Moving to Dulwich

[Mucky72]

Hiya! Am not only new to this forum but to south London too! We are from wet wet Cardiff and since DH has got a job at Kings College we are looking at Dulwich Village as our first option for residence. From what I understand this is a fairly small pocket with only one primary school in the actual village itself. I have two school going kids so need a Reception (DD) and Yr 2 (DS) place when we move next month. I am not familiar with Dulwich at all but have a list of schools in the broad periphery with Dulwich Village Church of England Infant school as #1, followed by other schools in surrounding areas like Norwood west and Forest Hill. The school catchment is obviously the most important factor in renting followed by the area. Would ideally like a safe, green, upmarket locality close to shops and easy public transport. Given that I am looking for an in year admission starting next month, which schools would be easier to get admission to? Also, would like to get some feedback on west Norwood , honours oak, gypsy hill, east and west Dulwich as areas to settle with primary school children.

Thanks muchly!

[tomk]

Which part of cardiff are you moving from?

[Mucky72]

tomk Wrote:

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

> Which part of cardiff are you moving from?

North Cardiff.

[tomk]

DV infants v good and v popular. Don't know how easy it is to get places in-year, but it will be easier than Cardiff as there is more movement. You would want to be as close as possible to the school to go up waiting list.

Re areas, all have pluses and minuses. Depends on your budget. Hard to compare to cardiff but village and south east Dulwich mostly like roath park, se22 areas by goose green and the area called peckham rye (se15) more like pontcanna. West Dulwich more like cyn coed but with Victorian homes. These are gross generalizations of course! Village most expensive. Honor oak and Norwood cheaper than the others, don't know those areas v well but think they're quite pleasant.

[crescent]

If you are renting, then I think you have a bit more flexibility. Dulwich Village is lovely... But with lovely comes a hefty price tag -- while Ofsted reports aren't everything, look at Ivydale school (nunhead, very close to dulwich), Eliot Bank school (edge of forest hill/ Sydenham, 5 minutes in car from dulwich, Fairlawn (forest hill). All of these are close to Horniman museum, parks, good transport links.

You'll get a bigger property than in dulwich village - and there is a degree of movement in schools - 2 children joined my Year 5 DC and 2 children joined my year 3 DC class this year alone-- similar patterns every year they have been at their school.

Good luck!

[Mucky72]

tomk Wrote:

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

> DV infants v good and v popular. Don't know how

> easy it is to get places in-year, but it will be

> easier than Cardiff as there is more movement. You

> would want to be as close as possible to the

> school to go up waiting list.

>

> Re areas, all have pluses and minuses. Depends on

> your budget. Hard to compare to cardiff but

> village and south east Dulwich mostly like roath

> park, se22 areas by goose green and the area

> called peckham rye (se15) more like pontcanna.

> West Dulwich more like cyn coed but with Victorian

> homes. These are gross generalizations of course!

> Village most expensive. Honor oak and Norwood

> cheaper than the others, don't know those areas v

> well but think they're quite pleasant.

Hi tomk,

Thanks for your reply. You seem to know Cardiff well! I see you mentioning a cyncoed, that's where we live at the moment. We will be renting to begin with in London, and it would all depend on the school where we get a place for both the lil ones. Ideally it has to be a relatively easy commute to Kings for DH as medics can get called on all odd hours!! 😟 If we don't find anything around Dulwich and surrounding areas we may even need to consider places like Bromley, Beckenham Park etc. Any idea about these catchment areas?

[Belle]

If you were to aim for somewhere near Lordship Lane then your husband would have access to 3 or 4 buses which all go past the hospital. Central ED is dear though, but would have the advantage of being near quite a few schools. My son is at Goodrich and I know at least one pupil has left his class since starting reception, worth ringing round I'd say to find out about spaces?

[Mucky72]

Hi Crescent,

Thanks for the info! Really appreciate it. I totally agree Ofsted reports aren't everything as one has to have a good feel about the school in general and look at the bigger picture. It's unfortunate we are having to move as my DS just started a great independent school here in Cardiff today!

