good secondary schools in London, not oversubcribed

[highflyer99]

Can you mums let me know if there are secondary schools that you think are good, and friendly to newcomers, in London or near, that aren't oversubscribed in 2018? Is there a website with this info that I haven't found? We're moving to London for just one year this summer with our DD who will be year 9. We're lucky in that husband will be working mostly from home so don't need to be super close to anywhere particular. Trying to figure out where to locate so DD can get into a decent state school at the last minute. Any leads appreciated!!

Try and find an area with lots of good schools so when the LEA has to find you a school it will be a good one. Saying that London is an area of high mobility so although schools may be full for year 7 there maybe space further up the school.

Hi, I second Mary’s advice that places do open up in London schools due to the transient population. There can be waiting lists for ‘good’ schools, though, as people unhappy with the teaching or pastoral care at their children’s present school are seeking to move. Can only really speak for my local area but Hornsey school for girls seems a nice, undersubscribed school with an improving reputation and exam results, and it’s in a nice bit of London to live.

Good luck and hope you get some other suggestions too.

What budget for rent do you have?

I'd suggest Tooting/Earlesfield area, with hopes of a place coming up at Graveney (very oversubscribed, but huge, and as pp said, people move) or Burntwood (single sex, good pastoral care) and the other schools around are OK (the swerved one is single sex boys)

You'll probably find it easier to get your DD a place for Year 9 than Year 7, OP. However, particularly for the good state secondaries in London, you may still be hard-pushed to do more than compromise, based on what's available. And won't you need to have moved before you can apply? So you will need to be very strategic...

Sutton has a range of very good comprehensives (aside from its highly sought after super-selective grammars). Glenthorne, Greenshaw and Cheam High are particularly well regarded. Glenthorne is excellent for DC with a talent in music/drama/dance.

You'd probably be wise to position yourself somewhere like Merton with good transport links across and into surrounding boroughs (Wandsworth, Sutton, Kingston and Lambeth). That would give you a wider choice (potentially) for your DD.

You will find it a bit of a lottery TBQH. Ambitious parents will often keep their DC's names on waiting lists well into secondary school years (particularly for schools such as Graveney). Year 9 is a pivotal point in a child's education, so you may find that any available places are still very much in demand (and possibly by children who lives very close to a desirable, local school but have moved into the area since Yr 7 and were not initially able to secure places) - it happens.

You might find it much easier to secure your DD a place at a good private school for a year? Is that a possibility?

Good luck!

Fulham Cross Girls School or Ricards Lodge in Wimbledon, outstanding and friendly and not super oversubscribed I think. Also try West London Free School, as a free school places not managed by the council and you can keep calling them :-). Maybe also Richmond Park Academy, not the best school in the world maybe but if you are looking for "decent", I am sure it is decent at least.

Ricards Lodge has a real mix of girls from across the borough (Merton) and surrounding ones.

Thanks so much for all the advice and keep it coming! It's hard not knowing London at all. What exactly is a Free school? Kinda like a charter school here maybe? I plan to come out in late June and will hopefully make the rounds of schools to see what's what. Thanks for the specific school names. I'll put them on my lists. Are the schools generally open to visitors popping in for visits? Luckily my DD is fairly easy going, though pretty quiet. I'm more concerned with her having an OK time socially, than worrying about academics, though I don't know if she'll come in being behind academically. Here she's in a middle of the road, not terribly academic school, and is very happy and succeeding.

The private option is out of the question, as we then wouldn't be able to afford rent ;> Rent wise we're needing to stay under 2600pounds a month for a 2bed.

Yes, a free school is very like a charter school.

BTW, to echo the comment about it being a bit of a lottery, do be aware that for a just a few schools it is literally a lottery of applicants (eg Kingsdale mentioned above).

What sort of area do you want to live in, central London, urban, multi ethnic, green and leafy, family orientated, do you want to walk everywhere, easy Ccess to tube, or do you see your selves driving, do you want theatres on your doorstep.
Do you want your daughter to go to a mixed school or are you happy with all girls. Are you happy with a religious school?
Friends who were in London for a year chose to be very central to experience London. Others prefer to be further out in more family orientated areas.
Is your dd into any particular activities you want to be close too?

Pimlico, good central location, may not need car if have delivery for supermarket, Grey Coat Hospital School all girls
Richmond borough green leafy family orientated, mostly good schools, easy to get out of London to see the country.
Muswell Hill, family orientated but no tube, fortis mere and Alexandra palace schools. Not as far out as Richmond .
Greenwich nice place, don’t know the schools.
Highgate, Parliament Hill School
Just some ideas

Keep your commute to work in mind when choosing a location. You don’t want to spend hours on train/tube as well.

Do you have preferences like single sex/mixed? Religious or not? Is there any subject your DD excels you you want to have this covered? Check foreign languages if our DD already does one at her current school.

LEAs do expect children do be able to do lengthy commute as well, I think our borough seems 45minutes by bus one way as the norm. Spo even if you find a borough with good schools it may not be the one around the corner.

Definitely don’t want to drive a car day to day so hoping for neighborhood with tube. Of course we want the best of all worlds- close or easy access to the museums and fun stuff of London but also prefer parks nearby to walk our dog. I know we probably can’t get all that on our budget! 45min commute to school sounds intense. Kinda like the idea of a girls school but mixed ok too. Do y9 get to pick a foreign language? She’s got some Spanish so that’d be nice to continue. She loves music and here there is band in the school. Is that something she can continue in school? Thanks so much for all the info!!

Try Camden, central with Regent's Park and Primrose Hill for your dog. You can get a 2 bed on your budget there.
Daughter is in Parliament Hill Girls School and loves it so far. Very good mix of girls, lots of arty / music projects etc. Academically not bad either. Nice location with Parliament Hill used as PE grounds. Pollution minimal comparing to some central schools (I would be looking at this too if I were you as in the end, they will be spending most of their day there).
Close to everywhere, and if you manage to rent in Primrose Hill itself, so quiet and beautiful.
There's also Camden School for Girls which is more academic and very over-subscribed but you never know, they might have a place in YR9 if you move close enough.
Few other good schools in the area.
What's good is that at their age (13-14-15), it is a perfect place for them - very arty, musical, lots to do, even if just sitting by the Camden Lock and watching people play and sing.. Short trip on the bus to all museums etc.

With the Oversubscribed part - I had to make a list of schools first, then called each individual one to see if they can tell me if they have any places. Most will not but if they do have - they will hint.. Each school has a form to fill in on their website for in-year admission so fill all in and see how may will come back to you requesting more info - I found that the ones that did, did have a place available. You can always reject the place. Some will not put you on a waiting list until proof of address is available. But make a start sooner than later.
One advice on Ofsted reports which many might disagree with - not every Outstanding school is outstanding. Check when they gained the status and how long held it for. I sent my daughter to an Outstanding primary and was horrified by the end of the first week. Moved to Good and she loved it!
Hope this helps!

@highflyer99 I'll PM you with a recommendation

OMVM2- Thanks, I think someone earlier mentioned the Parliament Hills girls school also. My daughter loves music and arts so this may be a great fit. Now if only there's space!
Thanks for the advice on how to proceed. I'm compiling my list and will start calling soon to see if they'll hint at spaces or talk to me at all, since at this point I'm living thousands of miles away.
I'll keep you all posted as to what develops. This is a new cultural experience for me, seeing how a different system works. I think New York City is something like this, with the different boroughs having lots of power and autonomy, and the "good" schools super hard to get into. Here in Santa Cruz, you either go to your neighborhood school, which has to make room for you, or get on a random lottery for a couple of the special charter schools.