Muswell Hill Primary Education

[newlondener]

Hi all,
We are relocating to London next month and I am still researching the best matching area for us. We thought that Greenwich or Blackheath are good alternatives however then we struggled with finding good schools. Thru my searches on web and streetview walking, muswell hill seems magnificant.
We are looking 2 bed flats up to 2k and my husband will work in London bridge. Around 40 mins seem reasonable to him if he will be sure we are happy. I will not work for a while and try to get social with new mummies out there. I have some concerns to ask :
First, we are coming from Istanbul and since Green wood is very close to that area do you think or heard any negative issues (harrasment, bulying, prejudice etc) against Turkish families or their children in schools? We are not looking for racial community indeed and get used to always happy to make friends from all over the world.
Do you think that should be a parameter while selecting a school for our daughter? Like as in other similar topics, how diverse are the schools? And which school do you think is best for new comers to Muswell Hill? As anyone else, we are coming to London with big hopes and daughter's future, the last thing we would like to face is our daughter's unhappiness in the school(s). Hope you understand..

Last thing, do you think will it be an issue for my husband to reach to London bridge and does it worth..

Thanks dears in advance

[newlondener]

Correction : Wood Green*

The schools in mind are like below:
Muswell Hill Primary School (48 min to London Bridge)
Tetherdown Primary School (43 min)
Coleridge Primary School (52 min)
Martin Primary School (42 min)
Highgate Primary School (38 min) - Can be an option ?

Eliminated Rhodes Ave Primary School since it takes 59 min to LB.

[newlondener]

Another concern..
In case there is no place in near schools, is it a risk that borough offers a place where it is far away like in Green Wood or easter ?

[Mediumred]

Hi, I don’t know all the schools you mention really well but do have a child at Coleridge (probably considered more Crouch End than Muswell Hill) but either area is lovely and the transport shouldn’t be too bad although they are both pretty bus-dependant and you can get long queues for buses at rush hour. A 40-min commmute would be considered pretty good by London standards where most people i think would expect to travel up to an hour. I think people in Crouch End/Muswell Hill view the green spaces and villagey feel as a bit of a trade off for the transport issues.

I wouldn’t say the schools are fantastically diverse by London standards but Coleridge is very large for a primary and there are some Turkish families there as well as families from literally dozens of other countries. I have never heard any anti-Turkish sentiment and would be horrified if I did.

You haven’t said how old your daughter is. If she is just starting in reception then you have missed the application date and will have to go in as a late applicant. If she is a little older then I would pick a school you like and move as close to it as possible, you could be allocated a school further away but in crouch end/Muswell Hill all the schools are pretty good but places come up quite often, even at popular schools, as London has such a fluid population.

Good luck with your exciting move.

[Itscoldouthere]

Hi, Muswell Hill (and Crouch End) are not on the tube so you have to get a bus to the tube (nearest Highgate or Bounds Green or Finsbury Park if you are in CE). The bus can take a while depending on time of day. Anything under an hour is considered ok for a London commute. As said people choose Muswell Hill/ Crouch End as it’s considered a leafy, less busy, tolerant, open minded place. Thats why they cope with no tube station.
Your biggest issue will be the schools will want an address, so you are going to have to decide which comes first, school or Home.
How old is your daughter ? If she hadn’t started school yet you need to live close to a school you like to get in, you can find out the distance of previous offers on the council website (Haringey). (The distances are small there are no set catchment areas the distance changes slightly every year depending on number of applicants).
If you are looking for an in year place you need to ask the council which schools have places, but you will need an address to be given a place.
My (now late teen) DC went to school in Muswell Hill, it’s a very popular area, mixed, people from all over the world, we had Turkish children but not as many as some areas of London, which have large Turkish communities.
I would add Rhodes Avenue and Coldfall to your list. I think Martins may be in the Borough of Barnet rather than Haringey, but can’t quite remember.
Hope that’s some help.

[newlondener]

Thanks dears. My daughter will be 5 by this oct and we require a reception class. We will be able to apply by end of may or june..

[Itscoldouthere]

Well you’ve missed the application for primary places for this years reception class.
You will now be considered as a late application and will have to either see what places are available in any school in the borough, or go on a waiting list for a school you want.
If you decide you really want to go to a particular school you will need to move very close to the school as your position on the waiting list will be based on distance to school.
It’s a difficult situation as the council will not take you seriously until you have an address and that address will be used to determine which school they will offer you.

[Itscoldouthere]

Check out this website
www.haringey.gov.uk/children-and-families/schools-and-education/school-admissions/school-admissions-statistics

This will show you the cut off distances for primary schools over several years, it will help you to know how close to a school you need to live to be in a good position to get a place.
However these distances are based on people applying for a reception place at the correct time. You will be waiting for someone to leave/give up a place that has already been allocated or to be given a place at a school that is undersubscribed.

[Vinorosso74]

I'd say getting a reception place at the most popular primaries for September might be difficult. However, people move a lot in London so it is worth being on waiting lists.
My DD is at a very popular primary and by Christmas in reception two children had moved.

[Legofriday]

Hi,
I think you'd be lucky to get from tetherdown to London Bridge door to door in 43 minutes. It's going to take 15 minutes+ to get to Highgate tube and then you need to factor in whatever journey at the other end.

Muswell Hill is lovely but a crock of shit compared to just about everywhere else in London in terms of public transport.

We were late reception movers to Muswell Hill this year. We moved right on top of one of your schools, were no. 1 on the waiting list and waited months and then went to a school another 15 minutes away because we just couldn't wait anymore. Haringey admissions gave us some very wrong information oddly, so double check with schools themselves.

You can check now with schools if they have any places, although they might have gone by the time you arrive.

You are correct, that Haringey can offer you places in very distant schools, but you can go on loads of waiting lists, so make sure you do that.