West London secondary schools.

[New2this1]

Hi,

I am currently moving to the borough and have been looking at schools for my daughters in year admissions. It can’t be a school who has a ridiculously long waiting list.

I am considering Holland Park or Paddington academy. Does anyone have any good insight of these schools or recommend any other schools? My daughter is a high achiever so I want a good school where she will learn and the behaviour is great. My youngest daughter has ASD so it would also be a school that would accommodate her needs as well.

thanks

Which year is she going to go into? It might be a case of which schools have places tbh. Apols I don’t know the schools or how likely places are to come up, tho London sees more movement than some areas.

Do both the schools you mention have a space?

Thanks for your response. Yes - they have space, she is currently in year 8 however, my youngest is in year 6 so I am also choosing a school for her too.
We have come from Broxbourne so not familiar with the local London schools. We are looking at schools in RBKC and Westminster.

I live in this area and am currently looking at secondary schools as child is in year 6. Paddington Academy gets excellent gcse and A level results, but has a reputation for being super-strict, so it depends on whether you think your child would cope in that environment. No advice on Holland Park I’m afraid. If your child is a girl you may also want to consider St Marylebone (recently rated the second best non-selective school in the country according to the Telegraph).

Hiya,

yes - I wanted Marylebone but my daughter refuses to go to an all girls school.
they have a long waiting list and when I asked for some information were very dismissive on the phone.

Do you recommend any other schools?

It’s a pretty good area for comprehensive schools. Greycoat Hospital gets good results but no use if she won’t consider all girls. St George’s in Maida Vale has a much better reputation than it used to, and are less strict than they used to be about being a practising Catholic. Kensington Aldridge Academy is also worth looking at - their GCSE and A level results were excellent this year.

I don’t know much about KAA, but the results seem good. Do you know anything more about the school?
I am close to All saints catholic college which seems good also but we aren’t catholic and I don’t want to waste applying if it’s impossible to get into.

Try All Saints if you like the look of it. It takes non-Catholics.

There is also Westminster Academy, on Harrow Road. Any opinions / feedback / experiences on that school please?

I know about KAA and I think it’s amazing. They have a lot of support and provide laptops and time out passes for students who need them. I’ve found them to be amazing for my child who had a mental health issues.

They are firm and fair as well so I support when my child gets a detention as they tend to back it up with a real reason.

You wouldn’t need to be Catholic tbh with all saints , catchment is also important .

im originally from Hertfordshire near from where you have moved from so i can sympathise with the school situation- it’s so different to Herts!

We appear to be in similar areas now but my daughter is about to be offered a place in March for sept 7 year. We applied for Marylebone, grey coats hospital school, sacred heart, lady Margaret’s.

these are all girls schools so no much help for you!

mixed schools in Herts are different to mixed schools in London. If I was still in herts my daughter would have gone to a mixed school. It’s just different here and I wasn’t keen.

you could look at schools like twyford (including Ada Lovelace as sister school). Holland Park I didn’t like as the vibe was off for me, KAA I didn’t look but it appears to be improving a lot…

Sorry just realised this is an old post! What school
did you end up with?!