SW London State Secondaries

[EldonAve]

Anyone got any useful insight into SW London State Secondary choices in Wandsworth & Lambeth?

I've only managed to make it to one open day so far & the DofE performance tables are much of a muchness for those we are likely to get a place at

Hi EldonAve, although I'm in Merton, I've visited a fair few of the Wandsworth secondary schools recently (and even Dunraven in Lambeth), as a parent. Which ones are you interested in? Mixed or single-sex secondaries. Across the entirety of the boroughs or specific parts?

Bollingbroke Academy is hugely popular but has a tiny catchment and strict feeders

Graveny has had a great reputation for years and years but th catchment is shrinking.

Harris academy used to be the worst in London but has been totally turned around in the last couple of years and is now best in the borough for a level results. But it is far from being in favour and probably won't be for a while but that means it is still easy to get a place (or was last year)

Thanks for your replies

I think we are too far away from Dunraven to get a place

Bolingbroke - I have heard mixed reports regarding admissions - certainly initial offers are just to the feeder schools but some claim others have got places later in the process.

Graveney - we are too far away to get in on distance

I am interested in opinions on Chestnut Grove, Lambeth Academy & Ernest Bevin

Hi EldonAve

Have several friends with DCs at Graveney - some got into Extension (the selective level entry), some got in on catchment distance (just) and sibling policy (which still seems to exist although not sure for how much longer???). It strikes me as very much a 'marmite' school, even with its great reputation in this part of SW London. Some parents love it when they go to look round, whereas others are less impressed.

Chestnut Grove seems to be gaining in reputation year-on-year. I had a conversation only yesterday with a friend whose DC is in Year 6 - they visited (after visiting about five years ago) and were impressed. A very dynamic and young Headteacher too. She is putting it on her CAF as one of her top 3. She said (and I'm quoting her directly), "it's not quite there yet, but it soon will be."

Ernest Bevin I know less about because I don't know any boys there. Most boys in Merton looking at state secondaries would opt for Rutlish over EB just because it's more central to the borough. Or try for the Sutton and Kingston grammars...

Lambeth Academy is too far away from Merton to be on my radar at all, I'm afraid.

Hope that helps...Good luck!

I really liked Chestnut Grove when we were looking, and we put it on our list. They're particularly good for art and design. Head seemed to have an evangelical aim to be the best possible "true comprehensive".

A working class mate with a child at Lambeth Acadeny really hated it to the extent that she moved out to the suburbs (poor behaviour in class) but that was a few years ago and it may have improved since then.