SEcondary Schools In London - Anyone happy with theirs?

[BethanG]

Hi

We love the primary school our kids go to (we live in Newham but are looking to move - and partner wants to leave London to find good school but i would like to stay in London and find good happy school!) and would love to know if anyone in any area of London is happy to recommend their secondary school. My eldest is dyslexic and so we like schools to be not just results driven but about happy well rounded kids - it would be lovely to hear about any schools in london that fit this bill!

Thanks
Bethan

I live in Muswell Hill and we are fortunate to have 2 very good secondary schools - Fortismere and Alexandra Park School. Fortismere does better in the league tables but I have heard through the grapevine that the pastoral care at APS is much better. House prices around Fortismere are high. However, the APS cathcment takes in Bounds Green/ Muswell Hill borders where housing is cheaper, albeit not cheap!

Hi, I used to work at Little Ilford school which may be near you. You may have discounted it because of results but it is absolutely a school which is about 'happy well rounded kids'. It has a really great atmosphere and achieves great things taking into account the difficult backgrounds of so many of the students.

Hi, Wren Academy in Finchley is a great school. It is a new school with only two year groups at the moment. Children at the school are not only achieving excellent results but are very happy at the school.

Little Ilford is lovely. qumquat's right.

Thanks so much for that - all really helpful starting points - will get investigating!

Cheers
Bethan

Just read the Ofsted for Little Ilford and am really impressed - thanks for that! We may not even need to move out of borough now:}

Well you could do as the majority of parents who live in Newham and would like a decent secondary school do...move to Redbridge!

The difference in the results can be scary when compared to the choice in Newham.

Having said that however I lived in E7 for 7 yrs and only moved to Redbridge last summer after my eldest was offered a place at a faith secondary. I wasn't expecting a place to be offered so had also considered and chosen schools in Newham.

Little Ilford was one of our choices and I know children from my daughter's year group who are doing well there. Stratford is also seing real improvements again and I have heard good reports about Brampton Manor and to a lesser degree Langdon.

I'd recommend any of the above if you're within catchement.

I also selected the catholic secondaries but I don't know if this in an option for you?

Wren, my first choice school, really small catchment area this year only 0.65 of a mile (we live 0.82 of a mile away!).

Our neighbour goes there and loves it!!

Also in that area is the Compton, my eldest went there (got him in on appeal) as he was dyslexic. Now he's studying for a degree -believe they have very good support staff.

Wren Academy has also just been judged 'outstanding' in its first Ofsted inspection.

Not that Ofsted reports mean a lot! But it's nice to see all the pupils' and teachers' hard work get a pat on the back.

They're opening the final new building next month. Our DD got a tour and says it's amazing. There's a gallery, which apparently makes it dead cool. Can't wait to get a nosey around it.

I have a group of friends whose children are very happy (and doing very well) at schools in South London - Dunraven, Elm Green and Kingsdale. Elm Green is new, Kingsdale picking up very fast after some bad years. All quite close, so you might be able to find somewhere which would give you the reasonable choice of all 3? Cheaper housing than Muswell Hill. You could live in West Dulwich, West Norwood, Tulse Hill or Streatham Hill. Nice parks in the area, too.