Moving to london- where to live to make it work

[failingmammalian]

I wonder if the impressive collective mumsnet brain can help...
I'm moving to london and after a decade abroad am puzzled as to where to live. I will be working at liverpool st, DH working at home so we need a fair bit of space as well as space for DD and hypothetical DC2. Schools are obviously an issue , or will be soon, and I don't want to spend more than an hour commuting door to door. Id love to stay in london tho am aware that Home Counties might hold the answer. And budget is about 550k I think. Thanks for any ideas... I know im not the first to look for this tho I suspect we do need more space than most bcs of DH working at home.

[WhatKatyDidnt]

Wanstead? Aldersbrook? Nice and leafy and quick commute to Liv St.

[MrsMargoLeadbetter]

Yes the east end of the Central line offers leafy burbs within 30 mins of Liverpool St.

Lots of good/outstanding schools.

Depending on where £550k should get you 3/4 bedrooms. Market is very quick moving around here at the mo.

[MummytoMog]

Woodford :) my DH works at home. Our five bed will be worth about £500kish when extension is finished, has a garden office and bags of room. Naicer bits of Woodford are more expensive, especially the closer you get to the stations, but you should find something lovely with that budget. Schools are fab. DD's primary school is literally over the road (fluke actually as was pregnant when bought it and not thing about school at all) and it's so damn convenient.

[MrsCakesPremonition]

Look at Essex - the commute from towns like Shenfield, Billericay and Chelmsford are all under an hour and take you straight to Liverpool Street.
You should be able to get a decent sized 4 bed detached house in Chelmsford for less than £500k and there are some very good schools in the area.

[failingmammalian]

Thanks so much to all this is super helpful. I've heard a lot abt east of central line - leytonstone leyton wanstead etc. I'm wondering about schools tho. Mummy to mog what's the name of ur school in wood ford ?

[failingmammalian]

Essex would seem the sensible thing and my sis lives there but I just don't think we'd be happy there and all mates are in london proper (ish).

[MrsMargoLeadbetter]

failing there are lots of good/outstanding schools in Woodford/South Woodford.

Woodford - Churchfields is the uber school, consistently Outstanding etc & has just been commended - www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/10672128._Remarkable__school_hailed_as_outstanding_in_every_way/ However it is very competitive re places. Anecdotally there were 40 places out of 120 in reception entry this year after siblings & SEN etc. You would need to live very near it to get in.

Oakdale & Nightingale (where my DS goes) are both well regarded too. I am happy with it.

Snaresbrook has just been marked down and is likely to be made into an academy: www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2013/09/save-snaresbrook-school-from-forced-academisation/

I don't know much about Woodford Green or Wells.

Ray Lodge can be viewed as the school not to go to due to where it is based. However, it has a 'superhead' and lots of money being invested and a friend is happy with it.

Wanstead has less options if you don't want a faith school. Aldersbrook seems to be less well regarded than some others.

However, realistically all the schools around this way are above average, we are very lucky.

There are lots of good independent schools too if you are interested in that.

[failingmammalian]

Thanks mrsmargo! Forest gate seems unbelievably affordable and lots of good schools about. And fast to liv street. Am I missing stg ?

[MummytoMog]

DD is at Roding Primary - did not get a good report this year, but has a new head who is working on improving the teaching, and it is rather good for DD as their SEN provision is great. We did idly consider trying to push for a place at Churchfields (DD has a severe language delay and ey have a specialist unit) but the convenience is great, Mog has lots of support and input from SALT (including a one on one TA without a statement, which is practically unheard of) and I really like the ethos and behaviour of the pupils. There are two grammar schools, and we might invest in a it of tuition in years 3 and 4 if either bratling looks like a good fit for a grammar.

[tillyo]

Hornchurch or upminster just on border of London/Essex but both got tube stations to get on and out of l

[tillyo]

London easier enough. You should def get something nice for your money x

[failingmammalian]

And one more slightly more specific question! Any ideas of catchments for Melford Road E11 ? Are catchments tiny? As general rule for the best schools do u have to live in the schoolyard to get in?

[kiriwawa]

Walthamstow is nicer than Forest Gate IMO if you think Woodford is too far out.

[failingmammalian]

Kiriwawa thanks. What schools like in that neck of woods?

[MummytoMog]

Variable!

[MrsMargoLeadbetter]

You may already know but if you go onto the Ofsted site you can search for schools by location to your postcode which will give you an idea of the catchment to a certain address.

I believe the LA also produce stats on distance to school and admissions for each year (eg the furthest admission was xx miles) which might also help although they could change each year depending on the make-up of pupils/their location. London is very over-subscribed generally I think.

Mummy a friend of mine seems to think there were c4000 applications (to sit the exam) for the 2 Redbridge grammar schools this year based on the form application numbering system. It is staggering if true!!

[MummytoMog]

I think it's supposed to be about 8 applications per place, which isn't actually bad. It's more like 15 applications per place for the Essex grammars. I hear good things about the Redbridge 11+ though, it's apparently particularly rigorous.

[failingmammalian]

Thanks mrs Margo. How v organized of ofstead thank you! (I've obviously got a lot to learn abt this housing-school lark)