Advice on state seconaries in Richmond.

[amidaiwish]

Just a concern re state secondaries in Richmond ... many of my friends are now leaving the area in droves, down to Winchester/Farnham or downgrading to get some money out to invest so they can afford to go private. It seems everyone has a plan B they are starting to put into action to avoid the state sector in Richmond.

Are the secondaries really so bad?

I know Teddington School is good but it has a tight feeder system so unless you are in a linked primary, no chance. What if you are in Hampton/Twickenham end of Richmond borough? Is the only real option HCC?

Thoughts please...

Orleans Park is a good school too - friends' children go there, and seem to do well. I think Archdeacon feed into there I think and they are at the Twickenham Green end of Twickenham. But again, it is tight to get into.

In Hampton lots of the children go to Thamesmead in Shepperton - although that's mainly to take up one of the performing arts/music places. Otherwise there's Waldegrave if you have a girl - but last year you needed to be in Hampton Hill, above Holly Road to get a place - when places were initially offered (not sure what the movement was subsequently). Otherwise, it's HCC - if you go to church regularly, there's also a couple of good church schools in Isleworth (my niece goes to the Green School and is happy there). We opted out and are going private, although (at only 1.5 miles away) we are just out of the initial Waldegrave catchment area.

DDs two best mates from primary have gone to Waldegrave and are very happy indeed as are their parents. Single sex education wasn't for us, but they love it.

thanks - i know Waldegrave is good but it is such a lottery whether you can get in or not isn't it. we have 2 girls and our neighbours go to waldegrave so you never know...

Orleans we are too far from (we are on twickenham/teddington border). am just wondering whether i should also be panicking (or saving hard!)

there's a map in the Richmond Council Offices in Twickenham (ones next to Waitrose) that shows you where the initial offers of places were for Waldegrave last year - you could see if your road is on it??

Have you considered Grey Court?

thanks londongirl1

is that in Ham MsDav?

yup Grey Court is in Ham - I know someone who sends her kids there and she seems pleased with it

Christs School is excellent - oldest DD went there until a year ago when we moved out of London.

Hi Where abouts in RUT are you and which primary are they at. RUT has a link school system. Most Teddington schools link to Teddington. St Mary's Archdeacon and St Stephens link to Orleans. Trafalgar, did link to Teddington but as of last year it seems they are trying to link it to Whitton soon to become twickenham academy and Stanley did link to Teddington but rumour has it they are moving this link to HCC. I heard this via the grapevine so dont take it as read. HCC and Whitton are to become academies this Sept. So if you have young kids you have time to see how this works out. Whitton are supposed to be getting a new head who has completly turned around a Bristol school. John Cabot school?

Yes, its in Ham easily reached from Richmond by bus. DD is there and is doing really well, am pretty pleased with the school. they seem to do well in encouraging the acdemically able children and good at supporting the less academic children.

If it is of interest, I know someone who lied about their address to ge the DC inot GreyCourt so sounds as if it is sought after to that extent.

They are at St.James. No link school at all... eek. seems the kids often go out of catchment to other catholic schools- Gumley/St Marks/St Pauls in sunbury, or to Waldegrave or go private. last year the 90 children when to about 19 different schools.

mebaasmum, we are in strawberry hill. closest secondaries are Teddington or Waldegrave.

but i was asking as much for my friends in hampton, children go to Carlisle, and they are now leaving the area due to the lack of decent secondaries.

we will likely be going private for secondary - don't want an all girls school, and unlikely to get into orleans park. not chancing on either of the 2 new academies for the area. it's pretty shite actually.

MrsGuyofGuisbourne: That is very interesting and shows how much GC has turned around since Maggie Bailey became Head there. Only a few years ago it had a pretty crap reputation for both behaviour and academic results. She has sorted both of those out and has taken a much needed hard line with both issues.

Greycourt and Orleans both have ups and downs. THink Greycoourt currently on an 'up'.

Waldegrave is meant to be great - my sister went there and know lots of people who went there/have dds there. If you're in Strawberry hill you should get in?

Would not send my dds to HCC.

Hi From St James's I believe you have no hope of Teddington or Orleans All the places are taken by people at link schools. But Most girls move on to Gumley and some go to Waldegrave. I believe st Marks is now really difficult to get into from Twickenham if you want mixed. Waldegrave should be no problem from Strawberry hill and its not linked to any primary.If kids are at Carrisle. Your friends have a few years still to wait and see what happens to HCC as an academy . Aparently only about a third from hampton Hill Juniors move onto HCC. There is a fair chance girls from the Twickeham end of Hampton Hill could get into Waldegrave. As someone else said the LEA will give you last years distances. Waldegrave is supposed to be a good school. If they are commited church goers they could try Gumley (Catholic,) Green School C of E or Bishop Wand in Sunbury Cof E. Or as someone else said if musical Thames Mead in shepperton. FWIW I believe Grey court and Christs are both oversubscibed too now.

DS1 got a place at Grey Court last year and we are miles away from Ham in Mortlake - it was our 4th choice on the application form.

The Grey Court head is very impressive and in fact the current head of Shene School talks a good talk. Shene is due to become an academy from next year, but local parents at linked schools are not embracing it as yet!

so we might be ok with Waldegrave, but my friend isn't overreacting leaving Hampton from those options. they are not religious at all.

will just have to sit tight and wait and see. maybe start saving too... thanks for all your comments, very insightful.

hana, just out of interest what privates are you looking at?

yes at Hampton Hill Juniors 29 out of 77 went to HCC last year and 16 went to Waldegrave (who would've been the children living in Fulwell or Hampton Hill proper.) Are you Catholic? If so wouldn't Gumley also be a good option as well as Waldegrave .

Incidentally re privates my DD goes to Surbiton High and she/we really like it - but is expensive, especially if you have more than one dd ;). If I had two dds and it was worth my while moving closer to Waldegrave, I would be very tempted!

MY DC1 is in her second year at Shene and loving it - lots of change and improvements there.

From Mona Adams, Community Governor, Shene School

According to the US President and our own David Cameron, change is the
life blood of progress. Obama is already doing it doing it and Cameron
is convinced that his Conservative government, given the chance, will do
it, come May 7. Change is in the air. But change doesn't happen
overnight. It takes time to do - and it sometimes takes time for
outsiders to absorb. Over the last two years Shene School has changed

• academically, pastorally, behaviourally. We are now one of the

nation's top 26 most improved schools and, this year, the Borough's top for enhancement. Our exam results are up by 14% and our local primary Headteachers applaud our achievements. Diana Johnson, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools wrote to us recently 'I would like to thank and congratulate you and everyone at your school for the commitment, hard work and persistence that has led to the positive and encouraging GCSE results that you achieved in 2009'. Shene School, 2010 version? That's Change, with a capital 'C'. Come and see for yourself what's already been done and what we have planned for the future. Our pupils will definitely change your mind about their school

• even, we feel, someone as ill-informed and out of touch as 'Willow'.

And be proud to do so.