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Alleyn’s Junior School OPEN DAYS

16 Franciscan 65 Dolphin School WANDSWORTH For nursery and reception, October 13th By appointment; call Mrs Benson, OPEN STATE PRIMARY 9.15am, October 18th 10.45am, November tel 020 7924 3472 SCHOOLS 8th & 17th 9.15am DAY 66 Ecole Du Parc 25 Honeywell Infant and Junior Schools GUIDE Below are state primary schools which Tours take place on Thursday mornings September 26th, October 14th & have set dates for their autumn term November 21st 3.15pm open days. The bulk have yet to decide 34 Ravenstone Primary so check websites in September as dates Visits by appointment, tel 020 8673 0594 67 Eveline Day School will be set during that month. October 1st 9am-12pm 39 Sacred Heart RC Primary School, 1 Albemarle Battersea 68 Eveline Nurseries September 28th 9.30-11am October 5th & 12th 9.30am By appointment, tel 020 8673 3188

4 Allfarthing Primary School 40 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, October 11th, 19th & 21st, November 4th & 69 18th, December 7th & January 13th 2017. October 5th & 12th 9.30am By invitation only to parents already All at 9.15-10.15am registered 42 St Anselm’s Catholic Primary School November 8th 7pm 70 Hall School Wimbledon Check website in September for dates 44 St Faith’s C of E Primary School October 9th 9am, November 8th 9.30am, 71 Hornsby House School November 23rd 9am, December 6th

9.30am. By appointment, tel 020 8874 2653 October 13th 9am. Booking advisable

73 WANDSWORTH & June 15th, September 28th, November MERTON PRIVATE 16th, February 1st 2017, May 3rd PRIMARY SCHOOLS & June 21st 9:30am. Registration

on website 64 Broomwood Hall School October 13th 9-10.30am (lower school 192 Ramsden Rd & lower school 3 Garrad’s 75 Lion House School Rd) & October 12th 9-11am (upper school September 21st 5pm & September 24th 68-74 Nightingale Lane) 9am-12pm. Registration via website

EASING THE TRANSITION

Ravenstone School Transferring from junior to senior school can be an exciting and anxious time for children and parents, as year 7 brings big changes – more pupils, teachers, buildings, 5 Beatrix Potter Primary School challenges and fun. The quickest to adapt are usually those who ask questions and Every Tuesday from 2pm cope well with the odd mistake. Junior schools prepare children by gradually giving them more independence and 6 Belleville Primary School responsibility. Parents should consider letting children travel unaccompanied, giving CLOSE School is collecting names of interested them responsibility for a simple mobile phone, practising the school runs and making parties; email with “open morning” introductions to others already at the senior school. Attending parental transition as the subject matter to enquiries@ meetings and taking children to induction days are critical. bellevilleschool.org Once at the new school, the most important thing parents can do is listen, be supportive and encourage children to find their own solutions. Establish consistent work and ENCOUNTERS organisational habits at home, as positive habits will support achievement throughout 10 Christchurch C of E Primary School October 4th 9.45-10.15am, November 9th . Don’t worry if your child is not top of the class, captain of the team or A school open day is a vital part of the process of choosing a school. Who leader in the orchestra as they are now a bigger fish in an even bigger pond. gives the tour, what you’re shown and how questions are answered will tell 1.30pm, January 9th 2017 10.30am you a lot. Read on for the most important dates for your diary this autumn Transition can be harder for parents than children, so parents need to let go, stand 14 Fircroft Primary School back and allow their offspring to fly. Every Wednesday at 9.30am. Source: Alleyn’s School Book in advance 42 NappyValleyNet.com NappyValleyNet.com 43

