Ballerina208

You must do what is right for your child, for your family and only you know what that is. Not all children do well in highly competitive selective schools, not all children do well in comprehensive schools. I don't know if you are in the catchment area for Forest Hill Boys, boys do well there, the sixth form is mixed with Sydenham Girls and they do well too. Good luck with your choosing

I have 4 children, the boys went to Wilson's and the girls to Newstead Woods. The journey is straightforward and easy for both schools, Forest Hill for Wilson's and Penge East for Newstead. They made great friends on the train with girls and boys from different year groups and schools. They tended to leave the house between 7.20 and 7.40 and get home between 4.20 and 4.45pm. Getting up early is just what they did in term time. I don't think it matters how long a journey is, what matters more is how complicated it is, one train to school and a walk is really okay for secondary school children, a complicated journey involving several buses, trains and walking perhaps not. there are very few children who would not cope with the journey, I grew up in Suffolk and everyone had to travel some distance to secondary school and long walks to primary school for that matter, it's all a part of growing up. Good luck with your secondary transfer, if the school feels right to you and your child then the journey is just a means to getting there!

Best Indian south of the river: Babur, best coffee shop St David's Forest Hill, the coffee is amazing, the food is also never disappointing, too few tables which makes it all the better when you get one. Avoid the Garden Cafe, mediocre food and the service is beyond bad

I've been doing this since the end of November, my husband (who is not remotely overweight but a health fanatic) and two of my children are also doing it, The youngest has lost over a stone, not sure how much weight I've lost but my muffin is no longer a muffin. We're fish eating vegetarians so on a fast day we tend to eat fish with steamed veg and sometimes potatoes, boiled eggs are low in calories as are poached eggs, we skip breakfast and lunch and have dinner earlier to compensate. We drink lots and lots of water, espresso and herbal teas throughout the day. Usually not too difficult though the extreme weather over the past few days has made it hard, my body seems to need doughnuts! Another good thing, my daughter's skin is looking beautiful, almost spot free and she has loads of energy too.