Moving to Dulwich

[Gubodge]

I'd be very surprised if Goodrich didn't have a space in Yr2, although reception might be trickier, but that's likely to be the same at every local school. I would have thought DVI would have been one of the least likely to have a reception vacancy, though. According to the Southwark Admissions Guide it had the highest number of applicants for any primary school in Southwark last year. I imagine that a good number of the unsuccesful ones would have remained on the waiting list to take up places as they become available. The same would probably apply to Fairlawn/Horniman.

I think your best option would be to contact the relevant LAs (Southwark, Lewisham, Bromley...) to find out which schools might be able to accomodate you and take it from there.

[DVnewbie]

Hello,

Good luck with the move! We live in the village and totally love it. Moved here just over 2 years ago for schools. Both my children go to Dulwich Village Infants (DVI) and I cannot rate it highly enough. We're close enough that we should be easily able to get into the Hamlet for year 3.

We tend to go 'out' in the evenings more in East Dulwich/Peckham Rye but the village is really leafy and family-friendly for daytime.

If you decide to move to Dulwich Village, Bessemer Grange is supposed to be really good now and definitely consider Judith Kerr. There are a large number of children there who have no German family members but the parents have decided it's great to be able to offer them the chance to learn another language well while young.

However, places do come up in Reception/at the start of year 1 at DVI. People do move (over the summer holidays especially)...

Good luck with the move!

[Mucky72]

Hi DVNewbie, Gubodge, lillyanginger and others

Spent the whole of yesterday and today speaking to all the different schools and councils and it's not looking good :(

Basically southwark council adm team is all through a call centre who can't provide any information on school vacancies so I have been given an email to contact council in year admission directly, which I did and got an automated response!

This is the situation so far: spoke to the lewisham council and got the info below

Eliot Bank- Full

Fairlawn- full

Dalmain- full

Stillness- full

Horniman- full

St Savior- full

Dog kennel- Full

Lyndhurst- Full

Kilmorie - has a place in reception but none for yr 2 (we would be no 4 on waiting list with the top one being a sibling one)

Jessops has a place in reception but none in year 2 (no waiting list currently on yr 2 however if no one leaves in yr 2 I still won't get a place even if I am top of the list!)

St johns & st Clements - no places in reception

The only school which has vacancies in both year 2 (1) and reception (8- slightly worrying?!) is St Michaels. Does anyone know anything about this school? Had a quick gander about this school but not sure if I fancied the neighbourhood at all! Sydenham can have some very dodgy sides!! And the OFsted report didn't seem all that promising.

Still waiting to hear from a few others like Goodrich, Goose Green.

DV infant school - Reception waiting list is currently at 78! So even if DS is offered a place in yr 2, DD may not even get a place due to the sibling criteria because by July unlikely she will get a place and after that DS will have to change schools and go to Hamlet Junior so not sure if DV is an option anymore.

So looking like we may have no option but to explore places further away like beckenham, chiselhurst, bromley, bickley? Any feedback on good schools in these areas- I know of Highfield, Clare House, Raglands Primary, Hayes, Bickley Primary, Scott's Park, St Nicholas but only by name and suggestions. Tubbendale seems to be very popular amongst some although OFsted score was only 2/5 a few years ago.

This is turning out to be tougher than I thought! :(

[sanity girl]

Gosh I don't envy you your situation! Have you tried the new Judith Kerr School and Bessemer Grange? I have friends who moved their daughters to Judith Kerr this year for year 2 and they are both happy with it.

[devsdev]

Some others in HOP/FH which may be worth looking into even while you look further out are:

St. William of York (Catholic, good reports)

St. Francesca Cabrini (Catholic, good reports)

Beecroft in Brockley/Crofton Park (completely redone school building etc., very popular in the area)

Have you looked at all the schools in the Herne Hill area?

[Lochie]

Unicorn school and Marian Vian in Beckenham also have good reps and not on your list so maybe worth trying...

[kittysailing]

If you want to go private with either or both The Villa on Lynhurst Grove has spaces in both years

[Townleygreen]

Balgowan in Beckenham is good but you're too far away.

[Elfy]

My son goes to Rosendale in West Dulwich/Herne Hill. It's big (3 forms) so there is a fair amount of movement. He's had 4 new children in his class since he started and he's in Year 1. It's an excellent school - (Grade 1 Ofsted). Might be worth checking out.

[scareyt]

I would definitely look at Bessemer Grange and renting in North Dulwich. Being walking distance to work is such a bonus.

[Mucky72]

Hi Scareyt

There aren't any places in Bessemer Grange. Am seriously considering Bickley and Petts Wood now. Lot of good schools around there I find. Bickley Primary and Crofton have been reccommended by a friend.

[snowboarder]

What about Langbourne primary? That was one of the few schools that wasn't oversubscribed I think? I don't know bickley but I now live just south of Orpington - I'm pretty sure schools like Crofton (which I don't think is the best primary in Orpington, but is big) was oversubscribed for reception at the start of the year - all schools were!

Sorry I realise that's not super helpful - in a way maybe you should just choose an area you like (like east Dulwich) that has a fairly high concentration of options with maybe a place in yr 2 and then hope it all works out?

[sillywoman]

We used to live in Bickley - it's a long way from Camberwell.

[Mucky72]

Hi Snowboarder,

Is Langbourne the same as Dulwich Wood Primary? If so I spoke to the school and they seem to have spaces for both DC! However I know a nothing about this school or area. So any feedback would be highly appreciated. Particularly since Dulwich was my first preference as an area rather than Bromley which is pretty but far but then I may not have a choice and I would choose a good school far away than a not so great school closeby but then that's just me.

