Primary Schools Brighton

[jai38]

Hi

We are looking to compelte our school selection this week and are based just off the Lewes Road so have looked at Coombe Road, St. Martins and Fairlight all of which would suit my son fine. But we have just moved to the area so I wondered if anyone had an opinion on parent involvment at the three. I want school to be a social thing for his as well (and for us) and not just somewhere to drop him off.

I am just worried as Coombe Road mentioned that they lose and gain quite a few students each year due to the unversity.

We moved from Kemp Town and are missing the community there but I dont' want to keep going back to Queens Park if you know what i mean.

Anyway any opinions gratfully received.

[evensunnierdelight]

We lived in the area for ten years and DS1 went to Elm Grove. I know it's personal opinion, but I would never have sent my kids to either Fairlight or Coombe Road. If you look at the admissions statistics there are always plenty of spare places in both which, as I'm sure you know, is pretty unusual for Brighton. Both of them are schools that are offered when the more popular schools in the area are full and people tend to move on when they get offered a place at a school of choice. I found the limited space at Fairlight depressing, and a years of looking at the behaviour of both kids and parents coming to/leaving school didn't inspire me to send my child there.

I know people who sent their kids to St. Martin's and were happy with it but obviously you need to fit their own church school criteria. I appreciate you won't get into the schools around Queen's Park now you've moved - have you looked at Down's Infants? If you're on that side of the Lewes Road you might get a place there.

[jai38]

Thanks for the reply - out of interest how long ago was that.

We will never get into Elm Grove - 90 requests 60 places and Downs is also oversubscribed so I need to choose in a educated manner nad not just cross my fingers I think.

I fould Fairlight quite spacious compared to the cluttered look of Elm Groves and the playgrounds were similar and they both use the patch

[evensunnierdelight]

We moved to Sydney in 2007.

Interesting what you say about Fairlight - I always thought it only had the concrete quad in the middle of the buildings but I only went there a few times. I was also pretty irretrievably put off it when my friend's child in the nursery class walked out of the school one day and was found trying to cross the Lewes Road by herself. The person who found her brought her home and when my distraught friend phoned the school they hadn't even realised she was missing!

Have you thought about St. Bartholomews off London Road? Another church one I know but it's supposed to be a nice little school. We actually took DS1 out of Elm Grove in Y5 as I felt it had become a victim of it's own success (they totally missed the fact that he is dyslexic) and sent him to Lewes New School; I was the one really missing my mates from Elm Grove though - I still keep in touch with some of the mums I met in reception all those years ago!