Hi everyone!
I really hope that someone can help me - I have recently moved to Carshalton village and I need to fill in an application form for a primary school (Reception) place. I don't know anyone yet so can't ask for an advice and don't know which order of preference I shall put the schools in - it is obviously too early to say but my DD seems bright enough for her age so I want the school to give her a good grounding before we start 11+ preparation in Year 4 or 5
The nearest schools to me are
1 - All Saints Carshalton (a church school but takes a third on distance and we should get in)
2 - Stanley Park Infant School (then guaranteed entry into Junior)
3 - Victor Seymour Infant School (then guaranteed entry into Harris Junior Academy Carshalton)
4 - Bandon Hill Primary School - Wood Field site
They all seem to be good schools and my DD has a good chance of getting into all of them, so I need to decide on the order of preference now.
Does anyone has a child in one of the above schools and can you recommend it?
Thanks so much in advance!

Which one did you like the best when you visited to look round?

Thanks for taking the time to respond!

I liked all 4 of them) and they are almost equidistant from our house (except for the All Saints which is the closest (next to the house) and would have be the top priority but we are not religious so a bit hesitant on this one...

I am really torn now - all schools except the church one are about the same distance just different directions, and all within 10mins walk, all seemed lovely on the tour and all have fairly similar KS2 results...

and this is my first child so no experience at what should I look out for...

That takes me back! I was offered a job at one of those when I first qualified as a teacher. (In those days you applied to a 'pool' and were sent off for interview based on your references). The interview was horrendous - I was asked how I would teach reading (it was for a Reception job) and I noticed half way through that the head teacher was smirking and laughing at me and eventually I sort of stopped speaking and she said, 'it was a kind of trick question: our children can all read by the time they come here so you wouldn't need to do it!'. And then proceeded to explain that the parents would not accept a teacher 'wasting time' on things which might be needed for less able children when all the children here were already so far ahead.

I decided on the spot that this was not for me (further interactions with other staff reinforced this opinion), but I was nonetheless offered the job. When I turned it down, the Head called me to tell me I was making a serious career mistake and I would no doubt live to regret it. I haven't, not for one second.

This was in the late 1980s, however, and I am sure things are different now! However, if that particular attitude does not suit your requirements, PM me and I will tell you which one of the 4 it was so you can maybe probe a little deeper when you look round again.

All Saints Carshalton is definitely a good school. They do take the Christian ethos seriously and that may not be a priority for some parents.

However, like all state schools, it does not prepare children for 11+. This task is for the parents. And by the start of Y6 children should have covered all the primary curriculum in order to sit the test. Therefore they have to be about a year ahead of what the school does.