A big consideration for parents looking to move into a new family home is the quality of the local schools. Before selling their home, it’s common for parents to scout out the local schools and some might even have a place reserved for their child, ready for when they move.
Luckily for buyers in Sydenham, there’s a whole host of incredible schools in the area that will help your child reach their full potential. Whether you’re looking for primary schools in Sydenham or sixth forms, this guide has it all.
From ages three to 18, we’ve included schools to suit every child.
Sydenham School
Dartmouth Rd, London SE26 4RD
- Type: girls’ secondary comprehensive school
- Ages: 11 years to 18 years
A STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) secondary school for girls, Sydenham School is situated right in the heart of Sydenham. Also committed to engaging students with the arts, humanities and languages, Sydenham School provides a curriculum which is broad, intriguing and challenging to students.
The students at Sydenham School can benefit from the state of the art STEM buildings – the perfect environment to thrive. The school’s core values include creativity, hard work, open mindedness and kindness.
Encouraging students to always ‘aim high’, Sydenham School nurtures its students and supports them to both achieve academic success and become empowered and confident young women.
Forest Hill School
Dacres Road, London, SE23 2XN
- Type: boys’ secondary comprehensive school
- Ages: 11 years to 18 years
Forest Hill School is the only school in London to achieve Stonewall Gold status under the new and refreshed award programme ‘Stonewall School & College Champion Awards’. Only one other school in the country has the gold award.
Achieved for their support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual trans, queer, questioning, non-binary and ace (LGBTQ+) community, this is testament to the school’s ethics. Commenting on their accolade, Forest Hill School said: ‘At FHS, we are wholly committed to continuing to improve our inclusion and celebration of LGBTQ+ people and identities.’
On top of an excellent curriculum, Forest Hill School emphasises the value of opportunities outside of the classroom. Offering curriculum-related trips within the UK and abroad, the school also offers a wide range of extra-curricular clubs.
SFH6
Dartmouth Rd, London, SE26 4RD (for Sydenham School for girls) and Dacres Road, London, SE23 2XN (for Forest Hill School for boys)
- Type: joint sixth form of Sydenham School and Forest Hill School
- Ages: post 16
SFH6 is the joint sixth form of Sydenham School for girls and Forest Hill School for boys who have been working together to provide post-16 education since the early 1970s. The sixth form offers a wide-ranging curriculum that comprises a broad range of A Level subjects, Level 3 BTEC courses and some Level 2 courses.
The school encourages young people to be confident and optimistic, and helps them to strive towards their ambitions. With excellent pastoral support and enrichment opportunities for its students, SFH6 is a popular choice for secondary school leavers in the area.
It’s important to note that while all students from Sydenham School and Forest Hill School are able to apply for places at SFH6, some places are still available for students from other secondary schools.
Sydenham High School GDST
19 Westwood Hill, London, SE26 6BL
- Type: independent girls’ school
- Ages: four years to 18 years
One of the last schools opened by the Girls’ Public Day School Trust, this fee-paying school believes that academic excellence is underpinned by pastoral excellence. Welcoming girls from age four to 18, they strive to ensure potential is met and exceeded.
Commenting on the pupils at Sydenham High School GDST, Headteacher Antonia Geleard said: ‘Girls at Sydenham High are ambitious and open minded, with the inner strength and self belief necessary to outstrip all expectations. They are also well rounded, intellectually curious, down to earth and happy.’
St Bartholomews’s Church of England Primary School
The Peak, London, SE26 4LJ
- Type: Christian mixed primary school
- Ages: five years to 11 years
At St. Bartholomew’s C.E. Primary School, children are encouraged to think creatively as part of the child-centred education. The school teaches Christian values to prepare children for lifelong learning, citing ‘kindness, respect and perseverance’ as the school’s specific values.
The school builds its community through faith, resilience and tolerance, emphasising the need to value each individual child for who they are.
Adamsrill Primary School
Adamsrill Road, London, SE26 4AQ
- Type: mixed primary school
- Ages: three years to 11 years
Adamsrill Primary School aims to instil key core values into their students: resilience, respect, creativity, responsibility and integrity. Recognising the importance of a varied and creative curriculum, the school aims to enthuse their children with a desire to learn and also to respect others.
In the Ofsted report of 2020, the pupils of Adamsrill Primary School were heavily praised: ‘Pupils show a real interest in other people’s lives and in the world around them. They are engaging, confident and witty in conversation. This is because they are used to adults in the school listening to them, valuing them and caring for them.’
St Michael’s Church of England Primary School
Champion Road, London, SE26 4HH
- Type: Christian mixed primary school
- Ages: three years to 11 years
The notion of respect underpins life at St. Michael’s C.E. Primary School: respect for learning, for peers, staff and the school environment. Aside from respect, the school also promotes six key values in all aspects of life: love, hope, joy, love, peace, resilience and trust.
Despite being a Church of England school, children are not required to share the same faith to attend. Some children are Christian, some are of another faith and some have no faith – ‘we believe that everyone is unique, special and loved by God, regardless of faith, ethnicity, sexuality or social status’.
Our Lady and St Philip Neri Roman Catholic Primary School
208 Sydenham Road, London, SE26 5SE
- Type: Catholic mixed primary school
- Ages: three years to 11 years
Our Lady and St Philip Neri Primary School recognises the immense value of a nurturing environment to a child’s education. The school prides itself on its broad curriculum as well as its commitment to guiding pupils to deepen their faith.
The school also aims to celebrate and respect the different ethnic and cultural backgrounds of the children in the school as well as those in society.
Kelvin Grove Primary School
Kelvin Grove, London, SE26 6BB
- Type: mixed primary school
- Ages: three years to 11 years
The school is committed to ensuring the wellbeing and mental health of its pupils, while teaching a curriculum which ignites curiosity in the children. Kelvin Grove Primary School aims to help the children become motivated, resilient and successful learners.
At Kelvin Grove Primary School, the Rainbow ASD Resource Base is an integral part of the school, offering 24 places to pupils from across the Lewisham borough with Autism.
Do you have any questions about what life in Sydenham is like? Talk to a reliable Sydenham and Forest Hill estate agent and find out all you need to know.