Boys Catholic Secondaries in London (south-ish) - pls help me!

[CSLewis]

Hi there. I have a son in Year 5, and am lost as to his options for secondary school. We definitely want a Catholic school, and would score fairly highly there. Single-sex, nurturing (he has an annoying particular personality), and not more than an hour's travel away from south-east London.

He is academically able, particularly in English.

I know about Cardinal Vaughan and the Oratory, but that's about the extent of my knowledge on this subject. I know a lot of you are experts, and would really appreciate any suggestions of schools I could look up! TIA

There's wimbledon college.

Thank you, I had a look and the journey would be difficult from us - three different stages of public transport
I also looked up John Fisher - anyone know anything about the current state of affairs there?

Richard Challenor ( nearest train station is Malden Manor -is an excellent Catholic all boys school . Not sure where you live so don't know if commute/distance will be an issue

The admission footprints for schools in Londin is terribly small. Many do not have catchments, though prioritisation by Parish has pretty much the same effect.

Are you prepared to move before next year's admissions round?

Because if you have not identified an RC school near to where you live now which you like the look of and - crucially - you would have qualified for in recent years, moving might be the only option. Though of course if criteria for any school requires continuous attendance in a specified parish, that won't be any good either (if no parish specified then two references from current PP and the one of any new home should work).

Gunnersbury Boys more West London than south
St Thomas the Apostle Southwark
St aloyisis North London depends where you are for Transport links.
Some schools like Oratory operate a lottery system
rcdow.org.uk/education/schools/ Maybe helpful

Thanks all. I hadn't heard of Richard Challoner, it looks great. We are more South-east than South-west though, so I'll have a good look at the journey.

Mary21, I'll look up the archdiocese link, thanks - good idea.

We're not able or willing to move house for a school, as we have quite a few children, all of whose needs will need to be taken into consideration.

I know I said boys only, but I'm now wondering whether I shouldn't outright dismiss the co-ed options, as perhaps these might provide more of an holistic supportive environment than an all-boys bootcamp school. So any good, Catholic mixed suggestions very welcome :-)

Sacred Heart Camberwell is a mixed school, excellent results, I believe one of the top in Southwark and more south west is Bishop Thomas Grant, Streatham, again mixed, it's a lovely school and its results are fab too.

I have a couple acquaintances with boys in Y8 and above at John Fisher. They are extremely happy with it, and it's not the easiest commute from their area of Beckenham/ North Bromley.

Cardinal Wiseman is a fantastic school, but it is West London, which may be too far for you.

Cardinal Wiseman is mixed?

Bishop Thomas Grant in Streatham has been zooming up the ratings and popularity.