Is SE5 good/safe for families?

[Spooner]

Hi

We are about to go for a house just off Shenley Road but were originally planning to move to Peckham Rye or East Dulwich. We have 2 babies and now need to think about schools and child safety. Are we mad going for Camberwell (we are aware of it certainly once having a bad reputation) or is it now a good enough area for families? We would have been quite happy for a bit of edginess pre-babies but now need to be rather more sensible with our precious cargo! Any advice much appreciated. Many thanks

[Emily]

A nice area for families I think, and some great primaries. Secondaries a problem though.

[dollydaydream]

I would try and stick with East Dulwich and Peckham Rye as your first choices, have you thought of Forest Hill,

in a few years you have to choose your options for primary schools and are there any you prefer, and senior school options are even a worse nightmare, do your homework first and if you are truly satisfied go ahead.

[new mother]

I'd stick where the secondary schools are acceptable to you. OTOH, I personally hate the waste of energy and stamp duty that is moving! Some people like moving house though...

[taper]

Your local primary will be Lyndhurst, which is a match for any school in SE22. The area is really excellent for families.

[Ruth_Baldock]

Hi, we live off camberwell church St with our 14 month old with no plans to move when baby 2 arrives in July. We've found it brilliant- close to Peckham pulse and close enough to dulwich for all the baby things we go to- even thigh there are things in se5 too. Safety never been a problem for us and cafes etc baby friendly.

[echo]

there are lots and lots of families in se5. We live in myatts fields and i love it- the park is lovely and we are close to a tube..

Although it feels more inner city than suburbia- some areas can 'feel' unsafe at night and the schools are a real mixture....

i'd love to have lyndhurst- but we probably live too far away. There seems to be a lot of faith schools and the academy type of primary schools which are run by 'charities. These schools are high achieving according to their stat results. However, I really want a good community school- i'm hoping that comber grove se5 will be the one for us??

[kittysailing]

Shh dont tell everyone this area shenley/crofton/talfourd/denman/lyndhurst was described to me as 'the toastrack' by an estate agent - great for familes with Warwick Gardens, the villa and bellenden at one end and the new gallery cafe at the other. 5 minutes to Peckham Pulse 15 minutes to Lordship Lane, Goose Green and Peckham Rye. Very well connected bus and train wise. Feels like even though you have kids you haven't completely given up your own life .. cocktails at funkey monkey anyone...

[Ondine]

Hop on the 171 and you're at the South Bank in 20 mins

[new mother]

Kitty, the Wandsworth toastrack houses come in at around 2.95 mm pounds so that was a nice thing for the agent to have said! It is amazing how the ED Forum draws in people from all over, incidentally. There is a woman from CAnada who posts regularly and many girls from Surrey who used to live in ED and cannot kick the habit!

[Rhubarb&Custard]

You have absolutely nothing to worry about!

The area you are thinking of moving to is a really friendly community for those with children. It's got a nice, creative feel to the place, and house-wise (size, architecture etc) the area is a little more interesting than other areas IMO (you'll find that people around here like being that little bit different).

Warwick Gardens playground is a great place to meet others with children - and you will soon find that your social network will grow quickly and easily. We have lived here for nearly 10 years, with and without children, and have never had any problems re: children's safety etc. As for schools, you'd be pushed to find anywhere better than highly regarded Lyndhurst School in either ED or Peckham Rye: and being safely within the catchment area you'll have none of the 'getting a place' stress that seems to be such an issue in ED / SE15. Also there is the utterly wonderful Villa Nursery and School (where people come from ED and even as far as Nunhead to attend). If you are intending to say here up until secondary level then a lot of children here go to Haberdasher Askes (some have also got places at The Charter and Kingsdale): the children in our road (who we all know very well) have done very well at primary, secondary and further education. Not a black-spot at all.

And as someone else has mentioned on this tread, you really will be in the perfect place for getting about. East Dulwich is walkable, as is Bellenden. And at least you have both Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye station to choose from.

So do forget all the usual cliche talk, and sharp intake of breath re: Camberwell. Go for it.

[James Barber]

Camberwell Pool reopens after lots of renovations 28 February.

Lyndhurst School is having ?5m spent modernising it.

Butterfly Tennis club.

South London Gallery.

Clearly its not East Dulwich but Camberwell also has lots going for it.

[chantelle]

I live not far away and would say it's a very nice area for families.

however you should do your research on the schools if you plan to stay for primary. Longest distance taken at Lyndhurst last year was 485 meters and I'm pretty sure Shenley is going to be further than that. Oliver Goldsmith is probably closer.

Both of those schools have Stage 2 results below the Southwark and national averages. The Ofsteds are also not fabulously encouraging, but as everyone says, you have to visit the schools and develop your own opinions.

Also, Villa is extremely oversubscribed and wouldn't even take babies on their waiting list last I heard.

I also don't see how many children in SE5 are going to be getting into Haberdasher Aske for secondary, though the previous poster seems to have more firsthand experience. The furthest admission last year was less than 1km and the school is more than 3.2km from SE5. (though the school uses a banding system for things like music and sports ability not solely based on distance from school.)

[Rhubarb&Custard]

In response to chantelle - from first hand experience: children on Shenley Road, Crofton Rd, and Bushey Hill Rd were offered / given places at Lyndhurst in 2010.

[abijames]

I agree with Kittysailing. Absolutely love living in SE5. Much easier to get into Central London.

[dollydaydream]

Haberdasher Aske has now got a feeder school and for the rest of us it seems to be pot luck whether you get in or not.

[chantelle]

R&C - that's good to know, but it just confuses me more if Southwark publishes these lists of furthest distance that don't seem to be accurate then.

[Spooner]

Thanks so much for so many helpful comments. It has made us feel much better about the idea and I hope I haven't offended anyone with having these concerns in the first place! I was aware that I am beginning to sound like my mother for being worried! From your responses it sounds like there is quite a community spirit around the area as well which is always a huge bonus.

The schools admissions sounds so confusing as Chantelle is right about Shenley, Crofton etc being further away than the published distance the last child to get a place in the current school year lived from Lyndhurst. Any further insight would be great as our house purchase is quite based on being near a 'good' school re Ofsted.

Thanks for your advice once again.

[Rhubarb&Custard]

Hi Spooner

I have PM'd you with further insight / reassurance.

[kittysailing]

Myself and a couple of local mums are talking about setting up an 'outdoor playgroup' once a month at the wooden circle in Warwick Gardens. We plan to hold the first one on Thursday April 14th from 2pm. Would anyone be interested in coming? Or indeed in helping to organise things? We were thinking of taking lots of picnic blankets, a box of toys, some flasks of tea, a picnic, some bunting and some toddlers! I've go the go-ahead from the council. All welcome!

[Rhubarb&Custard]

Brilliant idea! Have sent you a message.

[Alec John Moore]

Before we moved to ED 5.5 years ago we lived on Linnell Road. All our three kids went to Lyndhurst and we liked it so much that when we moved to ED we kept them at Lyndhurst. It's a bit of a pain doing the school run on the bus with two scooters, 2 book bags and 2 lunch bags, as well as the kids. But, we had parents evening yesterday and that just confirmed that we are doing the right thing by keeping our kids at Lyndhurst. The "modernisation" of the school is to accommodate an increased intake and it will be disruptive but it should be all over in the next couple of years.