What schools are in your catchment area?

[Rach]

Hello

How do you know what schools are best for you to apply for? I live in SE15 (although feels like East Dulwich - only one street away from that postcode). Is it all down to postcodes or actual 'as the crow fly's location'?

A tad confused. Thanks, Rachel.

[The Nappy Lady]

As the crow flies Rachel.

What are your closest schools & what road do you live in?

[gwod]

I think that actually measured by shortest "safe walking route"

[Rach]

Thanks, have spent the afternoon looking at post-codes as we've just moved - I'm thinking of my old address so have twigged that I'm not going to get into any of the ones in East Dulwich. Now live on Lyndhurst Grove - behind Warwick Gardens and the ones I know of are Lyndhurst Grove and Bessemer Grange - however, there are loads in Peckham that we probably fall into the catchment for but are pretty lousy.

[pk]

anyone any idea as to where i could get some stats on distances from schools for recent intakes?

[snss75]

Rach, we live on Lyndhurst Way and our closest school is Bellenden. My son went to nursery there and now started reception and he's been very happy there. I guess it depends on which part of Lyndhurst Grove you on but Dog Kennel Hill might be quite close to you as well? Do a search by your postcode on http://schoolsfinder.direct.gov.uk/.

[Hollybush]

There is Bellenden Primary too. IUse this map: http://map.lgfl.org.uk/eAdmissions/Default.aspx

Amazingly the application online form process that you have to use for SOuthwark is actually quite whizzy and links to this map so that you can click and add the schools to your application.

Then when you find the schools, head over to ofsted to read the reports, if you want to. I've looked at a few locally and found they are mainly 'satisfactory', Lyndhurst is 'good'.

[Fuschia]

gwod Wrote:

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> I think that actually measured by shortest "safe

> walking route"

Not any more

[pripolla]

Anyone living on Barry Rd, Peckham Rye end? Which school did you get into?

[snss75]

Rach, out of the schools nearby you/us, Bellenden Primary, Oliver Goldsmith & Lyndhurst are all rated good by Ofsted. Dog Kennel Hill is rated satisfactory. Bellenden is lovely & small and I can definitely recommend it. I got really frustrated in trying to deal with Lyndhurst's office staff but that's just me... Oliver Goldsmith is huge but a friend of mine is a teacher there and says it's a nice school. If I was you I'd see what the closest schools are on the direct gov site and look at the close ones if possible. Don't try to get into the ED schools as there is a very little chance of getting a place in them from where you live.

[chantelle]

snss75- it's nice to hear good things about Bellenden, since that is our nearest school by far. Can I ask how you went about applying for nursery there? Do I just call in or is there a formal process?

[prdarling]

pripolla

I know someone who lives at the PR end of Barry Rd and this year they got into Heber, but that may have ben due to the bulge?

[snss75]

chantelle, I don't think there is a very formal process, at least wasn't previously, I applied directly to the school. Just call the office (020 7732 7107) and ask to speak to the nursery teacher, her name is Eunice Zeffertt, she's really lovely. :)

[The Nappy Lady]

Chantelle - to get into any school nursery you call at the school office and get an application form.

To apply to get your child into the actual school you have to apply on line within a certain time period, but nursery is different. Getting into nursery does not guarantee a place in the school (just FYI).

Most children get 3 terms (i.e. 1 school year) in nursery prior to starting in reception. You sometimes get longer, depending on birth date, whether the school does a staggered intake (January and September, or just September), and also simply how popular it is. Places at nursery are allocated according to DOB, and then those who already have a sibling in the school. For example, I thought my youngest daughter would go to nursery in January 2012, when she will be 3 and 4 months, but the school my eldest goes to is switching to a single intake in August, so she will now be very unlikely to start until August 2012 when she will be 6 weeks off turn 4 (and more than ready to go I'm sure).

Hope I haven't missed anything, pretty sure that is all correct info.

[taper]

Kids on Lyndhurst Grove tend to go to Lyndhurst Primary. And most seem to love it.

[Rhubarb&Custard]

Rach - do know that this year's new school intake children who live on Lyndhurst Grove (those without siblings at the school) only got into Lyndhurst Primary through the clearing process. It's not a given living on Lyndhurst Grove that you get in (e.g. it depends at which end you live) - so best look at all the schools in the area (I hear really good things about Bellenden too). Also had the same personal experience as snss75 with the school. We got so fed up we didn't bother with them in the end.

[chantelle]

snss and molly - many thanks for the info. my son is three in July 2011 so imagine he'd start nursery in the following term but we'll see ...

[Fuschia]

chantelle Wrote:

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> snss and molly - many thanks for the info. my son

> is three in July 2011 so imagine he'd start

> nursery in the following term but we'll see ...

In the past he probbaly would have had to wait till the January when some nursery chilren moved to reception, but with one point of entry from next year, it may change... could be sept 2011 or sept 2012!