Sydenham School (State one ) or Charter Schools Dulwich

[Tilly9]

Hi

We need to apply for secondary school this year and I would like to hear opinions from parents whose children attend Sydenham School and also The Charter North Dulwich and The Charter East Dulwich: Are teachers kind and supportive? What is behaviour like? do your children feel happy and supported at school? Do they have good opportunities for trips, extra curricular activities? And last but not least what is the SEN department like, DD is behind and needs additional support, has had speech therapy at her current school.

Thanks in advance for any comments

My dd loved her time at Sydenham School and although she put Charter as her first choice ( but didn't get in on distance) went out of her way to tell me she was so happy she'd gone to Sydenham when she was part way through her school life. It's a very good school and she mixed with a far more ethnically diverse and socio-economic crowd than if she'd gone to Charter. I'm glad she appreciated this.

Thank you very much. That is good to hear about Sydenham School.

Bumping for more opinions, hopefully

Hi -I have two girls at Sydenham School (Year 7 and Year 9). Both very, very happy.

We've liked the vast majority of teachers so far - there have been a few who have been a bit 'meh' but I think that is always the case. They have always been kind and fair. Behaviour is not perfect (where is it?) but poor behaviour is cracked down on and students are able to learn in their classes.

Contrary to ideas I sometimes see on here about comprehensives, no-one is mocked for being clever, top students seem stretched, and everyone is supported no matter what level they are at. It is a school that serves its local community, which is how a comprehensive should be I think!

DD1 has really thrived since joining Sydenham. She loves school and I like that the female environment encourages her to speak out more. She is now very confident (and flying academically, which wasn't a given as her starting point wasn't that amazing). DD2 started during corona of course so it has been different but she has settled well and mostly gets great opportunities. Currently they are not set for maths in Year 7 which is a bit of an issue for her, but this is a corona- specific issue. She also doesn't get to use the science labs, which is also a corona thing and means she doesn't really like science. Hoping this will change soon!

Extra curriculars? DD1 in Year 9 is doing her DofE bronze and a lot of debating (their team third in the country in DebateMate at the moment). She had trips in Year 7 and 8 but obviously none now except D of E - but so impressed they've taken on so many to do that this year- 150 girls doing bronze and silver is a lot of work. Normally there's a ski trip and language trips - she's very much hoping the Italy trip for Latin students is back on soon.

DD2 doesn't get as much music at the level she would like at the moment but that is mostly Covid related (means that everything is done with your year group, but she does get a choir, and orchestra and help from a teacher with her 'band' that she does with her friends). There is sport - my children just don't do it so I can't comment on how good it is!

We don't have personal experience of the SEN department but those that do mostly seem happy with it as far as I am aware. Where we have needed specific support with mental health issues around coronavirus and lockdown the school responded magnificently.

All in all, I would say that Sydenham is a very good comp, which generally fulfils its ambition of getting the best out of children of a wide range of abilities.

I don't know much about Charter to compare them, I'm afraid, but Sydenham has so far done all I hoped for for my girls.

Don’t both have very small catchments?

Charter School ND was 886 metres last year. Sydenham has been just over a mile for the past few years :-)

Charter ED is excellent. Really good comp with excellent teachers.

I’m not sure about SEN support but I reckon it would be good.

I’ve also heard good things about Sydenham

I agree with pp though on catchment area. It’s very small, so the outcome might depend more on where you live

@dotty81

Charter School ND was 886 metres last year. Sydenham has been just over a mile for the past few years :-)

Sorry meant Charter ED. Charter ND is even smaller.

Charter ND is a lovely school I think from our family’s experience. Very committed, hard working teachers who are great at communicating with parents and lots of opportunities for the students. I know lots of families with children there who seem to have been happy and well supported there too, some with SEND, although I’m not sure about any with very significant needs. As mentioned though, unless you’re planning to move, it’s pretty much down to which one you live near enough. And they’re all good schools so I would probably just focus on whether you prefer single sex or co-Ed if you are going to move for one.

Thank you very much for all the opinions. We are trying to decide in which order to put them. Hopefully we they will be open days this year and we can go and see them with DD to see what she prefers.

I can't think where you could live that all the schools would be an option tbh. Is there any overlap in "catchment" area at all these days? It really is nonsense that some living in a tiny venn diagram of streets can choose between both Charter schools, where most of ED sends their kids to school in Lambeth or Lewisham.

As a complete aside, one of my favourite moments of schadenfreude was meeting a family who'd cheated the system to get a place at the Charter School for their first child (a boy) but when the second child (girl) came to secondary age she desperately wanted to go to Sydenham. This was about 4/5 years ago and I don't think they would have got in from their East Dulwich address at that time. Not nice for the girl but I loved that she didn't go along with her parents view that Charter is the be-all and end-all school in the area. I wonder if her parents went through all the upheaval of moving house twice again to get her the place she wanted?

Sydenham has the advantage when it comes to catchments of being quite large, and of course single-sex - so roughly half the children in catchment can't go there anyway. But we still didn't get in from just over a mile away three years ago (got in on appeal).

The pandemic changes things though - lots of families have moved out of London -places have come up in most year groups.

Thank you. Yes, looking at Sydenham School website it says they have places available in year 7,8 and 9. It is difficult to predict what the catchment will be like next year.

Thank you all for the replies. Two more question regarding these schools:

Do they stagger lunch breaks and do the children get to eat a decent hot meal ? and have a relaxing break ? I wonder how do they manage more than 1200 kids out a break and lunch time at the same time and if it is too crowded.

Also, regarding extra curricular and trips? Do all children get included/invited? or is this only for the high achievers? I have the feeling secondary schools look after the high achievers better.