catchment for Riddlesdown Collegiate and I'd be interested in any info or experiences of this school, or recommendations/warnings! I've had a couple of people say to me that they wouldn't send their kids there (including one ex-pupil who went on to do his teaching practice there!) I've also heard it's improved a lot since the college system came in. I'm not convinced it can be that bad but ds's dad is really not keen (but I think this is 'historic' prejudice rather than actually knowing anything about the school now, iyswim). The other Croydon secondary options don't exactly fill me with joy, though...

Private isn't an option for us, financially, but moving to Sutton/Kent for the grammars might be.

Can anyone make me feel a bit better about ds's options after Yr 6?!

No info on Riddlesdown, but if it's any use the Sutton boys' grammars don't have distance restrictions, so you can apply and attend from anywhere - plenty of boys from Clapham/Battersea area attend Wilson's, for example.

DH does work for Riddlesdown.
You could do a lot worse in this world.
THe school opens up opportunities.

Wilson's is very very tempting but it is madly competitive, isn't it?

What sort of opportunities, talkinpeace? I'm not anti-Riddlesdown particularly but, as I mentioned, ds's father just won't hear of it. Persuasive ammunition would be appreciated!

Lacuna Yes, very much so - Wallington Boys and Sutton Grammar less so, I believe, but still oversubscribed.

DH goes to around 100 schools per academic year and sees kids from another 50 or so
from infant to sixth form, private and state, all over the UK.
Bearing in mind that the whole of London education is broken because the LEAs are too small which sucks huge amounts of resources away from the front line, Riddlesdown is as good as many others he's been to in the area.

I was also very worried about Riddlesdown, but had no other choice. My dd is now in year 8 and is doing well, has nice friends and a good school report. There are plenty of after school activities and on the whole communication has been good from the school. How old is your son? Unless he has been tutored since year 3 he is unlikely to get a place at one of the grammars and the only other option is Warlingham. Which is much the same as Riddlesdown.

Thanks everyone for your responses.

Am a bit freaked out about your 'tutoring from year 3' comment though, ninamag! Is that really the case? I know that the grammars are competitive and lots of kids are tutored but I didn't know it was quite that bad

Haven't had DS tutored, but have done practice tests at home and he's passed Wilsons (waiting to hear if has a place or not) and Whitgift and Trinity. Has offer of scholarship/bursary at Whitgift so a difficult decision to make. I have however heard of other people doing hours of tutoring and summer school etc.

Riddlesdown is our fallback as our primary school is a feeder, and I've heard a lot of good things about it from other parents, but obviously want the best we can for DS and think he'd thrive in a more academic environment.

Have you been to the open evenings/mornings to look around? Would recommend going in Year 5 if you can as well as Year 6.

What about Warlingham? Are you in the catchment for that too?

I am in Sanderstead but kids are young so no experience yet. I have always lived in the area though and I was under the impression that Riddlesdown had a much better reputation now.

The private schools are very good but very very expensive!