Bromley -Beckenham-Twickenham- teddington...where? Which one?

[MagicMN]

We live in croydon. Our DS goes to catholic primary school. We will move to a different area for the secondary school. We are inclined to prefer the above areas. Can anyone give me any opinion on how secondary schools are there, which area is the best, which schools (catholic or non-catholic, it doesnt matter), any view on grammar schools welcome....tell me just everything you know! :)

Thanks!

[MagicMN]

Any ideas or comment please?

[MLP]

The only area of those that I know fairly well is Twickenham, where there is an excellent girls' comp - Waldegrave. It has historically been only up to GCSEs but will also be doing A-Levels in the future. There is also an ongoing discussion at Richmond council re a potential Roman Catholic secondary school, probably based in Twickenham. That is still under discussion and there is an alternative lobby proposing a non-religious school (Turing House) instead.

There are no grammars in Twickenham/Richmond. The closest are the Tiffin schools in Kingston, which are virtually impossible to get in to.

There are loads of private schools in the area but that may not be what you were considering.

[confusedperson]

Ha, OP, are you me? I am also in Croydon, my DS goes to a catholic primary, and I am also looking to move for a secondary. Ideally I would like for DS to remain in the same primary until secondary, so we are looking to move as clsoe as possible. If DS was baptised 1 year, so we are still looking around for a non-catholic secondary for a "safe" option. Have you found anything yet?

[Copthallresident]

MagicMN Your DS might struggle to gain admission to Waldegrave I have lived in Bromley and Beckenham, and still have friends there, but have steadily moved west drawn mainly by the benefit of river and parks, twee high streets with plenty of period housing. We didn't have children when we moved here though, it might have been a different decision.

House prices are cheaper in Bromley and Beckenham. You get substantially more for your money. You also have access to a number of selective state schools. Friends DCs typically sat Orpington , Sidcup schools and Eltham Schools?? and it was not as with Tiffin a case of only genius's need apply, nor was there the extensive tutoring culture? I am not sure about non selectives or Catholic Schools, it is not first hand experience. However I do not get the impression it is quite such a trauma as it can be over here.

The subject of secondary education over here is a subject of much parental angst, there has been a long running debate about schools on here New Schools for Richmond 4 is a continuation of the 3000 posts on 1,2 and 3! There is a huge culture of tutoring for private schools and the state Grammar School in Kingston, Tiffin Boys, which has a huge number of applicants who have to get a stratospheric mark to get a place. Some of the comps here are outstanding and all are improving. For boys Twickenham is served by Orleans Park and Teddington by Teddington School in the former category, both are heavily over subscribed. Twickenham Academy is improving and expected to be oversubscribed in the next couple of years. Many parents in Twickenham are very concerned about a future shortage of state school places because the good primary schools in the area have attracted ever more parents (with a consequent effect on house prices and availability) primary schools have added ever more classes and there are many more pupils in primaries than places in secondary's. A Judicial review just failed to challenge the Councils decision to give a site in Central Twickenham for an exclusive Catholic School St Richard Reynolds. It will start out sharing the site, in pretty crummy accommodation, with the adult education college, pending extensive building work , and Catholic parents expect that initially it will fill up mainly with Catholic children not happy with their options south of the borough whilst most Catholics in Catholic Primary Schools in the Borough will continue to do all they need (quite a commitment) to gain places at established out of borough schools for boys like Oratory and Gunnersbury, a difficutish journey but one many feel justified by their reputations. Turing House School is a parent led Free School Proposal which originally specified the Clifden Road site but is now hoping for a site in Teddington, but with a Twickenham catchment. It was refused for funding to open in 2013 but has high hopes for 2014.

Many of the parents that I have known as a result of my DDs have moved away because of the secondary school situation, some of them to Kent.................

[AngelEyes46]

Magic - would you not consider John Fisher (Sutton) or St Joseph's College (Croydon) as catholic. Bromley - what about Langley Boys?

[wineoclocktimeyet]

There are some very good secondary schools in Bromley: Darrick Wood, Hayes, Langley, Ravenswood to name but a few but the catchment areas are small - some less than a mile. There are no grammar schools in the borough, but there are in Bexley and Kent and a number of Bromley children sit the 11+s and go to those (including my son next year!). St Olaves is the boys super selective (but very competitive to get in).
If you are looking at private, Bishop's Challanor is a private Catholic school in Shortlands.

[Ihatemytoes]

St Olave's in Bromley is a grammer school.

[wineoclocktimeyet]

Sort of, ihatemytoes but I think its generally known as a super selective as it has its own entrance exam rather than a generic 11+ exam.

[dobby2001]

You havn't specified if you are looking at private but if so I would second Bishop Challoner.

[Chottie]

Bromley Schools have a good name, the following are oversubscribed
Hayes (mixed) Langley Girls, Langley Boys. Ravenswood is another school which has really improved recently. Catchment areas are very small, so choose your property carefully.

[thewhistler]

St Olave's recruits from a huge catchment area so tutoring is essential. Many catholic children from the borough go out of borough to go to catholic schools, including the oratory and, somewhat fewer, to the vaughan. But those are also heavily oversubscribed.

The comps are generally good and the less good have been largely taken over by the Harris academy chain, so the catchment areas of the non Harris ones are becoming a little less pressurized.

[MaverickAuthor]

Why not try Trinity or Whitgift in Croydon - both good schools and offer lots of bursaries and scholarships through the Whitgift foundation. Our DS at St Olaves and hates it - not the school it once was.