Is Graveney School in London a good school.

[lolstevelol]

I have heard some people say it is really good and others say it is mediocre, if so which school is considered good in the area.

Yes, it's very good and very sought after, especially the selective places and for 6th form.

It is a school of 2 parts. Are you looking for a selective or a local place (very local -you need to be able to see the school from your home almost)

Where do you live?
Boy or girl?

Depends on the child. It's too ridigid for some children.

@JollyHollyMe The family I’m inquiring about lives locally, approximately a 10-15 minute walk from the school, which I assume is outside the catchment area. I’m asking on behalf of a family member who has a son and daughter (please let me know if this makes any difference).

As a local, I’m aware that Graveney has maintained a strong reputation in the area. However, its students and families can sometimes appear a bit pretentious. It feels as though, in previous generations, these families might have opted for private schools, but due to the rising cost of living and private education becoming less affordable for middle-class families, they now attend schools with working-class students.

Additionally, the school has a very large student body, which is worth noting.

@Crazykefir could you please elaborate on why it's too rigid for some?
Would you put it in the same category of Micaela, Mossbourne, Ashcroft etc?

There is a long thread on Mossbourne and the allegations of emotional abuse out forth by ca 200 people. I had always heard that Graveney was not like that, but interested in your thoughts. Thanks

on an older thread and not sure if it was mn or nappyvalley, i remember reading that gravney was too big to allow all students to participate equally in all sectors ie sports and musical/drama opportunities.

Boy of Girl does make a difference as Wandsworth has single sex schools.

More so than Ashcroft?

Not as bad as Ashcroft or Michaela but Graveney in my view falls short of its hype.

Some families had left or thinking in leaving for issues like bullying, mental health, discrimination, safeguarding and lack of or inexistent SEN support, poor communication between other issues.

The school doesn't work as a team, and it shows, conflicting information is given to students and parents, lots of middle management and the of blaming families and kids for their own mistakes is also common.

Academically, most of the teaching is good and I say most, because there are other teachers that are not quite what you would expect, for example various forms of the same year having detention for not doing a homerwork for a particular subject by the same teacher, which says more about the teacher than the kids.

Apart from a few exceptions, our experience is a total disappointment. They seem to be more interested in results and leadership boards than kids and will push away the ones that won't make it. There is also a feeling that if your kids are not in the extension classes, they will be treated differently, it's also well known between parents that may have gone themselves years before that this was already happening.