Latymer students and families - where do you live?

[goteam]

We are in the inner area for Latymer but practically speaking over an hour a way via two buses (Stoke Newington). Kids currently yr 1 and 2 so a while yet but I just wondered where do Latymer families live and how far is reasonable to travel? I'm not against out local comp but both kids v academic and I like the idea of an academically rigorous school though I'm sure they will be fine in local comp. DD and DS who are v close so want co-ed really. Just looking st options as we at consider a move in the future. Local options are Skinners Academy and Stoke Newington School - both fine.

We are in North London zone 4 and a few in my DS year went to Latymer, we do have an almost direct bus though

Thanks for your reply. I thought zone 4 - Grange Park, Southgate, Palmers Green etc would be easy areas to commute from but we don't want to move them from primary school. I guess when the time comes we try for the test and move if eldest gets in. I have no idea how it works. Thanks.

Lots of kids travel in from Stoke Newington in my daughter's year group. They take the overground to Edmonton Green and it's a short walk from there.

Thanks Dancing, that's really helpful.

I have DCs there. I get the train into Edmonton Green from work near Liv St when I have school events to attend. It’s a good line. We live in N London and the DCs get the bus. It’s a lovely school. Worth a try for the exam anyway I’d say.

Thanks Molly. We have a few years yet and I wouldn't want to pin all my hopes no it (or theirs) which is why we would like to stay in our decent comprehensives area but give it a go if it seems like they need somewhere with that extra academic push.

I know for a fact Latymer's previous policy was "no more than 1 hour's travel" from the school and kids from N2, N12 and N20 (Finchley and Whetstone) areas had got in without problems. I understand the catchment circle has shrunk considerably recently. A friend's child living just outside this circle was told last autumn not to bother as it was deemed too far. But friend is now over the moon as her child will be starting this September at another equally good, if not better, grammar school - St Michael's Catholic Grammar Girls' School - in north Finchley. Please be aware the catchment area may shrink further by the time your DC are looking at secondary transfer!

Thanks Peteneras. That is a concern. We like where we live and don't want to move. The grammar schools do all seem to be in outer London.

Actually peteneras that's completely wrong. if you check the website you will observe that the postcodes for the 'inner area' remain the same as previously.

I'm not sure why you are plugging St M's - it's a girls school and you have to be a catholic to get in. The results are no better than Latymer so your comments are bizarre and ill informed.

I know children who have travelled to Latymer from stone Newington. As above it is far less than an hour via one train.

Thanks, yeah, we don't want a faith school and want a co-ed school. We will keep an eye on the local comps but everything I hear about them is that they don't stretch the really able.

Lots of children from Stokey go to Latymer. Journey on TfL Overground to Edmonton Green is very easy. Also kids from Waltham Forest, Haringey, Islington as well as just under half from "within Borough" (Enfield).

As a PP has mentioned, the catchment / priority zone is fixed to certain postcodes, all within roughly an hour travel time.

So what’s completely wrong about my comments, OrgyofSausages? When I said the “catchment area has shrunk considerably”, I referred to those who live outside the ‘inner area’ but not more than 1 hour’s travel as per their previous policy. Compare this with OP’s case – ‘inner area’ but more than 1 hour’s travel.

I mentioned St M’s as a matter of fact of what had happened just last autumn to a friend who’d sought my advice re secondary transfer for her DD. She lives at a NW7 address (i.e. ‘outer area’) which is just a few steps away from a N3 street (‘inner area’) but certainly well within an hour’s travel to Latymer. In the old days she would have been eligible. When she phoned last autumn she was told NW7 was not in the ‘inner area’ and therefore, deemed too far – which is pretty ironic as distance-wise her address is nearer to Latymer than some of the streets in the outskirts of N20 (‘inner area’).

No need for me to “plug” St M’s and yes, I did say St M‘s is a Catholic school in my earlier post if only you can read. And it’s also careless of you to assume the OP is not Catholic and doesn’t have a daughter when she clearly said she has a DD and a DS.

I was being generous when I said St M’s was equally good, if not better, than Latymer. Don’t mean to be rude but I was researching about Latymer possibly before you could even pronounce the school’s name. My niece (now a GP) was a Head Girl there and her younger brother (my personal dentist) also graduated from Latymer. Both my DD and DS got offers from Latymer in their time but I rejected the both of them.

A quick look at the Sunday Times Top 100 Independent and State Schools 2016 (latest I can find) will confirm which school’s results is better [clue: 60’s vs 80’s] and who is the bizarre and ill-informed one here!

Try here for Sunday Times League Table.

St Michael's and Latymer are very similar schools in many ways. Both less middle class and much more ethnically diverse than other selective options in the area, e.g. Henrietta Barnett and DAO, both of which have a high proportion from preps. But these are ALL amazing schools. You can't go wrong with any of them!

Results wise, they are almost identical in recent years. As I sat, very similar schools.

Nearly everyone that’s bright in grazebrook/ William patten/ Betty layward try for Latymer. In my class in grazebrook back in 2005 half the class tried and one boy went. This is the same now and most kids get the train from stokey to silver street. It’s very very competitive, but so is a place at SNS so you seem to be in a good position.

N16 here, and a bunch of them go by traib. I would bear in mind though that the journey takes an hour really, with a long walk at Edmonton, which can be exhausting and the school advise kids to walk together for safety. Also that the school seem to deliberately break up the kids so they aren’t in classes with more than one other local. Result is all my kid’s friends live in Enfield which is a pain.

Thanks Xeroxerama that is a worry that they won't have any local friends. Can I ask why you opted for Latymer? Was it because SNS doesn't stretch the more able kids? This is what I have heard. I know this is more about school leadership and ethos. I think SNS always been more about offering a good all round education but not so great at extension tasks for brighter kids. Skinners is much newer without an entrenched ethos so is the one I'm watching but good to know that Stoke Newington is a straightforward commute to Latymer.

Result is all my kid’s friends live in Enfield which is a pain

Erm, I'm not sure what you expected when you sent your child to school in Enfield! If you wanted local friends, then you should have chosen a local school!

We felt the school’s strengths for our child outweighed that of our local one, yes. Some would quite reasonably put more weight on social life. School choice is always imperfect.
OP, we felt sns had some behavioural issues, and the higher ability students especially boys weren’t doing as well as could be expected. Strict new head may change that. Don’t know anything about Skinners.