DVIS

[stephent]

I was wondering if anyone has any recent experience or thoughts on DVIS - it used to have a phenomenal reputation, but lately I've been hearing more negative feedback. Has it got a little worse or is it still as good as always?

[sanity girl]

My daughter is now in y3 at the hamlet after being at DVIS and she was very happy there. Her teachers were lovely. I wasn't so keen on the religious element but it is oour closest school. I'm sure if you decide against a place there will be many on the waiting list ready to snap it up!

[bawdy-nan]

I'd say it depends on what you mean by "good" and on your child. For some it's great, for others it isn't.

[Sanne Panne]

I have one in Y2 and one in reception and they both absolutely love it and so do I. Lovely staff, excellent class management, high teaching standards. This is always very subjective though so I can only speak for myself.

[DVnewbie]

Hello - I have one child in year two and one in year one. I think it's totally fantastic and so do they. The pastoral care is brilliant and I've been amazed at how quickly each class teacher has got to know each of my children and worked out what they need. They also (gently) pushed one child, who I thought wasn't ready for some things, as the teacher recognised her ability (when I obviously didn't...). However, there are 30 children in a class like every other state school so it's not equivalent to a 'private education for free' as it has been described. Some teachers seem to have been 'better' for my children than others - all have been very good, most fantastic. Anyway, I couldn't be happier with the school. Very surprised to hear that its reputation has gone down recently. If you look at pure results at key stage 1, they are doing very well and I know several parents of children with SEN who have been delighted at how much progress their children have made. There was a small dip in key stage 1 results recently because of the high number of children that year with significant SEN but it was negligible. (I'm obviously a fan but I think most parents are very happy with the school...)

[DVnewbie]

Oh yes - re the religious element of the education: I'm fine with it as I knew it was a C of E school, and heavily subsidised by the diocese, so it obviously has a fair bit of RE taught. There are plenty of staunch atheist parents (and children) as well as religious (Christian and other) ones.

[tadpole39]

Hi, my child loved dvis and was very happy there, but they completely missed his handwriting problems. It was noted from reception that his handwriting was extremely poor and asked us to practice at home, but no further action. He started at Bessemer in year three, his handwriting issues were picked up in the first term, he was referred to occupational therapy, had a full movement assessment at sunshine house and is now learning to touch type and has writing practice three times a week. It would have been better had the intervention come earlier but we are getting there. I am very grateful to Bessemer as it could have had serious ramifications on his school life.

[stephent]

Thanks for all the feedback. Was everyone with a child at DVIS on a community place able to get into the Hmalet? We're up in North Dulwich, so a bit concerned about being out of the catchment area for the transfer...

[tadpole39]

No, we didn't, that's why we went to Bessemer, and it has been a blessing, my daughter went through the hamlet and I wasn't impressed.

[DVnewbie]

We've just gone through the Hamlet admission process. Two children in our dvis year 2 class didn't get a place at the hamlet immediately. One child was at dvis on a church place and we think the child will get a place via the waiting list. The other child had an 'open' place (non- church) at dvis and got offered a place at the hamlet a couple of days after the offers came out (a few children applied who have since got places at private schools). I think that the move at 7 is more of a worry for children at dvis on a church place ( although even then, they'll only have a place if dvis was their nearest c of e school so they'll live pretty near the hamlet too). As for how good the hamlet is... We'll see! Heard great things and not so positive things.

[sillywoman]

I've had four through DVIS/ Hamlet now. Both schools have gone from strength to strength since we started out primary school journey. They've both become really lovely, well rounded, creative and encouraging schools and we shall be sad to leave them at the end of this year. Two of my four have had handwriting/ SEN issues. We had ups and downs but their issues were definitely picked up in DVIS, and were managed as well as could be hoped in both schools. DVIS in particular is an absolute delight, I feel - like tadpole39 with Besssemer - very blessed and lucky that my children were able to attend such lovely supportive, nurturing and caring schools, with such a strong community ethos.