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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Greycoats or Kingsdale or Graveney

20 replies

loumac9 · 14/05/2021 11:43

Hi there - it looks like we might be in the lucky position of being offered a place at all of these school - does anyone have any experience to help me choose which one to go for?
thanks
Louise

OP posts:
Ilovemaisie · 14/05/2021 12:06

Do you mean the Kingsdale near Dulwich/Crystal Palace? Because it's 100% lottery do you can't really say if you will be offered a place at all.
Those 3 schools are no where near each other so I assume your child would have to travel. I live near Kingsdale and know several children who go there. To be honest I don't think it's worth the commute that some of the pupils do.
It's an ok enough school but it's nothing special really.

Iamsodone · 14/05/2021 12:27

how do you get a place to 3 state schools at the same time ?

They are very different schools (and in very different locations.)

mynameisbrian · 14/05/2021 12:56

You wont get offered all 3. Also confused as offers have already been sent out in March for secondary schools. You would have to opt for your preferred school when applying and you would be offered one, not all three. All three schools have long waiting lists so dont imagine you are being offered a slot from all three schools.

In answer to your question, all three are in very different areas- so you may need to think about travel.

Kingsdale is a reasonable local school however most from where I live choose Charter
Graveney- another good school and i know a few people who have sent there DC there- I would choose this over Kingsdale
Grey coats- sought after school and if i had a choice it would be this one. two of my friends children go there and love it. I wish I had known about it before I was doing secondary applications for my DD

Iamsodone · 14/05/2021 13:35

she can get 2 offers at the same time, having accepted one of those and being offered a WL place from a higher choice, then it's 7 days to decide.

mynameisbrian · 14/05/2021 15:00

That is true Iamsodone

Original poster
loumac9 · 14/05/2021 15:20

She got offered one school in March then yesterday she got offered one of the others and thirdly she’s near the top of the waiting list for the other... we’re in stockwell so it’s the same distance between all schools...

OP posts:
Ilovemaisie · 14/05/2021 15:32

Ok. Makes more sense now. To be honest I wouldn't want to travel that far to Kingsdale. Seriously it's nothing special.
Can't speak for the other school because I don't know them.

mynameisbrian · 14/05/2021 15:40

based on what you have said it would be Greycoats for me

DonGray · 14/05/2021 16:28

Do you want single sex or coed?

Original poster
loumac9 · 14/05/2021 16:46

Don’t mind

OP posts:
Chicchicchicchiclana · 14/05/2021 16:51

Kingsdale is a schlep from Stockwell. I would have thought the journey to Greycoats would be the most straightforward and so would go for that. Kingsdale has a huge intake these days.

DonGray · 14/05/2021 17:28

so which school did you get in March?
you must have had a preference at the beginning when you applied for schools

dinosaurinmybelly · 14/05/2021 17:42

Definitely Greycoats. The intake at both Kingsdale and Graveney is so large and the journey from Stockwell so cumbersome.

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 14/05/2021 20:50

Have sent you a pm

Londonmummy66 · 14/05/2021 23:08

Definately Greycoats - a very good school with a far more individual focus and much easier to get to from Stockwell - the other two are a big schlep.

indie123 · 18/05/2021 08:07

Id choose greycoats

Iloveturtles · 18/05/2021 10:19

Those are all very good State Schools in South London. I know kids at all the schools. My DD was originally offered a place at GC and we were thrilled. In the end she went to her higher choice, Graveney and it has worked out really well. It is big like another poster pointed out. The teaching has been fantastic and she has had lots of opportunities there. Commute from Stockwell to GC will be the easiest. In terms or academics there won't be a huge difference. I would ask her if she is ok with same sex or would prefer co-ed. Also, do the commute. It is hard for them in those first few years so making it easy just helps.

Winifredgoose · 19/05/2021 21:43

I would definitely go for Greycoats if you live in Stockwell. Its a really easy commute on the Victoria line and a great school. The only thing that would make me question that would be if you have a girl who would definitely suit coed rather than single sex, in which case I'd send them to Graveney.

catttz · 21/05/2021 17:22

DD loved Graveney and very easy to get to down the Northern Line - we used to live in Oval/kennington area and there were two or three of them that used to meet up on the tube and travel down together

It also, I think feels a bit more 'normal' as a school with a proper campus compared to Greycoats which felt quite strange being so central in Westminster (this was a few years ago though and its all down to your personal perceptions/expectations - only you can make the decision!)

AnaMRT · 12/07/2025 15:56

@loumac9 I’m curious which school did she choose? Is she happy? We will be making the choice soon.

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