Opinions on secondary schools around Orpington

[CreatureBump]

Hello MNs, I'm interested in hearing opinions on secondary schools around Orpington, especially co-ed schools. We might be moving to the area. Year of entry would be 2026. Thank you.

Forgot to say, it’s for a girl, will be doing 11+, and looking at independent schools. So all feedback is of interest.

Bumping for you

Do you mean you she will actually be starting next year? Are you aware that you need to register her for 11+ now and have moved by the autumn to apply for a place?

You have missed the registration for Bexley selection test but the Kent one is open till end of the month. For grammar schools lots of Orpington children travel to near grammars. Newstead Woods is a super selective and their registration is till the end of month as well.

Non grammar it depends which area in orpington you are moving to.
For girls Chislehurst for girls is regarded a good school. Mixed you have Darrick Wood.

Hope this helps

If you are registered for the 11+ some school take on distance criteria for a pass and some offer places to those who do the best. For the Bexley test the top 180 automatically gets their chosen school wherever they live. The Kent super selectives also prioritise really high scorers.
Orpington is great for primary but some areas are tricky for secondary. Darwick Wood is favoured but catchment is small (this year it's bigger than most years but still has a long waiting list).
Coopers is marmite - very friendly but seems a little mediocre on attitude to academics, Harris has great staff but is a 4 form entry in an 8 form site and has a narrow curriculum. They've just introduced banding allegedly to make it a true comp but in reality it allows them to target more than the immediate area around the school. Lots of kids go to Charles Darwin from one side of town. knole Academy is also very popular and has a grammar stream but most get there via their arts aptitude places or in year transfer waiting lists.
For girls Chislehurst school for girlis popular as it has a grammar stream

Yes, that’s all sorted re 11+ application and the move is proceeding. I didn’t want to tempt fate by saying “we are moving” :-)

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.

We weren’t interested in Bexley as it seems difficult to get to the schools from south of Orpington where we will hopefully be living.

Any thoughts on private schools? Chelsfield will be the nearest station.

Thanks

Chelsfield is good for the fast trains to the Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells grammars.
Bromley High is popular for girls. The private mixed Catholic school (Bishops Challenor) has just announced that it is closing. Colfes is very popular. Farringtons is much less academic and there are various rumours about staff happiness and strikes. Still very popular with parents. You really need to go and look around them. Eltham also runs coaches from Orpington

Thanks Lostmysocks. V familiar with the ones you mention in SE London - probably won’t apply for them unless can’t find alternatives.
Will def visit schools of interest but more interested in personal viewpoints at the mo - all the schools seem to employ the same marketing tactics so personal experience (good or bad) much more interesting!
Sevenoaks School seems impressive. Would like to hear from anyone with direct experience.

If you are living near Chelsfield station then it is a good idea to look at schools in the Sevenoaks area.

If your DD is successful in the Kent test (then depending on postcode/catchment area/Kent test score - all this info will be on each school’s admissions criteria) you have Tonbridge Grammar and Weald of Kent (the latter has a Sevenoaks campus) and girls from Chelsfield/Orpington/Bromley definitely attend both these schools.

For independent schools, they are all quite different so you need to look around them to work out what is best for your child. In addition to Sevenoaks School there is Walthamstow Hall (independent girls only) and Radnor House (‘mixed).

If you are living near Chelsfield station then it is a good idea to look at schools in the Sevenoaks area.

If your DD is successful in the Kent test (then depending on postcode/catchment area/Kent test score - all this info will be on each school’s admissions criteria) you have Tonbridge Grammar and Weald of Kent (the latter has a Sevenoaks campus) and girls from Chelsfield/Orpington/Bromley definitely attend both these schools.

For independent schools, they are all quite different so you need to look around them to work out what is best for your child. In addition to Sevenoaks School there is Walthamstow Hall (independent girls only) and Radnor House (mixed).

We only considered independents, but really happy with our choice of Sevenoaks School. The facilities and sports/club offerings are amazing. Happy for you to PM with any specific questions.

Navigating school catchment areas in Orpington can be tricky, so it’s important to be realistic about the 11+ and to have a clear back-up plan. If your fallback is a state co-educational school, it’s essential to live within a reliable catchment. Darrick Wood remains the most sought-after option in Orpington for girls. Other popular alternatives include Knole Academy, Charles Darwin, and Trinity School. Of these, Trinity is particularly well regarded by parents, but as a faith school, admission often requires a priest’s reference.

If you’re considering the independent sector as a back-up, there are several co-educational options: Sevenoaks School, Radnor House, and Farringtons. Sevenoaks is an outstanding school but also extremely competitive—often more selective than many grammar schools—so relying on it as a back-up may not be realistic.

Radnor House is a fantastic and often overlooked choice. It’s less selective (around half of Year 7 intake comes from Radnor Prep), which can make its academic results appear less impressive compared to highly selective schools. Still, it’s a strong, well-rounded option and a great choice as a back-up. Orpington kids catch a school bus from Sevenoaks Road around 7:30am and they arrive at school at 7:50 ready for breakfast.

Farringtons, by contrast, is currently facing challenges, including leadership instability, low staff morale, and academic results that lag behind other local independent schools.

I hope your daughter gets the school she wants! It all works out in the end!

We just enrolled our kids at Farmington's this year and it's been great. I was very apprehensive about all the rumours and the strike but had multiple meetings with them, senior leadership, teachers, everyone and they calmed every nerve and every time I asked for an additional meeting, they were more than happy to see me. It seems a few disgruntled parents and ex-teachers have been smearing negative comments after a negative experience, but honestly, it's a great school. I highly recommend going to see it. It's lovely and I'm so pleased we enrolled our kids there (DD and DS).

@IfYouNeedMeAskYourFather
just wondered if you were still happy with how your kids are doing at farringtons ? We are thinking of enrolling DD there (she’s currently y4) as unhappy at the moment with her current primary

Hi! Yes, we’re VERY happy!! So pleased we moved. Even our kids say they prefer Farringtons over their previous school. They’re thriving. Gutted we didn’t move them earlier, but better late than never I suppose (or that’s what I tell myself to feel better) They just announced they’re taking year 4 to a 2 form entry so the class size will be smaller which I think great. Personally, I don’t think you could go wrong with the move. X

Thanks so much . So pleased it worked out !
can I ask what sizes the class will be ?
and is the boy / girl split fairly even ?
we are going to look round in a couple of weeks

I don’t know the details sorry, my kids go to other years but I’m sure they’ll be happy to go through it with you when you visit. Good luck. Hope it goes well.