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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Raynes Park High

13 replies

LucySpud · 28/03/2018 11:50

This is possibly a long shot but does anyone know about Raynes Park High? It was low down on our CAF but the only one DS has. Our sure bet school is heavily oversubscribed and we are 60 something . I know RPH has a bit of a bad rep but I just wondered if this was no longer justified. Or that's what I hope

OP posts:

ReelingLush18 · 28/03/2018 13:53

I think the school is going from strength to strength but still doesn't tend to attract MC families (although there will be some). There are lots of children from Mitcham who go to school there. They tend to be the very lively ones .

JoJoSM2 · 28/03/2018 14:08

I don't know the school personally but going by the info on gov website, it's pretty unimpressive educationally.

ReelingLush18 · 28/03/2018 14:24

I think the results seem 'pretty unimpressive' because of the intake though...And lots of children who are there (so included in results stats) but not there. For some of the more challenging children there it may be their last chance in the mainstream state sector (they may have been permanently excluded from other local secondaries)...

BothersomeCrow · 28/03/2018 14:34

I know a teacher there. It's supposed to be good for ASD and other SEN.

ReelingLush18 · 28/03/2018 14:42

BothersomeCrow yes I believe you're right. I think lots of the Mitcham youngsters are sent to RPHS to get them away from the bad local influences...except many of those influences go there too...

Check out the 655 buses after school - it's

Original poster

LucySpud · 28/03/2018 21:28

Oh. No.

This is not sounding good. We have until September so hopefully there will be a change by then. It must be a weird year as I first choice schools is normally a dead cert where we are. Thank u all.

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ReelingLush18 · 29/03/2018 06:20

Well I think the 'baby boom' children are now reaching secondary school age so it could well be that loads more children have been fighting for all secondary school places, including your first choice one.

FWIW Ricards and Rutlish now operate a sibling policy across both schools which will likely impact on 'eldest and only children' getting in from their traditional catchment areas (outer reaches anyway).

Good luck. I would see if you can be put on any other local(ish) ones too to hedge your bets.

FWIW we were offered DD's second choice school (think she was 44th on W/L) in early July before she was due to start. We didn't accept it as we felt she was already invested in going to the school she'd been originally allocated (and we were happy with that).

Good luck! Have you considered Harris Academy Wimbledon as an option?

Original poster

LucySpud · 29/03/2018 08:03

Thank you ReelingLush18. We live too far to make the Harris Academy an option in terms of travel. I managed to speak to someone through a friend who has a child in year 8 at RPH and he is doing very well so feeling more optimistic. I always preferred mixed sex rather than a boys school so maybe this would be better..

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ReelingLush18 · 29/03/2018 15:21

Sorry I don't think I meant to paint such an apparently negative picture. Lots of the parents of children DD knew at primary school preferred it to other options, for being co-ed. And I'm sure that as the 'baby boom bulge' puts increased local pressure on places, the catchment for RPHS will probably become smaller and more local.

And I think they're good on pastoral care and honest. The sort of school that doesn't give up on children (even the ones who've been excluded elsewhere). Moreover the type of school where they don't remove children from the roll (i.e. the persistent truanting ones who may not get round to sitting exams) which is why their results may not look very good. They tell it as it is rather than the stats having been massaged.

Have you been to look at it with your DS? I would suggest you do to form your own opinions. I have a friend who was unimpressed some eight years ago, but when she visited again five years later, for her younger child, she really liked its vibe and ethos and was generally very impressed (it was second on her child's CAF).

Good luck!

Growingpeopleme · 30/03/2018 21:56

We have friends who have chosen it over other local outstanding options as they really liked the feel of it when they visited. Why don’t you go and see for yourself as always better than hear say. Good luck, I think it has been a tricky year - quite a few I know with no offer at all at the moment.

Danddy · 20/09/2025 12:05

Hi everyone,

I realise the original discussion here was quite a few years ago. We’re currently thinking about whether to list Raynes Park High School on our CAF, and I’d be very interested to hear more recent impressions from parents or students.

Looking at the information online, the results seem fairly average and I don’t see any particular strengths highlighted in other areas either. I’m curious how the school has been developing in recent years — in terms of academics, extracurriculars, and the general day-to-day experience.

Any up-to-date thoughts would be really helpful as we try to get a clearer picture. Many thanks in advance!

Mussla · 31/01/2026 21:53

Would also be interested in more recent insights about Raynes Park High. Bump!

PrettyBigThings · 31/01/2026 22:05

Much stronger options locally and with a falling birth rate and larger catchments I think a more peripheral school like RPH is sadly likely to suffer.

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