Quandaries about secondaries and moving house - N London vs Kent vs Surrey

You can't apply to Brit school until you're due to take your GCSEs so not really an option for 11 plus.

Just on Highgate: the junior school is now bigger and that makes the squeeze on 11+ places even tighter.

I have heard very good things about APS and also Dame Alice Owen.

Look at the elevenplusexams website- they have a talk forum for independent schools and also for the Kent region Grammar exams. As a pp says, Sevenoaks not majorly difficult to get into and Tonbridge starts at 13+ - both great schools. Sevenoaks does the IB in sixth form which can put some off.
Grammar tutoring in Kent is endemic. North London selectives very competitive.

And both DAO and Wren Academy have sibling policies.

I'm in North London and currently have a daughter in Year 5, so I have been looking into schools quite seriously. If I were flexible and could mive anywhere in North London to get into a school in catchment - I would not hesitate to move next door to either Dame Alice Owen or Wren Academy over Firtismere or APS.

From where you are, for coed indies you could probably also look at Epsom (similar to Caterham academically, though), Lingfield or Royal Russell. Reigate Grammar is a Top 100 indie so not easy.

If you’re after good sport and Art provision, then I’d really look into independent over state as they have far better facilities and generally have the ethos of participation in co-curriculars. I’m not sure where in N London those schools are.
However, you’d have plenty of options in SW London if you want to be in London (that side is also greener and safer).

Another Kent poster! Price wise, Tunbridge Wells would make a lot more sense than Muswell Hill for which I would have thought you’d need a small fortune to buy a shoebox these days! As PP has said, grammar entry is all rather pressurised and I personally don’t know anyone who didn’t either externally tutor or dedicate time themselves to tutor. You’ve got wider options in TW than you’ve listed - as well as Skinners there is Tunbridge Wells Boys Grammar. Of the two, Skinners is the better regarded on the academic front but I’ve friends with boys in both who only have good things to say. Both have excellent results. There is also Judd in Tonbridge - a really easy commute up the train line. Sevenoaks is only one stop further up. Judd tends to be the ‘most desired’ option for parents with boys going the grammar route. A friend commented on it all being a bit ‘robotic’ when she went on an open day but I know 2 boys who go there and both seem to be doing well.

Sounds like you’ll go independent if your DC don’t pass the 11+ - there are some decent State schools in the area. Bennett’s though is heavily oversubscribed and unless you are able to secure a faith place you stand little chance of getting in. Skinners Academy has a much much better reputation than it used to have and there is also Uplands in Wadhurst which is relatively decent (although I’ve heard some mixed reports).

Sevenoaks is really easy to get to from TW & the train station is packed every morning/afternoon with grammar and indie pupils going in both directions. For boys, as well as Sevenoaks school there is also Radnor House which is independent.

Meant to say, I think Sevenoaks is a bit easier to get into than it would be if it were located in another county, as so many of the clever kids go to the grammars. Not easy, but not stupidly hard. If a child is a good fit, they've got a good chance. And no boarding now at Year 7/8, so the competition is a bit more local? Our son went from a state primary, as did a number of those in his year.

Only know Tun Wells. The grammar entry system is..... unpleasant, for want of a better word. Parents get very angsty and competitive in Year 5 (and sometimes earlier), and it's hard on those kids with super-invested parents who don't pass. But - the schools are great. We preferred Judd to Skinners (seemed to us slightly more modern, slightly less alpha male, helped by having girls in the sixth form), but by all accounts they're both fantastic schools. If your DC don't pass or don't enter the 11+, then Bennett is the obvious academic choice, but it would have been too churchy for us (both in terms of entry criteria and also ethos). Skinners Kent Academy is also pretty well-regarded, as is St Greg's. With an 11+ pass you've also got the Boys' Grammar, which gets very mixed views, but we liked it when we visited. New head has made lots of changes though, I think it's had a slightly turbulent time.

In the end we chose Sevenoaks over Judd (bloody lucky choice to have), and personally I think it's a fantastic school. I think 'hot-housey' is unfair; yes, the kids are very motivated and achieve fabulous results, but the staff are generally trying hard to create a relaxed atmosphere, the kids are strongly encouraged to do loads of extra-curricular stuff as well as academics, and I'd say my son has had less pressure of homework and academic targets so far than his friends at the grammars. The ethos is very firmly modern, co-ed, non-church, international and pro-service, which was very appealing to us. Kids need to be bright to get in and thrive though - probably a broadly similar 'level' to the 11+ (some who fail 11+ get in, and vice versa).

There really are a lot of good schools around here. Some parents do have a 'grammar or nothing' view towards the state schools, but if you can afford independent then you have the luxury of choice anyway.

Sorry, pressed send too soon. Tonbridge school is independent, all boys, highly thought of - I know several boys who've now left and done extremely well. E M Forster went there and there's a theatre in the school named after him 😀.

I can only comment on Tunbridge Wells. My DD went to the girls' grammar, which is opposite Skinners location wise. Most of my friends' sons went to Skinners or the boys' grammar. Tutoring was about half and half (DD didn't have any). All three of those schools have consistently good results - Skinners is sportier than boys' grammar and more emphasis on rugby (or that could just be DD's friends). There's a mixed state school close by, Bennett, also very good - they do prefer you to have a faith, used to be Christian but more widely accepting these days.

Tonbridge also has Judd, another boys' only grammar - again a great reputation and my nephew went there.

The Archer in East Finchley is also a good state option but do read the admissions code carefully - it is more straightforward than it was but still needs planning!

I can only comment on north London. Fortismere is much easier to get into recently and APS has taken over with distance and results. Fortismere is definitely losing its popularity. Last year was 0.4 miles catchment for APS. It'll go down in the next couple of years as the bulge years dissipate but I don't see it being much further than 0.8 anytime soon. Highgate Wood has improved a lot and it's catchment has shrinked and so has its results. Heartlands is the favourite for families that would've previously got APS and it has a very good reputation. Both APS and Heartlands have an amazing SEN team.
Highgate is very difficult to get into and I'm sure them winning awards this year won't help.