Wandsworth secondary schools - Southfields Academy?

[citychick]

Hello,
We will be returning to Wandsworth after several years away from the Borough and are looking for a senior school for DS - Year 8

He'd like to be in a mixed school with great pastoral care, the opportunity to make friends, plenty of sport and some fun extra curricular activities to get involved in.

I know that that Southfield's Academy has great facilities, but are the kids happy there?
Are parents happy with the school?
What's the mix of cultures like?
DS has come from a small school abroad and has been the minority for a few years (mainly Asian and we're not).
We'd love a mixed feel with good behaviour.

This school has had a reputation in the past - not great, bad behaviour etc etc.

What's it like now?

Many thanks for reading.

Schools are generally full in London so it’s never that easy. However, the LA must offer you sth as your child is of compulsory school age. It’s might not be your preferred school, though.

Agree with PP, it's very difficult to move beyond year 8 in London schools and most will be at full capacity. There's not generally much movement in year 9+ as it's so close to GCSEs.
Re sixth form, SA has the second largest in the borough and therefore offers a much wider range of subjects - academic and vocational. A DF has her son there and is very impressed, especially with the arts subjects. Ashcroft is a bit of a conveyor belt. Another friend's son is hating sixth form there, having enjoyed school there up til last year. He says it's very regimented and not great pastoral care apparently. A number of students don't progress to year 13 as their results aren't good enough in year 12.
I think St C's is a bit meh - students should do a lot better there than they do given the very middle class intake. We looked at it but It felt a bit lacklustre and not very dynamic plus the head of music couldn't tell me what pathways there were for music scholars beyond school which, given it's a specialist music school, amazed me..

Hello @citychick ! Just wondering, have you ended up at SA? How was it? Thank you!