Primary Schools in East Dulwich

[oggers]

Hello all,

I'd be grateful for anyone's experiences/views of the primary schools in East Dulwich. Am considering moving to the area from outside London and have a 2 year old daughter who will clearly need educating.

Cheers,

Andy

[Dulwich_ Park_ Fairy]

Heber School is probably the best at the moment, they have a young, really dynamic headteacher who has brought about a lot of improvement over the last 4 or so years.

[DaveR]

A source of much debate amongst ED parents with pre-school kids

I know people with kids at, or due to go to, the following schools, where the feedback is generally very good:

Goodrich, Dog Kennel Hill, St Johns & St Clements

I went to look at Dog Kennel when it seemed likely my daughter might go there, and I was pretty impressed - it struck me as being very well run, and the kids were well-behaved and seemed to like being there.

I have heard mixed reports about Heber and Goose Green, but there certainly seems to be a consensus that they are both a lot better than they used to be and likely to keep improving.

The Dulwich Village schools (C of E infant school and Dulwich Hamlet Junior) are fantastically popular

If you can bear the hassle, I guess you need to book some school visits at rhe same time as property viewings - good luck!

[Nero]

Goodrich used to be the one to go for. They have a new headteacher who is younger than the previous one and I have heard good things about her from a neighbour who is involved in teh school. Be prepared to pay for houses nearby! Nero

[jim_the_chin]

we chose Heber last year after visiting it - we actually moved ot the area to get in goodrich but when we visited both we preferred Heber. It was failing back in 2002 and m/c parents were staying away, but thats all changed now.

It lacks a bit of funds in places but the kids in the classes reflect the neighbourhood mix and the parents are a great bunch.

i reckon all the schools are much of a muchness now, the last one i heard bad things about was goose green, but that was 18 months to 2 years ago and could well have changed now.

[ed_pete]

Dulwich Infants and the Hamlet are both excellent schools and my children have been/are very happy there. The Infants changed its entrance policy a few years back and unless you're a regular church goer are unlikely to get in unless you live very close (not likely if you consider yourself an East Dulwich resident). The Hamlet (years 3 to 6) is non-denominational and probably easier to get into, depending on how far away you live. The only other school I feel qualified to comment upon is Dog Kennel Hill to which friends of mine send/have sent their children and in their opinion it's a very good school.

[oggers]

Thanks everyone for the input. In reality I guess its pretty much a lottery as presume all are oversubscribed - but good to hear that most seem to be good/improving.

After 35 non-church going years I can't bring myself to go that route.

Thanks again

[tiddles]

hi. My kids are are Dog kennel hill - fantastic and very happy, however I have noticed that ALL the local ED primaries are now very highly rated. there used to be a bit of Goodrich versus Heber which is now redundant - Heber is very highly rated. St Johns was the church going option, however I have heard a few odd bits about this (but then as a non church goer, perhaps my receptors were a tad too receptive??) Lyndhurst (more camberwell way) is excellent. They only one I can't comment on is Bellenden buts thats just my lack of knowledge. As far as I can tell, the primaries are all fab - its the secondaries where it all goes pear shaped!!

[Oglandia]

About half the places at St Johns and St Clemments are for non faith local children.A few years ago this wasn't the case and resulted in a very unseemly boost in church attendance.

Fortunately for those who are not prepared to fake it on moral grounds, non religious parents can now potentially get their kids into this nice mixed school.

[chichirara]

You can look further up the hill at Fairlawn great primary. My children went there I cant praise it enou. Check catchment areasgh

[capt_birdseye]

My eldest daughter will be starting school in a couple of years, so we're booked in to visit some of the local ones. We read the last Ofsted report for Heber (2005) which suggested that the school was vastly improving, but there were concerns over the level of teaching in Years 1-2. Obviously the report is now a couple of years out of date and feedback I've heard locally and on this forum is very favourable towards the school. At the back of my mind though is a nagging concern about these entry classes.

Two years is a long time in the life of a school though, so I would like to know if there are there any parents out there who currently have children in, or recently out of, these years at Heber who would be able to pass comment for me?

Thanks in advance.

