Advice please! Primary Schools - Oval/Kennington/Vauxhall (South London)

[Ovaltines]

I am in the process of moving to Oval, to the house my DH bought before we married. We have lived abroad since our marriage but are now returning to the UK, luckily before the primary school application forms are due (my DS will start in reception next year). However, as I haven't lived in Oval until now the decisions involved in the school application process are proving tricky.

I have been to visit nine local schools. The four I liked the best are:

Reay,
St Anne's Vauxhall,
Keyworth,
Ashmole.

I would welcome learning of any 'real' experiences of these schools, from parents or neighbours, as it is hard to know what the school will actually be like for my DS from just one visit. I would be interested to know how they help children at both ends of the ability range.

Any thoughts both negative and positive would be appreciated...

[IceTheChristmasKateMumsnet]

Test.

[Levantine]

I knew two families with children at reay who were very happy with it but no experience of the others I'm afraid

[CarlingBlackMabel]

I know families with children at Reay and at Ashmole. Both very happy, with children who are mostly high achieving, musical or sporty. They do have tiny catchments.

[Ovaltines]

Thanks very much for sharing this info. I do appreciate it.

[GateGipsy]

Are you not in the area for Crawford? I do know that's an excellent primary now, it's up and coming - it has a new management team and head teacher, rapid change in pupil expectations, and new building work. Been to visit and it is lovely.

[Ovaltines]

I've just had a look and we're quite a way from Crawford. Thank you for the tip though.

[pancakesfortea]

Coming a bit late to this but my kids are at Herbert Morrison which is absolutely lovely. You might be too far away, but together with St Stephen's and Wyvil they have an amazing music programme. Worth looking depending on which bit of Oval you're in.

I've also heard great things about Ashmole and about Archbishop Sumner. To be honest, the only local school I've heard anything negative about is Henry Fawcett who went through a very disrupted patch a few years ago (I won't go into it but you can google it if you're interested). Even that, though, is a few years ago, and you don't hear the same grumblings now.

Basically we're very lucky. There are lots of great schools round here, and they're very different. I chose HM over Wyvil because it's very small (Wyvil is quite big) and it felt a bit more like my own primary school. It also had loads of outdoor space. I avoided St Stephen's because of the church thing, but that's very personal.

Best thing to do is go with your instincts - and check out last year's admission distances.