Danbury / Maldon Secondary and primary school advice - HELP!

[muminsydney]

My DH has just been offered a job in Essex - we live in Sydney and have NO IDEA about the education system where we are going to be living in 3 months time - HELP!!!

MY DS1 will start secondary in September and needs a sport and academic focused school - preferably co-ed.

My DD is 9 in august and will be jumping from y3 to y5 (due to the Oz education system differences) and needs somewhere academic and nurturing.

I am thinking of the Danbury area as it looks nice from what I can see - totally open to advice though as we really just need to be 10 miles ish from southend on sea for the commute.

All advice gratefully received :o)

William de Ferrers is a specialist sports school nearby. Not sure about the primaries.

Danbury park primary school is a fantastic school, it's a lovely village too. Less sure about secondary schools, but there are plenty of good schools in the area.

William de Ferrers is a huge school and the results are normally good. Maldon has The Plume and you would not be far from Chelmsford where there are plenty of schools of varying standards.

Nice secondary in ingatestone also, but not sure how sporty it is. Sandon is the nearest secondary for Danbury but no idea what it's like these days.

I live around abouts the areas you mention. The Plume school is quite highly rated atm. William de Ferrers in South Woodham Ferrers is also very popular but quite over-subscribed and huge.

I would be a bit careful with commute from Danbury to Southend, maps will show it being around 10 miles but that is as the crow flies, the road journey is more like 20 miles and a bit of a pig atm as there are a lot of 40mph on main road into Southend, which gets quite clogged in traffic during commuting times without the restrictions in place tbh. Billericay a bit closer, both secondary schools have good reputation as do the numerous primaries. Housing is quite ££££££ there though!

Thanks all! Does anyone know anything of the Anglo European School in Ingatestone?

It's a fantastic school, that's the one I meant. What do you want to know about it?

How to get in!!!!! Just worried that our application is too late as I understand from the council that they are over-subscribed.

Looks like the initial catchment is quite small - which areas in specific do they favour - do you know?

do you think the fact that DS has lived in australia all his life will count in his favour - they seem to favour children who have lived in non-english speaking cultures but that obviously doesnt include Sydney!

Do they play a lot of sport - and have school teams?

Ofsted report is just satisfactory but that doesnt bother us as all of the other positives outweigh this lower ofsted grading.

Any other advice or comments would be fantastic as I am entering a world I know absolutely nothing about!!!

I live in Chelmsford. Great schools in Chelmsford. Great Baddow is a sport specialist secondary school but wouldn't be my top choice. I know Chelmer and Moulsham popular at the moment but also not my cup of tea. I may be a bit biased but my two favourite secondries in Chelmsford are Hylands and Boswells.

Anglo European used to be great but Mayflower would be a better option, I think.

Sandon is a great school, (hoping DD1 will get in). Great Baddow is our second choice and is a sports college

Both the Mayflower and Billericay High schools in Billericay are highly thought of.

Essex is a grammar school area so another option if your DCs are bright but they would need to pass the 11+ exam which is taken in the September of year 6.

Thanks all - getting my head round it all in a flying one week visit to Essex!! All feedback taken on board - thank you!