South London / Lewisham / Southwark school choices

[TooBusyByHalf]

Hey everyone. Just did a search and found tons of people chatting about secondary school choices around here in 2010/11/12 but no-one this year! Is everyone still head in the sand? or have we all made our minds up already, 3 weeks before the deadline...
Anyone have any personal recent experience of Sydenham Girls? If we don't get our top choice(s) it looks like the most realistic chance for us, but I've never met anyone who goes there...
How would you compare it to Bacon's college?
Anyone considering Deptford Green this year? we couldn't really fathom it having no library, but in other ways it seems to be getting back on track after the disastrous ofsted this year...
Anyone been to a Kingsdale music scholarship test - is it like the one at Aske's?
How bad does your choice have to be before you go private??!

[Dibbleofficer]

I liked the Sydenham Girls head very much.

[TooBusyByHalf]

Thanks Dibbleofficer, I was quite impressed too. Do you know anyone there?

[maxtrue]

I have a dd at Sydenham yr9 now and we love the school, was chatting to another mum recently who "outed" me on here! and we agreed that we never hear negative comments about the school.
What I can say is that the school deals with any issues very promptly and with any sec sch there will be issues!
There is a lot of support for girls struggling and also a very much girls can do anything attitude which is inspiring. Found some of the teaching in yr8 average but now my dd is completely stretched which she is happy with.
happy to discuss via pm if you like