Moving to Chiswick

[Pepper2468]

Hello Mums, I am really in desperate need of some advice. We are returning to live in London after 7 years away having been in Sydney, Singapore and now NYC. We have two girls aged 8 and 10. My eldest will have to sit the 11+, however both girls have sat some mock exams and bombed terribly. This is due to various factors including not being desperatly academic and the fact they have moved around in different schools systems. So not really apples for apples. We are looking to move to Chiswick and I would love to have the girls in a good school, that is both nuturing and supportive with work, along with having strong sports and drama facilities. Does such a school exist. Happy to look at both fee and non fee paying schools I don't think we will have much choice. Girls are looking to start this September 2016 so need to get our skates on. Any advice very gratefully received.

[AhBut]

Hounslow doesn't have grammar schools so theres no 11 plus. Unless of course you want her to, she certainly won't have to!

[fackinell]

Belmont was the best performing school in Chiswick when I lived there a couple of years ago, the catchment area is pretty tight, don't move too far into the Ealing borough side or past the A4. There are many great schools in Chiswick though.its a fantastic place to raise children (I don't have any myself but friends do) and has a very family friendly approach in pubs and restaurants. I miss it hugely still. Good luck.

[sinclair]

You need to be living at an address in UK before you can apply anywhere state (private I assume you can apply from abroad).

What year will your 10 year old be going into in Sept? If she is 11 before 31/08 then it will be Y7 - so first year of secondary - which will complicate things enormously, as allocations have been made. If not then you are looking for a Y6 place and should find schools have spaces - generally schools here empty out from Y4 as parents move out/go private.

You may have to prioritise over choice of school/both girls being together. If you have an address to move back to posters may be able to tell you more about local schools. Is is Chiswick itself or west London generally?

[livinginchiswick]

Ok, primary schools...
Belmont - fantastic. Very middle class. Oversubscribed.
Cavendish - great results, more mixed socially.
Grove Park - v good too.

Secondaries:
State:
Chiswick School - comprehensive school. Check their website. On the up. Very big though, with some hard working achieving kids but also some trouble with absence from other kids. A well run school. Parents very pleased.
West Free school - a new free school with academic ambitions. Oversubscribed. Some parents happy, some not because of many changes in staff, including heads. Still haven´t moved into their permanent site.

Private: huge variety....Latymer Upper (coed, great drama), Goldolphin & Latymer (girls) (both insanely competitive, think over 1000 kids taking the exam for 120 places),
Private commutable schools from Chiswick are St Benedict's in Ealing, St James girls, Putney High, Notting Hill & Ealing, Kingston Grammar School, Eleanor Holles (has a coach).

Grammar: none in Chiswick but some girls commute to Tiffin Girls in Richmond.

[Stillwishihadabs]

I wouldn't waste your money on St Benedicts or Nottinghill tbh. They would do better at Chiswick or Sheen comps. The arts ed used to be very good too.

[livinginchiswick]

Arts ed academic results have gone down in recent years. Nothing wrong with that as it is very vocational and most kids want to act and dance professionally. The focus is v much on that.

[Mominatrix]

Just to add onto livinginchiswick's very good list:

State Primary:
-William Hogarth: had troubles in the past but parents now seem happy and problems sorted

• St Mary's: Catholic. Best primary results in Hounslow. Very difficult to get a spot an impossible if you are not Catholic
  

Private Primary:

• Orchard House School: co-ed prep, well established, people generally very happy with this school
  

-Chiswick and Bedford Park: small family run co-ed until 7, all girls after. Mixed feelings abound (some very happy, some vocally unhappy with the manner communications with parents and 11+ prep is handled)

• Ravenscourt Park: co-ed, very oversubscribed, but might have places in the later years as people leave occasionally at 7+/8+
  
• Kew Green: in Kew, but there is a bus from Chiswick. Sister school to Ravenscourt Park. Don't know much about this school, but know that it is very customer friendly
  

I know little about the secondaries, but these were left off:

State Secondary:

• Hammersmith Academy: fairly recently school set up by the Mercers. Don't know anything about this school, only rumbles through the grapevine
  
• Lady Margaret School: in Hammersmith. Very good academically. Catholic.
  

Private:

• Kew House Senior school: associated with Ravenscourt Park and Kew Green. Opened in 2013.
  
• St Paul's Girls : uber academic and devisive

[LetsEscape]

For secondary children travel quite a distance in London. As said before if your eldest is going to be in year 7 in September this could be very tricky.

State schools :
Primary they are all fine - but Grove Park, Sr Mary's Belmont seem to be the favoured ones. None are bad.
Secondary is very mixed- Chiswick School is definitely on the up, Twyford in Acton is excellent but has church criteria - catholic schools such as Sacred Heart/ Gumley will also take from Chiswick but the catholic criteria is tight.
Primary private schools have been mentioned above - re: secondary there are a few relatively new ones e.g. Radnor House (has from year 4? I believe) and Kew House, St James' girls schools (Olympia - West Kensington station), St Agustin's in Ealing (fairly new head and small school has a prep as well), Harrodian, Frances Holland in Sloane Sq is a choice due to district line, Putney High by overground from Chiswick Station or district line with a change in Earl's Court. There is also St Benedict's which is Coed and has a wider intake which is reflected in its results - great for sport and is catholic but not a requirement at secondary level. Notting Hill High School (actually gets great results nowadays - also has a prep). Then the super selectives e.g. Latymer Upper (Coed), Godolphin and Latymer, St Paul's Girls, and Lady Elenor Holles (LEH).

There are loads of schools and if not looking for year 7 you should be lucky somewhere - you probably won't get both girls in the same school but if your eldest is secondary age they all take themselves to school anyway.

[TeddTess]

Do you have to live in Chiswick? If you move closer to Richmond St Catherine's school in twickenham could be ideal for both of them as it goes from 4-18. Not as academically selective as many of the ones on that list but still selective and gets good results.

Otherwise if you are looking at private i would really recommend going for a school that goes all the way through. The 11+ exam for independents in SW London really has gone completely bonkers, avoid it if you can.

[Grinstead]

Chiswick primaries , really they are all quite nice and all have different good points . If you want private secondary you will need to tutor your eldest anyway whether at private or state primary
Secondaries - you won't get into catholic schools or Twyford C of E school without xhuxh

[Grinstead]

Sent message to early!

I meant that you will need church reference from priest for faith schools even if you have been leaving abroad confirming church attendance etc
Other state Chiswick on the up, Hammersmith is new school, nice atmosphere but untested , West London Free is hard to get into as part distance, part lottery and untested .
Twyford are opening a new school in 2016 with 50% open not faith places , catchment will be measured from st Peters in Ealing so Ealing could be option
All schools have websites and also call local authority for advice - just remember that Chiswick falls into 3 boroughs, Hounslow, Ealing and Hammersmith

[MN164]

Just to chip in, I thought Lady Margaret in Fulham was Church of England not Catholic?

[Mominatrix]

You are most probably correct - I was thinking of Sacred Heart in Hammersmith and wires got crossed in my brain!

[Icimoi]

Don't touch the West London Free School with a bargepole. Trust me, you'd regret it.

[Grinstead]

Icimoi - can we ask why? Did you have a child at WLFS?

[NWgirls]

Agree with LetsEscape that Notting Hill and Ealing High School is well worth visiting and considering. Excellent results, nice facilities. Fewer applicants than the insanely competitive schools in Hammersmith.
You could look at both jr and sr. Search MN (for NHEHS / NHE) and you will find many posts.