School catchment areas

[Syddders]

We are edging closer to the time when we need to apply for primary schools for our kids. We live on the south side of Sydenham high street and seems like we’d struggle to get into any local school based on the most recent catchment area data from 2017 (with the possible exception of Adamsrill).

Curious what others have done in the same situation? Particularly those living in our local streets (Homecroft, Venner, Tannsfeld, Newlands, Byne, Girton, etc.)

Thanks

[angela53]

I live in Byne and my son automatically went to Alexandra infants and Alexandra junior school in Cator Road
He was selected for St Olave`s at 13 ears old following a test

Many of my neighbours children were also selected for St Olave`s and Newstead Wood at that time

Things may have changed since then

[Pally]

You have a range of Penge options including the 2 Harris Primary Schools. One opposite Alexandra Infants and one in near Penge Homebase. Adamsrill seems quite a distance for you! There is also St Johns in Maple Rd Penge.

[monkeyarms]

I live around there and worried about the same thing, but when I went to the open days I felt a lot more positive about it.

A lot of the kids around the area you mention go to St Barts (where ours goes). As it's a CofE school it doesn't register on the catchments map but in practice it has a reasonable catchment area. There are loads of kids on many of the roads off Venner Road down to Newlands Park who go there for instance.

Kelvin Grove probably too far catchment-wise, but worth a visit; seemed nice.

Adamsrill does, as you mention, have a large catchment area. I liked it when I went round at open day; friends have kids that go there who are very happy with it. Bit of a trek, obviously, but then so would Alexandra be in the first few years.

Harris Crystal Palace could well be within your catchment area this year; I liked it on an open-day visit. They struck me as a bit warmer and friendlier and I got a nice vibe from the place. Harris Kent House also might just about be within yr catchment area; I thought it was impressive at open day but felt a bit strict and results-focused.

It's not impossible you might get a place at Alexandra, so if that really is your favourite there's no harm in sticking it down as first choice.


Only local school I really didn't like much was St John's on Maple Road.

But don't take my word for it: you really do need to go to the open days and trust your instincts.

Don't forget that catchment areas vary a lot year to year: there might just have been a lot of siblings at a given school in any one year (who are prioritised a place). Don't forget that schools offer places without any knowledge of priority, so that means you can put your favourite as first choice however unlikely it is you will be offered it: you will be still be safe in the knowledge that a nearby-and-more-likely school will still offer you a place if they have one even if it's your 3rd, 4th or 5th choice. Make sure you use all your choices.

[Sydenham Syd]

We are edging closer to the time when we need to apply for primary schools for our kids. We live on the south side of Sydenham high street and seems like we’d struggle to get into any local school based on the most recent catchment area data from 2017 (with the possible exception of Adamsrill).

Curious what others have done in the same situation? Particularly those living in our local streets (Homecroft, Venner, Tannsfeld, Newlands, Byne, Girton, etc.)

Thanks

Our Lady and St P Neri is a lovely school. You really need to be Catholic, but just a suggestion.

[Jollylolly]

Agree it’s a good school. You don’t HAVE to be Catholic though, but obviously happy for your child to say prayers daily/go to church with the school from time to time.

[Syddders]

Thanks for your advice everyone, particularly the in-depth response from Monkeyarms. We’ll go to open days soon and check them out.

[JGD]

Noticed one crucial piece of advice that has not been mentioned.

On the application, ensure you fill ALL the boxes of the candidate schools you choose.

Do not leave any blank, even on an mistaken assumption that you think you are demonstrating that your first or second etc choices are the only ones that you will consider. There is a possibility the allocation process will then dump you in a school you have not selected if there are no slots available in your top choices.

Best of luck.

[Parkrunner]

I guess it depends whether you are closer to the Sydenham or Penge end of those roads, but there are quite a few children from those roads at Kelvin Grove - with three-form entry it has quite a large catchment.

Also, each year at least one or two local schools take a bulge class to accommodate increased numbers across the borough. It's never known before applications close which schools it will be so it's always worth putting down a school you like even if you think it's a touch too far away.

The schools have no knowledge of where in your six preferences you ranked them - whether or not they offer you a place is based purely on distance. The ranking comes into play when the council has the responses back from all the schools you applied to - it will give you your highest ranked school that offered you a place. So say your 2nd, 3rd and 5th choices all offered you the a place, you would get your 2nd and the place your child had at 3 and 5 will go back into the pot and be offered to the first child on the respective waiting lists of 3 and 5.

You can equally choose to remain on the waiting list of your choices higher than the school you were offered (but not those lower) and you may still get offered a place as it all shakes out. There's a lot of movement literally right up until the first day of term in September.

Good luck!