School, House and other Stuff

[Nitig]

Hello Moms
I NEED help and loads of it.
We are soon moving to London from Singapore on a rather short notice! I expect us to move by end of January 2013.
I have two daughters 10 & 6. I have been recommended, that I send my girls to a prep school, so that the older one can try for a grammar school at 11+. As we are moving in the middle of the school year, our options for schools seem to be really limited.
My husband's work place is close to Piccadilly Circus. We haven't decided the area we want to live in, for everything would depend upon the school. I am hoping to find a 4 bedroom house in a decent area for about 3K per month.
Could you ladies please recommend suitable schools, residential areas, helpful websites etc for me to get going.
As of now, I am completely clueless!
Thanks in advance.

[DeafLeopard]

Sorry i dont know the area so cant help much other than to suggest, It might be easier if you post a thread with location in the title so that mners who know the area can advise - eg "where to rent within an hour commute of Piccadilly circus that has good prep schools"

[SanityClause]

Look at Bickley or Chislehurst in the London Borough of Bromley. You will get a nice house there for what you are looking to pay.

There are very good state schools nearby, and an excellent comprehensive girls school, Bullers Wood. Your DD will also have a chance of getting into Newstead Wood, which is a grammar school. There are also good independent schools nearby, if you choose to go that route.

Look at the the Bromley council website, but I think you will find your DD is a late entry for the 11+, in which case, a prep school won't really help her, anyway, because she'll have to sit the test before getting any kind of tuition from the school. Children starting in September 2013 have already sat the test and are waiting for results. They will have turned 10 between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012.

[3b1g]

I agree, if your daughter was born before 1 Sept 2002 then it's too late for the 11+. Some schools do 12+ or you could try for a place for her in Y8.

Even if her birthday is between 1 Sept 2002 and 31 Aug 2003, she would only have 2 terms of school before sitting her 11+, so I don't think it will make a huge amount of difference where she is. The education system in Singapore is supposed to be very good, so her Maths and English might be fine. The other two subjects that might be tested are verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, which she can learn and practise with workbooks and test papers.

[Nitig]

Thanks for all the suggestions and advice.
Dd1 is October born and is in year 5 right now. She would have about 4-5 months at school before she sits for 11+. She is quite good with Maths and English (as 3b1g pointed out most kids in Singapore are rather good at these subjects).
SanityClause thanks for suggesting Bromley. It sure does looks like a nice area. How is Kent to live, considering my husband would need to commute to Piccadilly everyday.
Are there any league tables for prep and primary schools based on 11+ results?
Looking forward to more suggestions.
Thanks

[SanityClause]

You can look at the BBC Education league tables. But they don't give details for the 11+, unfortunately. I do know that for most schools, only one or two from each year get a place at Newstead, although some of the prep schools do better than this.
Which is why I suggest moving to the catchment of a good comprehensive school, as well.

The Newstead test is verbal reasoning and non verbal reasoning. Your DD could also take the Bexley test and the Kent test.

Trains from Chislehurst to Charing Cross are about 25 mins, from Bickley to Victoria also about 25 mins, so about an hour door to door, obviously depending on how close your house is to whichever station.

[RichTeas]

You could always narrow down by area first. As Picadilly is absolute epicentre London, what you're really asking is which school in London, of which there are many many. Consider West and NW and North London and environs as a starting point. Buckinghamshire has grammar schools.

[Nitig]

Thanks Mums for pointing me in the right direction. I now am in process of calling schools and checking vacancies.