Our boy goes to Stroud Green, and despite its recent Ofsted ("satisfactory" again), I can't be complimentary enough about it. Really nice friendly atmosphere and he's learnt loads. Ask any teacher you know about the value of Ofsted inspections. I think you can pretty much ignore them.
The thing to remember is that choice is largely illusory. We actually had St Aidan's on our list, and in the end you had to live within 0.1 of a mile to get in. Just put your nearest school first and you will almost certainly get in, and then try to contribute as much as you can to the life of the school.
SG is good and we are generally happy and the kids do learn and it is a happy place.
You can't ignore Ofsted as there are management issues at the school which is what Ofsted said in assort of coded way.
My son also goes to Stroud Green. Apart from the 'management issues' we're really happy with the school. It is very friendly, and so far he has had some really great teachers.
Thanks everyone that is very helpful. My son is actually at Rainbow nursery so a part of Stroud Green school anyway, but I have not heard great things about the school itself (the nursery is great!). Good to know that lots of people sound very happy with it. Do you know what the management issues are?
Hi Alana,
Coleridge is part of Harringey so if you go onto the website and download the primary schools booklet and it will tell you the furthest distance accepted for Coleridge and schools around you. You can also call the receptionist and they can tell you exactly!
I use the booklet it's very good.
Alana, Coleridge has a very small catchment area - it was .291 of a mile last year, which unfortunately doesn't even come close to Lancaster Road.
You can check any radius from a postcode using this:
<http://www.freemaptools.com/radius-from-uk-postcode.htm>
Alana, my eldest started at Strouc Green as we didn't get into St Aidan's, which was by far our nearest, so getting into the closest school to you is by no means a guarantee. We kept her on the waiting list for St Aidan's, and just as she had gon into year 1, we got a call offering us a place, so worth staying on the lists if you don't get the one you want.
She was happy enough at Stroud Green, but is a very bright child with some ADHD characteristics, and was starting to get bored, for example they had one reading book that they seemed to have for an inordinate amount of time. It just felt like they could have been a bit more challenged.
I was also (as a bit of a Lynne Truss) not too happy to see work displayed from older children (year 4 I believe) being displayed with titles like 'Andy Warhols soup can', completely absent of necessary apostrophe...
For us, moving Holly was a really personal choice as we felt she would benefit from a smaller school that would push her. The other factor being that she has a brother, so her place at St Aidan's gave him an automatic place. Worth considering if you have, or plan to have more than one.
Quite a few of the kids there live on or off Lancaster Road, so you should have a fairly good chance. We were on the junction of Victoria Road & Stapleton Hall and it didn't reach that far the year we applied.
After the book group, knitting club, WI, SG preservation society, tea shop, and drinking corporation... surely it's only a matter of time before this website produces the Stroud Green Free School?
Comments
The thing to remember is that choice is largely illusory. We actually had St Aidan's on our list, and in the end you had to live within 0.1 of a mile to get in. Just put your nearest school first and you will almost certainly get in, and then try to contribute as much as you can to the life of the school.
Coleridge is part of Harringey so if you go onto the website and download the primary schools booklet and it will tell you the furthest distance accepted for Coleridge and schools around you. You can also call the receptionist and they can tell you exactly!
I use the booklet it's very good.
She was happy enough at Stroud Green, but is a very bright child with some ADHD characteristics, and was starting to get bored, for example they had one reading book that they seemed to have for an inordinate amount of time. It just felt like they could have been a bit more challenged.
I was also (as a bit of a Lynne Truss) not too happy to see work displayed from older children (year 4 I believe) being displayed with titles like 'Andy Warhols soup can', completely absent of necessary apostrophe...
For us, moving Holly was a really personal choice as we felt she would benefit from a smaller school that would push her. The other factor being that she has a brother, so her place at St Aidan's gave him an automatic place. Worth considering if you have, or plan to have more than one.
Quite a few of the kids there live on or off Lancaster Road, so you should have a fairly good chance. We were on the junction of Victoria Road & Stapleton Hall and it didn't reach that far the year we applied.
Good luck. It gets worse for Secondary...