where do Villa schoolchildren go when they leave?

[oimissus]

starting to properly think about primary for Miss Oi starting school next year. We could just about afford the Villa (where she's at nursery) for the 3 years, but after that? Where do children go on to - do they stay private (Dulwich schools I guess) or go into state? Is there a better chance of getting into the state primary you would like at aged 7 rather than 4?

Be interested to know what Villa parents have done! (I only know one and they have stayed private which I don't think we can afford.)

[Saila]

I guess people either move out of town, or they aim for The Hamlet

.... or they crawl into a corner and cry

[Mrs TP]

Or maybe they embrace the state sector and realise it is not such a big scary world after all and that there are plenty of parents who just want good stuff for their children too who manage rather well in state schools.

Is there much difference between the Villa and other local private nursery provision charges and academic attainment age 4 - err no.

[number 2]

Speaking as a member of the teaching staff of a school (which isn't the village!) parents are generally very, very happy with the education they get at our school after leaving the villa. There are some extremely good schools in the area.

[kittysailing]

Get a grip Saila! Just had a tour round Goose Green - knocked spots of the Villa in terms of passion, leadership and ambition. I know which school my money ( or not as the case may be ) would be on.

[Saila]

KS - I was teasing.

Fwiw We don't go to the villa and we will be 'going state' as they say (not Hamlet!)

[kittysailing]

DH said you were joking! Apologies. The schools thing is such a hot potato!

[minder]

oimissus - I think the only state primary school which has an entrance at age 7 is Dulwich Hamlet. So unless you live right on their doorstep (pardon the expression) then you would have to look at Reception at age 4/5 at a state school near to you.

I've often wondered why Dulwich Hamlet has this entrance at age 7 while every other state school in Southwark and surrounding areas have the normal Reception age entrance.

[Ondine]

We did the Villa and then Lyndhurst, which was great for my 2.

[Piaf]

Interested by this thread as we are in same boat with my older daughter going to school next year having been at the Villa. We moved here from north London in part as the state schools are much better. We are very near DKH and might also get in Lyndhurst (on a very good day) and possibly also Goose Green.

The problem is I love the Villa and like Oimissus could afford it til 7 but then you are stuck and it hadn't hit me that you couldn't then go state - more affordable and more in accordance with my beliefs. I also worried that once you did private for even the first two years it would be hard on the child to then move to bigger class sizes etc

Does anyone do Villa to 7 then state Is this possible/advisable and thoUghts on DKH?

Thanks

Jude x

[Ondine]

You can apply to any state school in year 3, not just Dulwich Hamlet. Mine joined Lyndhurst at 7

[sillywoman]

But you have to cross your fingers that any state school will have a place free for your child in year 3 (or whatever year you're applying for). Essentially you're hoping that a child at your chosen school will leave at the end of year 2 (or whichever year) so your child can have their place. Whilst there is some movement at the end of infants, given the increasing press for primary places for children in this area there's no guarantee there will be a place available. It's a gamble - DKH, Lyndhurst, GG - pretty much any school you can name in the area now will be over subscribed I think?

[intexasatthe moment]

Well my experience is dated so probably worthless but others will know .

Primary school population used to be pretty mobile ,indeed Goose Green in it's former life was affected badly ( results wise ) because of this ,with lots of comings and goings . Though I guess this probably affected less popular schools who inevitably had more spaces . But it used to be the case that it was easier to get a place in year 3 than reception . This was certainly true at Goodrich back in the day when it outshone Heber and people were fighting to get in .

There's probably some online statistics one could check that might give you a clue ...Fuschia would probably know if she's not collapsed with trying to sell and buy new property stress .

[katgod]

schools often seem to have a few spaces by the time year 3 comes around. Not so tricky as at reception stage. People come and go and move houses.

[Coach Beth]

Yes, it is easier in year 2 and 3 as people do tend to move around quite abit - friends of mine for example wanted a bigger house and couldn't afford ED prices so moved when children were in year 2. I know at GG we have had children come from the Villa for several years now - I know of three families who have transferred their children from the Villa to GG - usually they come in at year 2 or 3.

[oimissus]

thanks so much everyone, and for PMs, lots of food for thought.

[LondonMix]

Well, the Village Infants school goes to the age where Hamlet picks up so perhaps that was the logic. The catchment for Dulwich Hamlet isn't nearly as tight as most of the schools in ED. For the last several years its been between 700m and 850m which is quite wide by local standards.

minder Wrote:

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

> oimissus - I think the only state primary school

> which has an entrance at age 7 is Dulwich Hamlet.

> So unless you live right on their doorstep (pardon

> the expression) then you would have to look at

> Reception at age 4/5 at a state school near to

> you.

>

> I've often wondered why Dulwich Hamlet has this

> entrance at age 7 while every other state school

> in Southwark and surrounding areas have the normal

> Reception age entrance.

[intexasatthe moment]

It's just an old and unusual situation .

"Infant and junior schools were often separate schools, but the final three decades of the 20th century saw many infant and junior departments coming together as single primary schools. The late 1960s and 1970s saw hundreds of infant schools in Britain abolished in favour of 5-8 or 5-9 first schools, but some of these were abolished in favour of a return to infant schools by the early 1980s and most of them have now followed suit. "

DVIS is a voluntary aided Church school so I imagine that hindered any merging with the junior school .

[Digbina]

The Villa will freely give you this information if you ask them, like I did.

They sent me a neat little chart with all their leavers' destinations for the last five years. Assuming the information is complete and accurate, in those five years, 2 children went from the Villa to state schools and 1 went to an unspecified school out of London. The rest continued with private education. There didn't seem to be much in the way of feeding into a particular school for boys but for girls, Sydenham High took 5 Villa girls in 2013, 2 in 2012, and 4 in 2010.

[oimissus]

that's interesting, Digbina (and I feel a bit dim, it never occurred to me to ask them!). I wonder if that is at the end of Year 2, or overall - i.e. are children leaving earlier than Year 2 when places in their preferred state school come up? Will pop into the office the next time I'm in.

[Digbina]

It says "year 2 leavers" on the chart.

[minder]

If your child gets a place at the Dulwich Village Infants School it doesn't mean they will automatically go to Dulwich Hamlets into Year 3, where the intake starts.

My eldest (now 20) went to nursery at Bessemer Grange but didn't get a place at Reception. Went to two appeals, lost and he had to start at a different school for Reception. After 6 months managed to get him back into Bessemer. For me it was a family school which many members of family had attended from the 1950s.

My three children went to Bessemer Grange from nursery and I used to wonder where their friends disappeared to at the start of Year 3! It was Dulwich Hamlet.

[alaska721]

Digbina - Just curious as to whether any of the Villa's leavers on the list you have made it into any of the big three independents in Dulwich (JAGS, Alleyn's or Dulwich College)?

[Pocket]

I'd be wary of reading too much into the list that details how many children go to which school. Yr 2 children usually take exams for approximately four schools, many get multiple offers - including 'making it' into the 'big independents'. Where the child eventually goes is more often than not down to parents' preference, finances, and suitability of school to child.

[minder]

What schools are they Pocket?

Personally, I would never have put my children through exams.