Relocating - Schools in Maidenhead - help please!

[womblingalong]

Hi all,

I haven't posted for ages, but am worrying myself into a frenzy about moving from Notts to Maidenhead or nearby as my husband has moved there for a new job, and I am jobhunting there too.

We have 2 primary age children, and are looking to rent a house from September, but I am worried about choosing the right area for schools. We have found a house in Bray which I think is in catchment for Holyport, but over 1 mile from Oldfield, which has a better ofsted. How easy is it to get into Oldfield this year? Anyone with experience of either school?

We live in a great area, full of outstanding schools at the moment,and all I see about the school system in Maidenhead is worrying me. I want my children to go to an outstanding school, if at all possible, but we can't afford to live in the most expensive areas.

Any advice gratefully received.

[womblingalong]

Morning, hopeful bump at a better time!

Thanks

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

Give the local authority a ring and find out about in year admissions and which schools have vacancies at the moment.

[EverybodyKnows]

Hi wombling - I'm in M'head.

I'm not sure why are worried the school in M'head, a lot of them are rated as Good or Outstanding apart from a few in, sadly, more deprived pockets of the town.

What age are your children ?

My DD went to an outstanding infant, Boyn Hill Infant School and I would highly recommend it. She now goes to a Junior, All Saints, they are Good ( I think they really didn't struck lucky with their Ofsted as the head mistress is absolutely brilliant and the teaching staff are very good and approachable ) and the community is lovely. Both are CofE. Another great aspect of those is that they have a great wrap around care system comprising of a Breakfast and an After School club.

You also have St-Edmund Campion, which is a Catholic School and also an outstanding school. I'm not sure how easy/difficult it is to get in that one as I think you have to attend the church ?

DSD has a friend who went to Oldfield and she really enjoyed it.Furze Platt is another good area with great schools.

Our oldest is in Newlands Girls' School, which is an outstanding over-subscribed Secondary School.

I don't know much about the schools in Bray as I'm near the Boyn Hill area. Bray is lovely but you might be limited in choice of schools.

I would avoid St-Lukes and Ellington Schools.

In year application have to be dealt directly with schools so you will need to contact them.

PM me if you need more details.

More info on here

HTH

[EverybodyKnows]

Yes- absolutely right tiggy it was different when we moved here as it was prior to 2010.

Just read it ! Sorry

[EverybodyKnows]

Oh well. I'm just glad we're in the system now. Most pleased we got a place a Newlands as it means youngest DD will be most probably allocated a place with the sibling rule. That's if they don't change it !

Cox Green was our second choice of SS - They have massively improved in the last few years and we were impressed with their Arts department. Both DDs are very Artsy/Media type of girls so that was important for us. Newlands has a music recording studio and I think this is fantastic.

[womblingalong]

Thanks for input everyone, we have done a transfer application a few weeks ago and are waiting to hear, we should have had a response last week.

Everybody knows, thanks, that's useful. My dd is 7 almost 8 so yr 4, and my ds is 5 so yr 1

I will check out the links this evening when I am back from work, thanks for your help!

Does anyone know Holyport or Oldfield?

Thanks again.

[EBDTeacher]

Oldfield has a great local reputation and you did have to live incredibly close to get in. However, they are expanding and it seems to be causing some ructions. Last I read it was up in the air whether they would have Infants on the current site and a new site for Juniors or have both Infants and Juniors on two sites- so effectively two federated schools or to try to squeese a school double the size into the current site. I think they are trying to get their hands on the bildings of what was the Winbury Prep school in Bray, no idea if that is going ahread or not.

Neither the current parents or staff seem to be pleased about the expansion.

I've heard good things about White Waltham and it might be a bit cheaper to rent there than in Bray?

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

Your DD might be OK for more schools than your DS because the infant class size regs (max 30 in a class) only apply up to Y2. If your DD gets offered a school you really like and your DS doesn't, check if the school gives preference to siblings in its admission criteria. If there is sibling priority then your DS could be pretty much top of the waiting list for the next available place in his yeargroup because his sister is already at the school.

[EverybodyKnows]

True EBD- We were thinking about White Waltham too at the time but chose M'head because of the easy commute for DH and more choice of shops/cinema etc without the prices of Windsor and Marlow

[womblingalong]

Hii all,

Thanks for the extra info.

Had call from DH, apparently get news from LEA tomorrow. Fingers crossed. We loved White Waltham, but have found it impossible to find a house to rent there that we can afford. That is/was our no 1 choice.

Hoping we get them into the same school too. Will keep you posted.

This is all really useful, so thanks again.

Wombling

[womblingalong]

Does anyone have any info about Datchet or Cookham Dean?

Thanks in advance

[EBDTeacher]

I don't really know the schools but Cookham is delicious. I would love to live there.

[womblingalong]

I know EBD, it's lovely isn't it. I think we might be on the waiting list for that school, might find out tomorrow.

[EverybodyKnows]

No idea about Datchet but yes Cookham is lovely. No idea etiher about schools.

[womblingalong]

Rats, our council haven't had a response from wi
Windsor and Maidenhead council, and won't tell us over the phone either!

We have to wait for a letter, and are due to complete the paperwork for the bray property on Friday - aarrrgghhh!

Not sure what do do, we've struggled to find a rental we're happy with that we can (just about) afford.

So stressful!

[EverybodyKnows]

wombling- the Council should speed up the process once you have your house letting sorted out as you will have an official addy in borough ?

It is strange that they wouldn't discuss with you on the phone.

Anyhow, I work near the Town Hall so if you need help, just let me know

[womblingalong]

Crapola, got letter for DS when we got back at 2am this morning, none of the 6 preferences we indicated have got a place available. Not sure what we can do now. Just don't need the stress, and have no idea about DD yet.

This is so worrying.

[bisjolympics]

Cookham has three primary schools - Holy Trinity, Cookham Rise and Cookham Dean. Holy Trinity reputation has gone down in recent years with a change of head and most people I know with dcs there aren't happy. Cookham Rise was fab, head retired, new head rubbish, special measures, temp head, now permanent head and school has improved a lot. People I know at the school are very happy with the head and the way the school is going. Cookham Dean is small and has old buildings but good reputation. Depending on size of school year birth rate it can be ok or completely impossible to get into. I can't put my finger on it but I didn't like the atmosphere. However that was four years ago so it may well have changed.

If I were picking now I would chose Cookham Rise over the other two, which is a very different decision to the one I made 4 years ago.
Oldfield didn't even take everyone in catchment for this Sept.

Alwyn is a very good infant in Maidenhead and feeds into Courthouse, which is a good juniors. Alwyn also takes dcs out of catchment.

[goGBTeacher]

Also would it be worth trying for Dorney or St Nicholas CofE. Don't know if they take DC from out of catchment but the area around St Nicholas is not very densely populated which makes me think they might?

[womblingalong]

Thanks for replying everyone. We applied for Cookham Dean, white Waltham, Bisham, Datchet and Knowl Hill and st Edmund Campion. Not sure what they will offer us now. We are in Holyport catchment I think, so no chance of Oldfield I'd guess.

Thanks for the extra detail about the process Tiggytape. That's a good idea re Dorney and st Nicholas goGBteacher.

The waiting game is nerve wracking!

[bisjolympics]

Here is the allocation info for 2012/2013. Knowl Hill has space according to this (I think that is because it isn't a very good school).

If you are practising Catholics then St Edmund Campion and St Mary's may be your best bet.