[Muttley]

We're sending ours to Heber starting in Jan, so will experience Yr 1 next year. Were really impressed by the head, and the general feel of the school - liked it more than Dulwich Infants, in fact. Teachers come and go, so what was great two years ago can suddenly get much worse, and vice versa. But a key factor with Heber and other local schools is the changing demographics. Heber used to be a 'sink' school and locals avoided it where they could. Now, helped by the SE22 baby boom, it is in demand, and it is attracting parents who have a much stronger interest in the running of the school. And the vibe of the school(especially the head) means it will tend to attract better teachers, too. I gather there were one or two very poor teachers who left, or were eased out, in the last couple of years.

I'm excited at the prospect of being involved with a smallish school that is 'on the up' rather than one that is trading off a past reputation.

[kford]

Good for you not doing the church thing, oggers.

[Keef]

Quite right! No problem with people going to church, but to go just to get a school place is disgusting in my opinion!

[Asset]

I agree

[capt_birdseye]

Oglandia's comments date from the beginning of August. Does anyone have comments on my Heber question? Muttley's response was much appreciated.

[chuff]

my kids go to dulwich village infants and we most definitely don't go to church but we do live close. However there are many children from the Glengarry/Tarbert road area that attend the school that are also non church attenders.

there are 90 places for each year that are split between church attenders and local children. It is definitely worth applying for as it is a great school.

Other suggestions are Horniman and Fairlawn if you live around the woodvale/forest hill road area. They are both great schools.

chuff

[poindexter]

Keef Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Quite right! No problem with people going to

> church, but to go just to get a school place is

> disgusting in my opinion!

I'm interested in why you think its disgusting to go to Church just to get a school place. Disgusting is an interesting word to use. If you meant to imply that it might be hypocrytical does that make it disgusting? Or do you feel somehow thats its cheating the church? Which offcourse its not as thats pretty well how they get their money these days. If you mean that it might be taking away places from parents who dont go to church then fair enough. I dont agree with church schools but everyone seems to want to send their kids to them. Most church schools give around 50 % of their places to churchgoers. If thats the case, be a churchgoer, what is the problem?

[Asset]

It is hypocritical to go to church just for a school place.

My son went to Dulwich Village Infants and he was happy there, it is a really nice little school with good facilites and nice teachers. However the 'parish' cachment does not take in much of SE22, and the priority intake is for kids in the parish. Interesting walking past St Barnabus on a Sunday morning just how many people with pre-school kids are flocking there. Call me cynical if you wish 'cos I am.

[DG]

The nursery at Heber is absolutely brilliant.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

"As a reference to the Felix the Cat character, the term "Poindexter" is now applied to people who are overly nerdy, geeky, or bookish." Wikipedia

Dear Poinsettia

Your cynicism does you no credit. How do churches make their money from children [parents] going to a church school? Please tell cos I work for a church and this sounds like a great scam. We must have a belfry or something that needs your funds (cheques made to Peckhamgatecrasher/Barbados Fund please).

[Ganapati]

Seriously though, don't "regualr" church goers get annoyed at non-regulars coming in just to kid their children in the school?

[chuff]

We definitely wouldn't have applied if church attendance was compulsory and I would find it difficult to name a parent I know or speak to that attends at all. Maybe it's something people keep to themselves? or maybe there have been less church based applicants over the past few years and the open places have grown.

There is of course the Roman Catholic school on Barry Road, St Anthony's, which I've heard is very good. I would assume that church attendance is essential for admission though.

Out of the E Dulwich schools heber does seem to be the most popular right now, Goodrich is good if your child is average but under/over achievers are not that well catered for (a school governors' own words) and Dog Kennel Hill gets lots of good press from other parents I know.

[Dulwich_ Park_ Fairy]

There is of course the Roman Catholic school on Barry Road, St Anthony's, which I've heard is very good. I would assume that church attendance is essential for admission though.

Out of the E Dulwich schools heber does seem to be the most popular right now, Goodrich is good if your child is average but under/over achievers are not that well catered for (a school governors' own words) and Dog Kennel Hill gets lots of good press from other parents I know.

St Anthony's is a good school but is basically run by a man who belongs more in 1920's Ireland than modern day London. Some of the stories I've heard about his admissions policies are shocking. Goodrich School has a great catchment area and a very strong parents lobby. It is, however, incredibly complacent and the teachers are a bit of a law unto themselves. The school really does underperform and most of the parents I know who have kids there are not that impressed.

[clare]

Most of the parets I know with kids at Goodrich love the school .

On what basis does it "really underperform"

Whar evidence do you have for the school being "incredibly complacent"

"the teachers are a bit of a law unto themselves"

Utter rubbish.

Not helpful at all