105 Hall School Wimbledon BRACE YOURSELVES… November 8th & 22nd open mornings, ...THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING tel 020 8879 9200 Half term is in sight and beyond that Christmas, and the faces of parents on the 106 Ibstock Place School school gate are already wearing a haunted look. How will you cope? Panic not. September 21st 5pm When my kids were little, half term and the end of term featured an exhausted & September 24th 9am- 12pm teacher who felt she was entitled to her own break. No circus camp for them. I was Registration on website of the mind that as long as I made their friends welcome and fed them, my part in the deal was at an end. 107 Open week October 8th-14th; select times In those days only one child could sit at the computer at a time so they built and book online dens in the garden, spent happy hours making perfume from flowers, served up weird “cocktails” made of mud, set up aerial runways for an army of doomed toys, created tsunamis of warm icing that trickled across every kitchen surface and made 108 Thomas’s Clapham mysterious maps. Showrounds most Wednesdays & Belleville Primary School Thursdays, tel 020 7326 9300 Neither one got to grade 8 on the Japanese nose flute or played for the England cricket team, yet somehow they’ve turned out to be lovely, happy people with good 92 Bolingbroke Academy 109 Thames Christian College jobs. I love school holidays! October 6th 5.15-7.15pm September 22nd, October & October 8th 9.30-11.30am Source: Lucy Wheeler, Registrar & Marketing Manager, Finton House 1st & 4th, November 3rd, March 7th, April 25th 11am-1pm 93 September 28th 6-8pm & October 11th 76 Merlin School OTHER PRIVATE PRIMARY 8.45-11am 110 Wimbledon High School September 30th 1.30pm SCHOOLS POPULAR WITH October 8th 9.30am. Booking necessary Booking necessary CHILDREN LIVING IN 94 Chestnut Grove

NAPPY VALLEY Check website for dates in October OTHER PRIVATE 77 Newton Prep SECONDARY SCHOOLS October 8th 9.30am-12.30pm Cumnor House School Dulwich College 95 and Sixth POPULAR WITH CHILDREN Form Centre LIVING IN NAPPY VALLEY 78 Northcote Lodge School Junior school October 1st 9.30-12pm, September 30th, October 3rd 9-11am, Sydenham October 12th 9-11am November 10th 1.30-3.15pm October 4th 5.30-8pm MAKING THE MOVE September 13th & 21st 9.15-10.45am, Alleyn’s School September 24th 9.30-11.30am 79 Oliver House Preparatory School Parsons Green Prep School 11+ and 13+ September 14th 2pm, October In January 2015, King’s College 96 & October 6th 9.15-10.45am Individual visits bookable, tel 020 8772 1911 October 8th 10am. Booking necessary 1st 9.30am-12pm, November 2nd 2pm. School announced that it was Check website for dates in October 16+ October 1st 9.30am-12pm, November opening its senior school to 11+ Trinity School of John Whitgift 81 Putney High School 1st 2.30-4.30pm entry. This has allowed increased 10+, 11+, 13+ October 1st. Sixth form Open week October 8th-14th. Booking WANDSWORTH 99 St John Bosco Catholic School accessibility to the school for and College October 10th. By appointment, necessary STATE SECONDARY Ardingly College all 11-year-olds, regardless of September 21st 9am-12pm & 4.45-7.45pm, tel 020 8656 9541 September 24th (sixth form) & October whether they previously attended SCHOOLS September 24th 9am-12pm 83 The Falcons School for Girls 8th (senior school & sixth form). independent or state junior schools. September 17th & November 12th Registration required via website or by In the first year of applications, Whitgift School 91 Ashcroft Technology Academy 10.30-12.30pm 100 calling 01444 893320 high-quality candidates came from September 24th 9am-1pm, October September 13th 6-8pm, September 15th & September 21st, 23rd & 30th 8.45- both sectors, and exam results were 11th 4-8pm. Informal open days by 16th 10-11am. Appointment necessary 10.45am, October 4th 8.45-10.45am & 84 The Roche School virtually indistinguishable between appointment, tel 020 8633 9935 October 5th 5.30-7.30pm Cumnor House School the two cohorts. September 17th 10.30am-12.30am October 1st, November 11th 9.30-11.30am The 11+ entrance point is incredibly Woldingham 85 The St Michael Steiner Waldorf 102 St Francis Xavier Sixth Dulwich College competitive, so parents should October 1st, May 6th 2017 & June 10th School/ Steiner School Form College Upper school (years 12 & 13): unlikely select schools carefully to suit the October 5th 10am, 12pm & 2pm. November 12th 10am-2.30pm to be places as a large year 11 group is needs of their own child. Entering Booking advisable LAMBETH moving through the school a child for eight, nine or even ten WANDSWORTH & different schools leads to a very STATE PRIMARY 87 Thomas’s Clapham demanding autumn and spring SCHOOLS MERTON PRIVATE JAGS Showrounds most Wednesdays & for a ten-year-old, and doesn’t SECONDARY SCHOOLS October 8th 10-12pm Thursdays, tel 020 7326 9300 increase the chance of getting an 120 Kings Avenue Primary School offer. Choosing a suitable school Individual tours bookable on 88 Wandsworth Preparatory School 104 King’s College School Wimbledon is difficult, so visits are a must. 020 7622 1208 September 21st September 17th 9.30am-12.30pm, Whole school open morning The feel of a school can only be & November 16th 9-11am September 21st 5.30-7.30pm (sixth form) September 10th 9am-12.30pm. Sixth form assessed by seeing it in action. & May 2nd 2017 2.30-4.30pm. Regular open evening September 14th & 29th 123 Richard Atkins Primary School 89 Wimbledon High School Wednesday open mornings during term 6-8.15pm. Year 7 open evening Source: King’s College School Individual tours bookable on JK Educate October 6th 8.50am. Booking necessary time bookable on 020 8870 4171 October 6th 6-7.45pm 020 8674 5601 44 NappyValleyNet.com NappyValleyNet.com 45

