Hi everyone, great to find you here. Desperate for a quick bit of guidance. We may be about to buy a house on Wood Vale, towards the Horniman Museum end (the museum is virtually behind the house).

Does anybody have any firsthand knowledge about schools catchment at that part of WoodVale please? I'm confused because it seems at least 0.5miles from any school - Hornimann, Eliot Bank, Fairlawn etc, and I've no idea what that means in reality in terms of actually getting a place. Does anyone live on Wood Vale, or know anyone who does, and know where the kids go to school please?

Very much obliged!

Zoopie

Zoopie
If you look in Lewisham's primary application document for 2011/2012 admissions it has a section that sets out what the distance was last year for the last place offered in the reception class of each school. This is skewed by the one off 'bulge' classes but this is all explained.

Basically, each year the catchment is different but the figures here are a useful guide. This year the bulge classes will be at different schools and so for these schools their catchment is likely to be larger. Lewisham admissions team should be able to tell you where these will be.

The Lewisham booklets are here:
http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/EducationAndL...School.htm

If you are looking for a place that is not in reception class then the above may not apply.

The distance of the last child offered a reception place from the Forest Hill Schools is:
Elliot Bank - 467m
Fairlawn - 377m (783m for the bulge class, which was only last year)
Horniman - 680m
Kelvin Grove - 641m (1211m bulge)
Kilmorie 1400m (2182m bulge)
Perrymount - 356m (2011m bulge)
Stillness - 645m

So you will need a map and a ruler to measure. The distances are straight line distances and will at least give you an indication.

From Wood Vale you will also need to look at the Southwark admissions document to see what the distances are from their nearest community schools.

Good luck!

Thank you Satchers, that's great information. Very much appreciate it.

i was looking at this street too. Seems Horminan would be closest as the bird flies (depending on where on the street, I suppose) but actually getting to the school looks to be a lot further!

Eliot Bank will have a bulge class this autumn, so I would imagine you'd be in with a good chance there.