St Dunstans, Catford - good? or only ok?

[TooBusyByHalf]

Hello again lovely knowledgeable about everything people,

We have a really good state school option as no1 choice (good chance of getting in but not certain) and then 3 lottery / borderline chances, and 1 back up state school which is probably a dead cert but I'm not sure good enough for my super-talented precious genius etc (joke) DD1. So I'm looking at a private school back-up plan in case its needed. She's at a state primary, top of the class, but we haven't done any tutoring. We would only consider co-ed for various reasons I won't bore you with, and want local.

Which makes 2 choices - St. Dunstans, or Alleyns (unless I've missed any?). I am undecided about Alleyns partly because it is said to be very hard to get into, partly because it seems a bit too rareified and 'whitewashed' for this area, and partly on cost grounds, but DD and I did both like it, and at least it is very good. OTOH, St D's just felt safe - not really inspiring. And for that money you want something a hell of lot better than the state school up the road - which I'm not sure it is. Any views?

If you're thinking of St D's, I'd reckon you'll be in the catchment for a damn good girls' comp

I do know people who have kids at SD's and like it, but I wouldn't froth at the mouth with excitement about it though I am an impoverished socialist so shouldn't be trusted anyway

MI is right about the girls comp. I know several girls there all enjoying it and doing well.

I think Alleyn's is pretty academically competitive to get into. St D's is widely thought of as a nurturing school. And you have Syd High too, which I believe is also quite nurturing.

Thanks, If by girls comp you mean PHF as it seems to be called this year (ie. Prendergast) we are almost certainly not near enough tho it is "on our list" despite being a girls school... Sydenham High off cos it's a girls school, Sydenham girls is the one I'm not sure about...
Anyone v keen on St D's? There does seem to be a shortage of good coed schools in both sectors...

Syd Girls is the one we mean.

I'm actually rather offended you don't think it's good enough, if I'm honest.

Dustbins was all boys in my day

What are the co-ed state schools you are in catchment for?

I live not too far away and I know a tiny handful of parents who are paying for secondary education and none of them have chosen St Dunstans. I don't actually know if that means anything or not, cos its such a miniscule sample i can draw from ...

The parents and sixth formers park in my road, which causes me great annoyance

Talkin it was all boys in my day too! Think my first song was with a boy from there...

Song,
or snog at the side of the hall during a disco
Dulwich boys were the most polite, Eltham boys had the best discos by I went out with Alleyns ....

Hey Motherinferior don't be offended (sorry though) - tell me why you think it's good... It's not very local for us and I don't know anyone there now or ever, and it's pretty hard to tell at the open days when all the schools put on a near identical show... But looking at the lewisham distances it is one of the likely options despite being 3 miles away

Minty, the coed schools near us are askes and deptford green. I really wanted to like DG but I just can't get my head round sending my DD who reads constantly to a school with no library!

What about Blackheath High? or don't you want only girls - was a great school when my DD went there (we're now the other side of London) ...

Er...it's a good school! It's providing tr young women there with a good, broad education - including three languages, and the expectation that its already good results will improve year on year. And the head is rather scary in a good way.

I used to work as office staff in DG. I wouldn't send a child of mine there if you paid me.

I lived near St Ds, I was always impressed by the manners and maturity of the pupils.

Talkin oops - yes snog :)

And OP I went to Blackheath High. This was - ahem - some time ago now but a friend's DD is there now and she loves it. GDST schools are great for helping girls grow up with confidence as well as academically good. I still think single sex schools are better for girls but I may be seen as old fashioned in this.

Uh oh. Its turning into a BHS thread
When I was at BHS all the dustbins boys were in love with the headmaster's daughters .....

Have messaged you

I think there is a crossed wire somewhere on this thread about which school is being referred to in which post, especially which school isn't favoured.

Nope, its pretty clear - then again I used to go shopping in Lewisham every Saturday as a teenager

VeryTatty - can't work out if we overlapped - Auntie Helen days?

TooBusy, have you looked at Prendergast Ladywell Fields and Prendergast Vale? Both co-ed. PLF is supposed to be on the up and if Deptford Green and Aske's are your local options you are probably close enough to PLF to get a place. PV is of course a very new school and I don't know how easy it is to get in there. You've presumably thought about Addey's as well. Have you looked at Bacon's College?

It's a long, long time since we were doing this [counts on fingers - good grief, 9 years!] but I remember it so vividly. We would have been delighted to send our son to Aske's, Forest Hill or Thomas Tallis but there was no chance. Oh well.

Hi Londonmother, thanks for the ideas. PLF and PV both so unimpressive - a real shame - anyway on last years distances we wouldn't get in to PV. Way out of distance for Thomas Tallis. Have looked at Addeys too and it seemed very caring but they are not really equipped to take bright kids - they insisted it was impossible to be in year 7 and nc level 6 in maths which is obviously rubbish. Bacons is on our list but a lottery so not much chance. Boils down to Askes - we are close but sometimes even next door would not be close enough! - or Sydenham Girls. Maybe will look at PLF again...
Thanks again.