In terms of areas to live in, what are Sydenham/Forest Hill/Nunhead like? Whilst it's understandable no area can be squeaky clean, some areas tend to be relatively pleasant and incident free than others. Which area do your DC go to school? London schools in all good areas are so heavily oversubscribed, it seems like a Herculean task ahead to find anything decent :)

[tomk]

Not local to cardiff, know it really just at face value. Brom&beck Both suburbs. More like cyn coed (I think) but some way from kings - I'm guessing at a 10-25 minute drive depending on time&traffic.

[Mucky72]

Well any place which is easily commutable by train to Loughborough Jct or Denmark Hill rail stn as those are the two stations for Kings College. I think Brom&Beck might be on the same train line hence a possible option.

[Mucky72]

Belle, TVM!! The more info I find about schools better are the chances of a breakthrough! :)

What's Goodrich like as a school? Is there a lot of movement there due to the school itself or just people moving out of the area? Had read a while ago about a boy being shot in ED, what is it like as an area to live??

Also thx for the info on the buses.

[vez]

Have a look at Honor Oak too! It's in the Forest Hill post code and your husband can catch a train straight into Denmark Hill from Crofton Park. Car journey roughly 20 minutes.

Honor Oak has lots of families and decent primary schools like Dalmain, Stillness, Fairlawn. Decent houses too. Green spaces like Horniman Gardens, One Tree Hill, Blythe Hill etc. high street recently got a Sainsburys too.

[sanity girl]

I think a lot depends on your budget for rent. You could look around Bessemer Grange school, which is between North Dulwich and Denmark Hill and if you got a place round there your husband would be walking distance from Kings. I rent close to North Dulwich station, work just by Denmark Hill (so close to Kings) and my daughter goes to Dulwich Infants. It's a lovely school but be warned renting close by will be very expensive! I have been in our place 5 years so am lucky to have a rent which is just about affordable. You could also look around Camberwell Grove/ Grove Park which would be very close to Kings and near Dog Kennel Hill School.

[sanity girl]

If you can afford this place I would take it in a flash http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-41679313.html Right in the middle of Dulwich Village and very close to Infants school.

[Mucky72]

Thx Vez, we are defo considering Honor Oak...just rang Fairlawn as I had heard good things bout it and they are full (no surprises there!). But will look at the others you mentioned too. In fact rang quite a few but no luck. Ta once again.

[Mucky72]

Hiya Sanitygirl

Dulwich Infants was the first school we rang and looks like they have a vacancy in Yr 2 but no spaces in Reception (guess that's expected!). So bit stuck as even though DS might get a place immediately DD might be stuck forever (even if she is bumped up to no 1 on waiting list!) and has to wait until someone actually leaves Reception. I don't want kids to go to two diff schools particularly since they are moving to a new city and they are fairly close. Note: we already moved once to Crete (Greece) couple of years ago before returning back home to Cardiff so quite a lot of displacement for the kids already. I saw the link and loved the place and would take it in a flash however can't really so that with current situation of ou one finding a place in Dulwich Primary ☺️

[BeccaL]

As Goodrich is 3-form entry it might be more likely to have spaces in reception as well as higher up school. Am biased as daughter is there, but she loves it and is doing really well. TBH most local schools are pretty good, but all catchment areas (on paper at least) for the early years/reception are pretty small. As said earlier there's plenty of movement. Also worth considering with Dulwich Infants that application to the junior school is a separate thing so if your son is in yr 2 he'd be moving schools at beginning of yr 3, if you got a place there... One of the few schools locally where this is necessary (I think). Feel free to DM if any questions about Goodrich.

[sanity girl]

Have you tried Bessemer Grange? Well placed between Dulwich and Denmark Hill and has had good feedback from parents on here

[Lochie]

Hi Mucky72, I moved to Beckenham about 8 months ago and my parents live about a 5 min drive from KCH in Herne Hill. I regularly drive from Beckenham to their house and it would take about 20 mins without traffic (in case you are thinking of call outs in night), 30 mins with traffic.

