Best London state secondary school in your opinion?

[Simplegal]

I’m overwhelmed with school choices for a Year 10 entry for my DD into an Co-Ed state secondary school. We have a last minute, frantic move to London from abroad and looking for entry for my DD. Somewhere within 30-60 mins travel to Canary Wharf? Open to faith schools as she has been in a traditional catholic school previously. We haven’t even started the accommodation hunt just focusing on schools first! Please comment if you love your school! Thank you!

Just full.

Having lived in both I’ve felt far, far safer in Whitechapel.

Don't email the schools, email admissions at the local councils for the borough(s) the schools are in / where you are likely to live. Find out which schools have spaces and which have a short waiting list. For info I emailed the council admissions as my DD was unhappy at her school and found only one school in the county with a space. When we moved house my other child waited 15months for a space to come up at our nearest school as its v popular despite us living 0.3 miles away. So you may or may not have choices. Birth rate in that year group makes a big difference.

Thank you! Will add to the list!

Kentish Town. Move somewhere that is close to both Camden school for girls and Parliament hill (also girls). You would then also have the option of la saint union (Catholic girls) or acland burghley (mixed - wouldn’t be my first choice but seemingly much loved by the local yummies)!

It sounds like I’m going to struggle.

Thank you that’s great advice. They should also be working over the summer holiday?

Honestly if you want a decent state school and don't have to be in Zone 1, I would look outside of London. For example there are excellent state schools in Sevenoaks, a 24 min commute to London Bridge.

People move out of London for this exact reason.

I will look into that but DD said she doesn’t want all an all girls school. But my options sound limited! Thank you.

Sevenoaks looks lovely! Is that an overland train that takes 24 mins? Are train services reliable?

I think you’ll be better off narrowing down where you want to live to a london borough that appeals and (importantly) where you can afford to live. And ask the authority which schools have spaces for year 10.

Will have to check the cost! Thank you.

Sound advice. Will be doing this! Thank you.

OP: this is going to be hard and it’s highly probable tou won’t know where she will have a place until the end of August/into the new term in Sept.

round here, even if you live on the doorstep of popular secondaries, you are unlikely to get a Yr 10 place at this stage as leavers’ places will already have been filled. The only spots available will be those that open over the summer holidays - a family rehoused a short notice; a family fleeing DV; a short notice move abroad. These are all rare.

so I would suggest you call LEAs in many different boroughs, find out which schools have places and then ask here about those schools.

if you move somewhere (even on the doorstep) for a full school and she doesn’t get a place it’ll be awful.

Hope you get something quickly, op 🤞

I feel like it's worth explaining how in year admissions work. You can email the council and ask about spaces, but until you've actually done an application (for which you will need local address), the school can't hold a space for you- they have to give it to someone else if they apply before you. The LA has to offer you a school place, but not necessarily at the school of your choice.

You can appeal for a place at a school, and wanting to continue to be educated within a certain faith would likely help your appeal, but if the school is already full/over capacity, then you may not get in on appeal.

You could also go on waiting lists, but people tend to prefer not to move their children after Y10 if they can possibly avoid it.

As others have said, your DD may have to move for sixth form anyway- nearly all sixth forms are selective, and she'll need the right GCSE grades to progress.

I think, instead of focusing on "best", you probably need to find an area where there would be multiple schools you'd be happy with, at least for the next few years. Or if you want a guaranteed school place before you move, unfortunately you'll need to go private.

Yes - overland train to London Bridge and then tube to Canary Wharf. It's nowhere as cosmopolitan as London, but if you're looking for safe schooling within 45 mins of Canary Wharf, it's worth exploring. Same goes for parts of Orpington, Bromley, Chislehurst and Essex.

I know quite a few kids at Trinity in Woodford who are very happy. It's got a great reputation. But, you're going to be restricted by where had places for year 19. You probably need to find your school
Place then relocate around it. Good luck!

Ok

If you want entry into year 10 then you are starting at the wrong point

You need to contact every school and ascertain which have places

It’s not a competition but a few kids in my area go to Kingsdale. I agree, it’s not that special too. But I don’t know sporty kids, more musical/arty.

I’m well aware it is comprehensive too.

Is she a 1st language English speaker (both parents uk born and educated?)

I went to Coloma, great school but v difficult to get into. You will need proof of faith, church attendance etc extra points the more holy you are.

This is what I have suspected will
be the case. Thank you I will do this on Monday as I really need to prepare for worse case scenario! Thank you.

Is she a 1st language English speaker (both parents uk born and educated?)

Thank you!