SE London secondary options

[Se10wonderings]

As the username suggests we’re in SE10 but very close to the river. We’re only comfortably in catchment for John Roan and St Mary Magdalene - I’d welcome opinions on either but tbh at this stage we’re not feeling great about either (ropy progress scores for a start).

We have been within catchment for Band 1 for Leigh Academy Blackheath so that’s potentially an option but obviously risky. Ditto the Bexley and Bromley grammars - we’re so far out that we’d need to be top 180 and that seems like an insane gamble!

A left field option might be looking over the river to Canary Wharf College which we’re pretty close to as the crow flies. But don’t know much about that.

Anywhere else we should be thinking about? Are you happy at one of these schools? Did you relocate?

St Matthew Academy.

I have friends who have DC in many Greenwich secondaries, some private and grammar too.
How old is your DC and what sex? Eltham Hill (girl's state) and Blackheath Girls (private) both have good local reputations. After 2027/8 it's forecast that the number of DC applying for secondary is going to drop so depending what year you're looking at - you may get 'lucky' and catchments may become wider.

Friends who have DC at John Roan are happy on the whole. I believe there's been a big crackdown on behaviour and the DC are now streamed for all subjects from YR7. Have you been to look around? Being able to walk to school is a big draw.

The catchment for St Mary's is very small as it's a through school and they also prioritise faith applicants so there's literally a handful of community places. I've known DC not get in who live in Millennium Village - just to warn you.

Leigh Academy is now 'the' most popular state option since it got it's outstanding. (House prices nearby have gone up crazy amounts.) I do know people who have moved to get their DC in. Again, everyone I know seems happy with the school. It's a small school which has it pluses and minuses. It teaches the IB in sixth form which puts some people off.

I do know people who've got their DC into grammars from SE10 but yes, they've been in the top 180 and have been tutored since Yr2. The journey to Dartford Grammar, Townley or Beth's isn't too bad on public transport though.

Tallis is also a popular local option but it's quite 'marmite' - people either love it or hate it as it's got a very specific ethos.

St Ursula's (girls) has always been very highly regarded but it's been through a bit of a bumpy time in the last few years. It is a Catholic school and used to be very hard to get into but that might not be the case so much now.

Colfes is a popular private choice - I think it runs a bus from SE10.

Any reason why St Matthew’s not on your list given geographically in middle and v good results?

@Hollyhedge only because I don't personally know anyone with DC there so I can't comment on it. Also I believe it's a Lewisham school so if the OP lives in SE10 they will be applying via Greenwich LA.

I see. LA you apply through makes no difference to schools you put down.

Suggest looking at St Matthew’s - better progress 8 than any of the others (not checked all of them, but it is well above average so definitely better than Leigh, JR, Tallis…)

Thanks so much for all this - super helpful. I didn’t know that about the number of kids forecast to drop and it would potentially be helpful for us as we’re starting this thinking a few years off in case of more dramatic decisions! We’ve got a boy and a girl. Open-minded about single sex though we’d prefer co-ed - and def not keen on Catholic if we can help it.

Private would be doable but tight in the same way that when we had two in full-time private nursery it was doable but tight. We’d probably be more inclined to swallow the stamp duty etc costs and relocate if it came to it - though a whole other question is where we’d relocate too. Interesting to hear you know people who’ve moved for Leigh Academy - that would obviously be much less dramatic for us than a move, say, down into Bromley, which feels like a much more radical lifestyle/ cultural change (possibly unfairly!)

If you were thinking of private then I would highly recommend Colfe’s.

You don't say how old your DC are. If you do move, you will need to be in your new address in the October of Yr6 in order for it to 'count'. As I say, house prices have shot up a lot (think £100k+) around Leigh Academy recently. Also as you know they sit a banding test so catchments are a bit harder to predict.

Greenwich is a very large, diverse borough with a wide social demographic so all secondary schools are going to have their challenges. Many schools also have large numbers of pupils with SEN and EAL so it's not surprising that their academic results aren't always stellar.
I do know parents who have made the decision not to go private - especially given the recent VAT rise - and use the money for tutors instead.

It's also quite common for parents to move out to Kent around Yr4/5 so their kids will be in catchment for grammars. Greenwich secondaries do suffer from being on the borders of grammar schools in that many of the 'brightest' kids get taken out/go private - so again that skews the results of state options.