127 St Mary’s RC Primary School Individual tours bookable GETTING THE MOST OUT OF SCHOOL VISITS tel 020 7622 5479 When choosing a school, visiting in person can be a powerful tool and can often alter opinions formed from other sources such as league tables or school websites. 129 Telferscot Primary School You might be impressed by grounds and facilities, but try to stay focused on October 7th, 14th & 21st 9.30am, what is important for the development of your child’s needs. Don’t discount first November 4th, 11th, 18th & 25th 9.30am impressions or the “feel” you get for a school. Visit on a normal school day rather & December 2nd 9.30am. By appointment, than an open day to gain a truer view of school life and observe how staff and tel 020 8673 7362 children interact. Speak to teachers, pupils and the head teacher. Ideally, visit and compare several schools, then carefully consider all the different aspects that matter to you – academic, social, sporting, ethical, location – before making up your mind. LAMBETH Remember: the “best school” is always the school that best suits your child, where PRIVATE PRIMARY they will feel comfortable and motivated.

SCHOOLS Source: J K Educate

130 Eaton House The Manor School Tours only for children with a place. Register on the school website for a prospectus with an application form

131 Parkgate House School October 8th, February 25th 2017 & June 10th

133 & Clapham Prep School October 1st 10-12pm, November 1 & November 29th 9-10.45am. Booking necessary

135 The White House November 26th 9.30-11.30am. No booking necessary

LAMBETH STATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS CHOOSING A TUTOR 136 Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Tutoring is a controversial topic. The Secondary School Teatime Tutors truth is that some children need to September 19th & 27th, build their confidence and tutoring October 5th 9.30am-12pm; September can help with this. Seeing old 20th & October 6th 6.30-9pm. exam papers and being given the Sixth form October 17th 6.30-9pm LAMBETH PRIVATE SECONDARY tools needed to answer questions, SCHOOLS whether in maths, English or 137 Dunraven reasoning, is always a positive move September 20th 6.30-9pm, September when it comes to exam season. 141 Streatham & Clapham 22nd, 24th & 27th 9.15-10.30am Your child has to like their tutor and High School form a bond with them. The tutor/ September 24th 10am-1pm, October 12th child relationship must be built on 138 & November 9th 9.15-11.30am; book online trust; a child is never going to admit September 27th, October 5th & 7th 9.15- they are baffled by something if 10.30am, September 27th 5-8pm 142 The Laurels they fear being told off. In addition, September 15th 10am-12pm parents must be able to approach a 139 La Retraite RC Girls’ School tutor with questions and concerns, September 21st 4-7.30pm, NB. For full details of schools, including and the tutor should take the time to put parents and children at ease. September 26th & 28th, phone numbers and website addresses, Alleyn’s Junior School Finton House School October 6th & 7th 9.30am-12pm see the school listings starting on page 66. Source: Teatime Tutors