state secondary schools?

[safesurfer]

my children go to their local state primary school (and as discussed on this forum many many times, all the local primary's are good). My question is, what to do when they reach secondary school age - are there in fact, any good state secondaries in this area and if so where? I have searched these archives with no success, does it come down to either paying for private or moving? Surely not. Various anecdotal answers range from "we're moving to the country" to " lets keep our fingers crossed they might build a new school soon" Perhaps parent power will do for a secondary what it did for certain local primary's and turn themselves around in just a couple of years . Although this is all a few years off yet I'd welcome any info/experiences. cheers.

[Keef]

Hi, there are some old threads HERE, HERE and HERE.

One of the best, but most highly subscribed is Aske's, and their Knights Academy is doing well too. Knights excels in sport, and Aske's in music. The music teacher there is incredible!

[safesurfer]

thanks very much keef.

[cdonline]

1 went to Aske's, as well as my Sister, though my Mum spent months going to and calling the school before we finally got places.

I was on the bus home a few weeks ago and in front of me was a chap disucssing how he is going to get his child in to the school of his choice. He seemed willing to do anything and his schemes were getting more and more extravagent and wilder.

It's a long time since I was at school and it seemed then that perseverence, even after the first term started.

Having said that, my mediocre O and A levels don't really attest to the reputation the school has.

[falcao]

The school of life.

[Keef]

I too went to Aske's, but if is a different school now. It is fully mixed, and I think the old Girls school is now the lower school, and the boys is upper school and 6th form.

[Debi]

As mentioned on those previous threads, our eldest is at Kingsdale in Year 8 and is doing wonderfully well there. Our youngest is in Year 5 at Goodrich and when we come to decision time later this year, we won't even look elsewhere. We're just grateful that he will get an automatic place at Kingsdale as a sibling.

It's fast approaching the point where, if you don't put Kingsdale top of your list, you risk not getting a place. It's certainly about time the school got the recognition it so richly deserves!

[BARA]

Aske's is so popular that there are only a 100 places for over 2000 applicants. Tried to get my daughter in there 12 years ago when there were only 1000 applicants for 100 places. Ended up with Sydenham Girls - very happy with this school, both daughters went onto University ( one for Psychology other for teaching). As said in previous links, if the girls want to do well and can ignore the disruptive element in the school, the teachers give alot of respect and time to those who genuinely want to study and improve.

Only decent boys school is St. Thomas Apostle, but Kingsdale is popular and on the up.

[Keef]

Don't know anything about it really, but do know blokes frm Dulwich who went to London Nautical.

[Scruffy Mummy]

Akse's was mentioned in the Guardian today on a piece about over-subscribed schools and the head reckoned he would need 3,000 extra places to meet local demand - so don't get your hopes up about Askes!

I've heard Bacon's College in Rotherhithe is good and it did well in the league tables. Charter has good things said about it and Kingsdale seems like it's made big improvements.

[KalamityKel]

I'm in agreement wiv Kingsdale - Their music department was always very strong but now it's even stronge. They have a new music block wiv loads of good sized practise rooms (compared 3 tiny ones in the old block), good size teaching rooms and also space/facilities for a recording studio. Sorry I know I'm biased but hey wot can I say?! ;-) The rest of the building offers wonderful stuff too :))

[Debi]

The great thing about Kingsdale is that it's far more than just the fab building and facilities that make it the excellent school that it has become. (Won't keep repeating myself here - see those previous threads for all the things the school has going for it.)

We couldn't be happier about our decision to send our children there.

[KalamityKel]

*sighs* I miss that place sometimes

[Carrie]

You really need to go an see the schools in question to decide whether they are right for your children. Before we went to see the schools we had been swept along on the whole "Askes is best" wave and were sure we would put that top of the list. When we actually went to see the schools Charter stood out as being far and away the best for our children- they are now in year 9 and doing extremely well - but it wouldn't be the right school for every child.

[Debi]

Absolutely! As soon as our son walked into Kingsdale's atrium he said it was the school for him, but it wouldn't necessarily suit everyone.

Check out allof them and make your own decision.

[philiphenslowe]

I went to St Ursula's Convent in Greenwich and it was fab! As there are/were no decent state secondary schools in Dulwich my primary class of 30 from St Anthony's ended up going to 15 different secondary schools

[katietatie]

I would second Philiphenslowe in giving yourself the option of out of borough schools. I work in a secondary school in Greenwich, and although I wouldn't necessarily recommend my own, there are lots of very good schools which are an easy bus ride away.

[James]

I now feel like an expert on this as my son has been sitting a whole load of tests for selective and private schools. You can check performance (and Ofsted) reports of each school by borough on the BBC website (type "schools league tables" into the search box).

Obviously these figures are to be taken with a pinch of salt as they often tell you more about a the socio-economic background of a school's intake than what it "does with them." However they also score schools by "contextual value added."

In my opinion a bright kid will still thrive in an average school like, say Forest Hill Boys. However I believe that the failing schools are definitely to be avoided. If your local school(s) perform significatly below average I would suggest going private - try a scholarship or bursary. Haberdashers is reportedly fantastic but, as has been mentioned, is officially the most over-subscribed comprehensive in the country.

[Jennys]

there is an interesting article in the Observer today ((Cash section of the business bit, it may be on line also) about school admission policies and how to appeal.