Secondary choices for boys, central/west London

[Mummyinthedark]

We have two DS, currently in yr 2 and yr 4 and live in central London, a little to the west (Bayswater ish).

We are really interested in the experiences of other central Londoners with older boys - which schools are they in, why did you pick them, do you think they are good, was it hard to get in?

If you have boys and could share a bit of your experience it would be be really helpful. We want to think ahead to which schools we could look at but it's hard when all we have to rely on is OFSTEDs and what the schools publish themsleves. Real feedback would be very very welcome.

Thanks for any thoughts
MITD

Anyone?

Come on, let me feel your some MN love!

Sorry, posted too quickly...either/or

Have you looked at the Good School Guide online..invaluable when you start to look at schools. It Covers the best State or Independents.

Choosing a school is very personal to what would suit your children and what suits one may not suit number two unfortunately.

Yes, we've looked at the GSG, online and print - but really want to hear what pupils and parents have experienced themselves

I think you may get more response if you are a bit more specific about the schools you might be considering.

Hi Mummy!

I'm Bayswater too but have daughters. My friends who have sons though seem to favour Holland Park. We do have a shortage of good secondary schools! Also King Solomon Academy is doing really well. hth?

Thanks TNN. I'm sure you're right. I guess we are floundering a bit, and keep changing our minds about where to look/waht to focus on. DH and I need to spend some time looking at school websites, locations etc.

Razors, good to get some positive feedback. One of my friends, with a DS in my older DS's class is very excited about King Solomon Academy, which is getting (very) good OFSTED results in its first few years. A couple of children at our primary have not been offered places anywhere for secondary as all their choices have said no - and this happened last year too so we are all getting very gloomy.

I do like the sound of Holland Park too - a cabbie was telling me how well his son is doing there a few weeks ago.

So that's two we should feel ok about - and if we look at them more closely we'll hopefully find more good stuff out about them.

MITD

Hi MITD,

I also know of a couple of children who did not get places. There are plenty primary schools in the area but only half the amount of secondary schools. On a positive note the transport links to other boroughs are good (Brent, RBKC, Camden etc...) and these boroughs are quite transient. It's a worry definitely. maybe we should put our heads together and set up a free school

If you're in Bayswater, you're unlikely to get into Holland Park unless they do really well in the Art aptitude test. They're oversubscribed and preference goes to those who were at a Kensington & Chelsea primary. Also, in Bayswater, you're too far away to get into Pimlico or Paddington Academies which would be my top two. It depends on your exact location, but you could well find you're too far away from any schools to get in for definite. King Solomon is something like 150 metres ! This publication gives the distances which will probably have shortened by the time yours go.
www3.westminster.gov.uk/docstores/publications_store/WCC_SSAdmissions_2010WEB.pdf

It could well have all changed by the time yours go. Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea & Hammersmith & Fulham are joining together and this might possibly affect Holland Park's admissions criteria. There are, after all, Westminster residents less than half a mile from the school.

Razors, I've seen what Toby Young and his group are trying to do in Acton with their new school and I salute them...but it's not for me. Tis true we are very under-served in our bit of Westminster, although we have some great primaries (well, I think they are good). Too late to beat up on the council and Mark Field, our MP, now I suppose. And last time I spoke to schools minister Tim Loughton at a business event that we were both at he asked me if I was a lesbian... because I was drinking peppermint tea. Michael Gove lives in W10, wonder where's sending his kids?

Lazybill, that's diamond information - most insightful. It's this sort of thing DH and I need to focus on now, so we can move in the next year if we have to. (Ha, ha, I almost made all that awful upheaval sound easy, didn't I?)

Anyway, you're super helpful so not so lazy in my view.

MITD

Was Tim trying to chat you up? Hmm needs to work on his chat up lines Was tongue in cheek re Free schools as I don't agree with them either, but really Westminster needs to pull it's finger out and provide more secondary schools. We are poorly served indeed.

Too right.

DH and I had a long discussion last night about whether or not to move to the shires and throw in the towel on London for the family.
He even decided not to watch the footie so we could go over the pros and cons, so as you an imagine it was a serious debate.

Anyway, have decided to stay put so we are really on the search for the right schools to target now.

The upshot is: expect more questioning posts from me I guess!