Lots of great schools in Beckenham, we are renting a nice house in Balgowan School catchment which is lovely. Also Highfield in Bromley and Clare House in Beckenham have fantastic reputations. If you live Penge end of Beckenham there are 2 buses that stop right outside of KCH (though unsure how long journey would take, probably 40 mins in traffic).

When looking for schools I was also looking around the Herne Hill/ W Dulwich area, not just Beckenham, and would strongly recommend Rosendale School, about a 10 min walk from Dulwich Village. Jessops School in Herne Hill(that area is just a short walk across Ruskin Park to KCH) also got an outstanding ofsted report last year.

Good luck!

[Belle]

We're really happy with Goodrich - it's a big school, but if you were to visit you'd see they manage the size pretty well, and my son has settled in very easily there. He also went to the nursery so we'd put it as our first choice and were really happy. The people I'm thinking of who moved did so for practical reasons (offered a school much nearer to their home). AS someone else says, all schools round here have a pretty good reputation, it's just getting in that's the issue, and as you say it will probably be harder at reception level. But places do surely come up due to people moving. I wonder if St Johns and St Clements also has spaces? I know people were being offered places in the summer there which implied they weren't full, but perhaps they are now - not sure if anyone here is on the PTA and can advise?

[sillywoman]

Mucky, if you've got one going into year 2 then they will only be at DVI for a year as it's only an infant school. Next year they will move up to - probably - Dulwich Hamlet Junior school. A completely separate school so they won't be in the same school as their younger sibling anyway.

If the village (DVI & DHJS) schools are they way you are leaning then it's probably worth taking a punt on getting a reception place for your youngest. At that age some months out of school is no big deal, especially if you've just moved halfway across the country, and the movement rate at DVI (as with most London schools) is fairly active.

Dulwich Village is expensive (vaairy naice houses), but it has the added advantage of being walking distance from KCH - could do it in 20 minutes at a fast lick, more like 30 at my ambling pace.

[Mucky72]

Sanity Girl- No I haven't but getting lots of feedback about this school. Will defo give it a shot. Thx!

[Mucky72]

Hi sillywoman- I see what you are saying about taking a punt on the younger sibling. But to be honest I would rather they both go to the same school when we are in a new area. Currently both kids are going to two diff schools as DS didn't get a place in DD's school (which was my first choice) and hence had to move him to an independent school here in Cardiff (St Johns College) as I wasn't too keen on the school allocated to him by the council. So school runs are a nightmare for me everyday. It would certainly be easier for me if they are both in the same school even if it's for a year.

Belle- I rang Goodrich today but was told they aren't allowed to give out info on vacancies and I needed to go via the council, so that's what I have to do unless a kind and helpful mum like yourself can be a star and find out for me if they have vacancies currently in Reception and Yr 2 (sometimes staff are more forthcoming to parents than outsiders!)

I shall check out St Johns and St Clements too.

Lochie- Yes we definitely haven't ruled out Beckenham/ Bromley- hearing good things about those areas although tbh I wanted to stay a bit closer to Southwark/Lambeth regions - just gives me more of a living in London feel (am I being daft I wonder ;-) Will check out the schools you suggested.

Thank you all for the suggestions/ low down on schools and areas. It's not looking that daunting anymore! :) one question - what are connections to central London like from all these areas?

[lillyanginger]

Have a look at Herne Hill. Very close to the hospital and excellent connections to central London. Also it has a new primary school, the "Judith Kerr' primary school. Best of luck!!

[El Pibe]

I'd look at Camberwell Grove, grove park, ivanhoe, Avondale, Bellenden sort of area.

A stonesthrow from Kings and very nice, and you'll get more for your cash than the village (plus much closer).

Herne Hill also lovely, much improved with pedestrianisation and market.

There's a lovely place going on the rental market on Champion Hill, 5 minutes walk from Kings, 100 yards from Dog Kennel Hill school, in a few weeks *notes possible conflict of interest*