Elfy- No luck with Rosendale :( Expected I suppose from a good school.

Townleygreen- I spoke to Balgowan. They are full in Rec and I was told one family in Yr 2 is moving end of the month but I am not sure if there is a waiting list or not already. I will have to doublecheck this with Bromley Council.

The other school which has 2 spaces is Oaklands Primary in Biggin Hill. Does anyone know anything about this school or area please?

Thanks!!!

[Mucky72]

Snowboarder- Just read a review/ Report of Langbourne Primary. OMG! I can see why it is not oversubscribed :)

[snowboarder]

Hi - yes it possibly is the same - I don't know it at all but there was much talk on here about it when the reception offers came out last year - do a search. I really wouldn't bother with Biggin Hill! It's really far out and god knows how you get to Kings from there! All schools in the south east are oversubscribed it seems - they are where we are south of Orpington and I know they are in Sevenoaks - so further out does not necessarily equate to spaces in schools.

Good luck - what a nightmare! Are you able to come down and have a look round places? I think it's only once you're here with an address that you can really speak sensibly to the schools...they may for instance have a waiting list but for reception that may include children that didn't get their first choice in september but who now might not actually move if a place came up....possibly!

[snowboarder]

ps - yes, re langbourne, but apparently it's on the up!

[EDmummy]

Hi Mucky72, have you ever been to Dulwich/East Dulwich? I would highly recommend you visit the area and get a feel for the distances to your husband's place of work. Getting from somewhere 3-5 miles away to Kings is a very diferent proposition than it may be in Wales. Traffic is much, much heavier and everywhere takes twice as long to get to. Most schools you have mentioned are good. And, if you find an area you like, it's likely to contain like-minded parents who support their local school (whatever the Ofsted report says - see Heber). You also have an very large choice of private schools in the Dulwich area which I'm not sure you are considering.

Good luck.

[Mucky72]

Hi EDMummy

DH would be taking public transport to Kings. Heber seems like a good school, will give it a shot too. I did visit Dulwich many years ago when a friend of mine lived there, seemed nice enough at that time.

Tried Wandsworth council today and basically they sent only 5 schools in the clapham area which had vacancies in both yr 2 and Rec. Needless to say I wouldn't consider any of those on their list!

DC are both going to two great schools in Cardiff and in case we don't find the school of our choice DC and I might stay on until we find a decent school in London, esp since we have already paid until Easter for the Independent school here (St Johns College).

Also called Judith Kerr (no spaces in Rec, 1 in Yr 2), Beecroft and Scott's Park neither of whom had vacancies.

Ah well the search continues...

[Mucky72]

Well looks like all good schools are full up and I can't really afford to take up a place in one school with the hope that sibling will ultimately get a place.

It really is a chicken and egg situation for us and unfortunately neither schools not councils can understand our situation that we are far away in Cardiff and can't really provide an address because we don't even know which school will have two vacancies.

As far as I can see there shouldn't be application deadlines for mid year transfers so essentially we can try and get a place around a school which will have two spaces for our DC. But every school and council wants us to apply with proof of address. What I cannot understand is if there are vacancies in a school can't I provide a temporary London address and then once I get a space (which shouldn't be difficult for school or council if there are spaces) then I can look for a house and provide proof of address.

Am I missing something here?

Also, since many of the councils overlap in case of particular schools (Southwark and Lambeth for example) can I apply for diff schools in diff councils either under same form

Or a separate form? It's all getting a bit confusing.

If I am already applying as a mid year transfer right now, do I need to fill in an application form for Sept again in order to meet the Jan deadline?

Our biggest dilemma seems to be not finding a decent school and therefore not being able to rent a place. We are completely undecided on area because of all the good schools being full. And councils will joy accept application forms without providing proof of address!

None of the councils other than Bromley are being very helpful. Southwark is impossible to get through within the 2-5 pm window. I got a list of 5 school names with two spaces from Wandsworth council and I think the less said about these schools the better :)

[bluesuperted]

Kilmorie in Forest Hill (lovely area, cheaper than ED) is a great school, very popular locally, and has 3-form intake so more chance of a space. They also had a bulge last year so may have reception places already. A great community school and lovely properties of lots of sizes and styles in the local, very residential streets.

[Mucky72]

Hello Bluesuperted

I tried Kilmorie and they are full :(

[simonethebeaver]

The problem with giving a temporary address is that you will not be getting offered a place directly (as you've already realised) but be added to a waiting list, certainly for your YR child. The waiting list operates on admissions criteria so your distance from the school is crucial. If you rent a permanent home right next to a school, you're likely to be top of the waiting list and have a good chance of a place when someone leaves. Further away, you'll be further down the waiting list.

The cruel truth is you're looking for school places in a severe over-subscribed area where children are being sent across the borough to less 'desirable' schools because of the lack of places. Finding a place for your younger child in this environment at this point in the school year is a major challenge, as there will be still be people on the waiting lists who are very keen to get their child into a 'better'/closer school than they have been allocated.

[Mucky72]

In which case I am wondering if it makes any sense to displace the kids at the moment when they are both going to two very good schools here. Might just be an option to wait until July and apply for Sep placements. That way they finish their whole year here. 😁Confused.com!!

[ZGaze]

How about Langbourne Primary School - recently renamed Dulwich Wood Primary School? I've visited it several times as part of the round of visit for Sept 2014 reception entry and have been impressed. A new head, lots of money being thrown at it and one of the biggest sites of any school around here. Historically undersubscribed so a good chance of getting a place especially if you live in Gipsy Hill / Crystal Palace (both lovely with very easy access to Kings).