Top state schools for DS and DD in Twickenham, Richmond, Ham areas

[LDNmeetsSurrey]

Hi

I'd really welcome your recommendations and reasons why for secondary state schools (ie not independent) in the Richmond, Ham, Twickenham areas.

We have a DD and DS so coed ideally. So far I've heard good things about Orleans Park and Grey Court.

What else would you list and why?

Not considering catchment at this point as we would be moving into the right spot based on school.

Would you consider catholic schools, ie Richard Reynolds? Otherwise you are correct with your list but have you checked out the house prices in st Margaret's?

@LDNmeetsSurrey how old are your children? e.g. Are you planning to move before October 31st prior to the secondary application deadline for September 2025 entry, or are they older/younger?

All the schools round here are good, so it depends what you're looking for.

This is the 2023 GCSE performance data for Richmond Borough, but the pecking order changes every year, so don't regard it as anything other than a snapshot. I believe Turing House was top in 2022: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/schools-by-type?step=default&table=schools&region=318&geographic=la&for=secondary

The 2024 data will be published later this month.

Turing House is now a top performer. But you would need to live near the Teddington nodal point to get in. For Orlean Park you need to live less than 1 km

You need to move as close to the schools as possible.

Orleans has the smallest catchment in the borough - as someone said, it was 1km last year. Turing House, Grey Court and Orleans are top. Richard Reynolds is a ballot for Catholic church goers so not done on location. Teddington is up and coming but not in the same tier.

Competition for houses near Orleans and Grey Court is fierce. Check the admissions policies for all the schools carefully as some have weird catchments.

Teddington was a higher performer in the past and is back on an upwards trajectory. It's a big school though, so has a relatively wide catchment.

Worth mentioning, in case you want to keep open the option of an all-girls school, that it's easy to be in Year 7 intake catchment for both Waldegrave and either Turing House or Teddington School.

It used to be possible (though expensive) to be in catchment for Waldegrave and Orleans, but not sure if it is any more.

I deleted the post - wrong thread 🤦🏼‍♀️

Waldegrave is lovely

I personally would not send my child to a single sex school. Waldegrave is good but past its best times

Waldegrave seems to be trying to recapture some of its former glory. There has been some work to the inside which had smartened it up a bit and some recent changes to the uniform policy to make it less "logo'd" and more accessible. They've increased the variety of sports and extra curricular activities to appeal to a broader range of girls.

Orleans comes across like they don't give a shit about families anymore 😆They know they'll be full regardless so there's no shred of a sales pitch.

It's just about possible to be in the catchment for Orleans and Waldegrave but only in a tiny area in both area A and B. About 3 streets each.

I used be completely anti single sex schools but DD is in a mixed state school and I'm increasingly thinking she'd have done better in all girls. The research is pretty robust that girls get better results in single sex schools although they tend not to be as ready for life afterwards.

I've attended open morning for Grey Court this year. They are very proud beating independent schools at sports - as an example they've beaten Harrow and Eaton in cross country. I gather they have high performing teams in this and also gymnastics, football and smth else (but not swimming and watersports). Children who are selected to represent school get extra training sessions and I got a feeling they are "the stars" of the school. Children seem pretty relaxed.
The school itself is grim, poorly lit and cramped.
I wanted to love it as the results are good but simply can't. If my child was into sports I'd give it a try maybe.
In Orleans children looked more "nerdy" in a good way :)

I have friends with children at Greycourt and have visited briefly a few times. It seems like a great school to me - I didn’t notice the physical grimness of the building. Teddington has a beautiful building but was shockingly bad a few years ago…I think ethos and leadership matter more than the physical environment. Appreciate since previous (but 2?) headmaster left things have improved at Teddington, thankfully. Ditto Turing was brilliant in a very unprepossessing converted office building with no outside space. Even better now it has a purpose built new building. Head teacher and most of the staff are so committed. I’d definitely recommend it.

@Missperfumado if we were living in catchment already I would probably not be moving for a better option.
But as we rent and can choose where to live I feel some other schools I visited could be a better fit.

Absolutely - and Orleans is meant to be a very good school - I agree different school fit different students and often you get a gut feel when visiting which is an important factor. Wish I’d taken notice of my gut feel about TS 10 years ago, rather than received wisdom.

Ditto Turing was brilliant in a very unprepossessing converted office building with no outside space.

Not sure if I understand but you must be talking about the old building in Teddington. The new buliding has huge oudoor space.

Orlean - What I noticed is that a child can feel anonymous, not a very TLC school and has this University feel. Children and teachers are not necessarly are greeting each other when passing by. Orlean is a good and nerdy school but very cramped with the number of pupils on the site. The pupils cannot walk around the fields and can only used outside benches. Six form area looked good but those small buildings where kids are getting in from outside look zzz cold in the winter and way too hot in the summer. Not a good site

I think some of these comments about Orleans are a bit harsh! The pastoral care is excellent; it didn’t turn out to be the right school for my youngest for other reasons but they have taken such great care of both my children when there and whenever there’s been a problem they have pulled out all the stops. I feel they have a great balance of getting good academic results and looking after students in all other respects.

I agree. I know many parents with children there who are very happy with Orleans.

My comments were not harsh. I said that the school has the university vibe. Academic, encouraging independence. What is harsh about it? It is not a TLC school where they treat kids as in primary. It is an excellent school.
As for building, I have been there 3 times for reasons related to facilities I stand by what I said

I am surprised that adults here can only see things in rose tinted glasses or everything is " harsh". All schools have pros and cons. nothing is ideal

I think ‘not a TLC school’, whatever that means, doesn’t come across particularly positively and gives the wrong impression of the pastoral support on offer at Orleans. Another poster said they didn’t give a shit about families and again that is the opposite of my experience. (I’m not blind to schools’ shortcomings; for example one of their feeder primaries is excellent in many respects but utterly shit with certain types of SEND.)

You cannot see pastoral care as a synonym of TLC school. This is a dangerous oversimplification. Good pastoral support is to act when it is needed and not necessarily treating kids as if they were in the primary giving full focus to every and each child. The children are expected to walk themselves between the buildings, they are not explained do's and don'ts each time without repercussions as they were in primary. They get here negative points if they cross the line.

Actually, when it comes to SEND and in particular EHCP Orlean Park is a very good school and that is why there are more EHCP kids there than in any other school in the borough

@TheGoldenGate tbh I wouldn't expect a school with 240 ppls in a year group to have any vibe other than "anonimity".

I was not talking about SEND in relation to Orleans Park. I have direct experience of SEND and the pastoral support system at Orleans Park and do not need these aspects explained to me.

And I would. In the same borough or nearby there are equally large schools where pupils know teachers and say " Hello Hannah" when they passing by.

Anyway, each school has pros and cons. In Orlean academically capable kids are thriving. Those who are not lucky are getting support. And all of that with not the strictest discipline as compared to many other schools.
Shame they are squeezed on such a small site.

And I understand the poster above. If judging only by the comparison of Open Days, one could have that impression of " oh we gotta do it but it doesn't matter as we will have great cohort again".
Watch out, Teddington is doing amazing Open Days with music and theatre shows, free food tasting. And absolutely dedicated staff. Same for Turing and SRRC.