Choosing schools

[Lachicayeye]

Hi,
I'm currently deciding what to do for my child's schooling. He currently attends a Montessori school, which I love, but we are finding the fees astronomical and would ideally like to find a similarly caring, child centered school. We have visited one of the Steiner schools, which we also liked, but in the long run it would mean moving closer to the school as the commute is quite long.

Because of this I have also been considering moving closer to a nice state school, but personally I really struggle with the state education system, I am obviously talking in generous terms and I don't mean to offend anyone as I haven't clearly visited all of them. Can anyone recommend a nice, community school, that cherishes the child, offers a good education without being pushy and has a creative side? We are in Islington at the moment and ideally would like to stay North London.

Thank you for all your comments