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Original poster

Where to move: Ham, Teddington or Twickenham

88 replies

Hellenhellen · 20/05/2024 17:09

Hi Mums,

I am moving to London in a month with 2 daughters, 8 and 12 yo and I am trying to choose from below:

  1. Grey Court School - Ham
  2. Orleans Park School - Twickenham
  3. Teddington School - Teddington

My rental budget is £2500-3000 pcm. I will find the best primary possible around the above secondary schools for my little one.

I want my girls to be safe, and I would like to have some outdoor life. I went to Ham last month, and it felt a bit too quiet, whereas Orleans Park seemed a bit too crowded with the busy road.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to check on Teddington School, but I see there are some lovely riverside apartments around it, which I like.

I work from home at the moment, and I don't see that changing in the next 2 years, but it can change once kids can stay on their own at home.

I am worried about choosing with little information and getting stuck later because of the schools.

Any ideas or advice are appreciated.

OP posts:
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7
Curdled · 03/07/2024 11:41

@LondonCityMum77 if you google London air pollution you'll find plenty of interactive maps, e.g: https://www.londonair.org.uk/london/asp/annualmaps.asp.

It really does depend what you're comparing it to though. The borough has lots of trees and green open space. When planes fly this way they are taking off, not landing, so they are gaining height and their path depends on wind direction and their destination. People sometimes complain about the noise if the weather has meant more traffic than usual, but I've never heard of anyone complain about the pollution from the airport - it's usually cars people worry about. Compared to many parts of London its probably good. Compared to the countryside it's probably bad.

LondonCityMum77 · 03/07/2024 11:31

Hi everyone, we are also considering moving in the area for the schools and the sense of community.

one thing we are a bit concern about is Heathrow airport. Can anyone advise on the pollution from Heathrow airport? Is this an issue affecting Teddington residents or is it still far less than in inner London? Sonor pollution isn’t really a concern for us. it’s mainly the air quality (ultra fine particulates) If anyone knowledgeable could advise we would be very grateful! Thank you

Curdled · 01/07/2024 20:25

@Hellenhellen there really aren't any horrible schools locally, just good schools that some people say horrible things about. Children in this area are very lucky.

SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 01/07/2024 19:37

Please check as you may be also in Kingston Academy catchment if this is Teddington Riverside, @Hellenhellen

Original poster
Hellenhellen · 01/07/2024 19:34

Mums,
I appreciate your support during the complicated weeks I went through.

especially @Curdled @SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn , you made me navigate my thoughts and options and ladies @Sirine1708 @poppybuttons @Ketzele , your comments helped me clariy further..

I rented a flat in a beautiful riverside apartment and completed DDs' school applications on June 26th before the cut-off date for the waiting list. The council has confirmed receipt of our applications, and we will await offers (fingers crossed). We applied to St. John's Baptist Junior and Teddington schools near our new home. Our options look ridiculous on the form as if they are upside down - haha. DD1's options are Teddington, Grey Court, Orleans Park, and Waldagrave -we sound nuts!). Anyway, let's see how it goes. If we can't get into Teddington, who knows, we might be luckier in getting into a better school, and I won't mind giving her a lift for an upgrade. If we end up in a horrible school, then Radnor House will be the time to spend the savings.

Once the school is known, I will look into organizing some private tuition to speed up the progress, especially in English. I am happy that I managed to rent cheaper than Ham, so I have more disposable cash for tuition, petrol, and minicabs if needed.

OP posts:
Original poster
Hellenhellen · 01/07/2024 19:13

kiwipolish · 21/06/2024 00:19

I live in Ham and I'm closer to Teddington High Street than it sounds you are (Hampton Wick Station). I walk to Kingston along the riverside in 25minutes.
PS. Yes, this is not Istanbul so it will be quieter luckily.
PPS Ham Parade is sad it's not good enough for you.

Show quote history

Lucky you!
Please don't bother yourself trying to be helpful
thank you for your efforts.

OP posts:
SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 22/06/2024 13:39

Curdled · 22/06/2024 09:13

@SmileLady she's already chosen Teddington.

Anyone living close enough to the Turing 80% admissions point to be top of the waiting list has to travel a similar distance to any co-ed school.

Edited
Show quote history

Exactly.That is also why they put the nodal point in Teddington .

Curdled · 22/06/2024 09:13

SmileLady · 22/06/2024 09:04

Grey Court school is set in the most beautiful area, right by the river and Ham Common. This is a great school.

Remember, the Turing School site is actually on the Feltham/Hounslow Border, so it may be further for you to travel.

Orleans park has always been a good school.

If I were you, go for Grey Court.

@SmileLady she's already chosen Teddington.

Anyone living close enough to the Turing 80% admissions point to be top of the waiting list has to travel a similar distance to any co-ed school.

SmileLady · 22/06/2024 09:04

Grey Court school is set in the most beautiful area, right by the river and Ham Common. This is a great school.

Remember, the Turing School site is actually on the Feltham/Hounslow Border, so it may be further for you to travel.

Orleans park has always been a good school.

If I were you, go for Grey Court.

Curdled · 21/06/2024 12:12

Hellenhellen · 21/06/2024 09:40

Thank you @Curdled, so even if someone leaves from year 8, let’s say in July, we can still be offered that place, right?
we were worried if there would be separate waiting lists, for Y8/Y9 or for this year or sep starts

No, just one waiting list.

Original poster
Hellenhellen · 21/06/2024 09:40

Thank you @Curdled, so even if someone leaves from year 8, let’s say in July, we can still be offered that place, right?
we were worried if there would be separate waiting lists, for Y8/Y9 or for this year or sep starts

OP posts:
Curdled · 21/06/2024 08:02

@Hellenhellen you've done the right thing applying for September. If you are at the top of the waiting list you will have "first dibs [for an offer] on any places that are freed up during July" and, if you accept the offer, they will hold the place until September.

kiwipolish · 21/06/2024 00:19

Hellenhellen · 15/06/2024 23:05

@onlytherain , your comment aligned with my husband's saying, "People must be running away, or you wouldn't get a place in Y9 that easily."

I have no idea about life either, however, everywhere looks so quiet after Istanbul. I chose TS over GC as Ham is way too calm for me. I wanted a high street within walking distance (Ham Parade is not good enough for me), and I didn't want to pay £10 each time I parked my car. Teddington's winning cards over Ham were Hampton Wick Station, riverside Apartments, and Kingston High Street. I will keep the budget left on private tutoring as Ham is also more expensive than Teddington

I live in Ham and I'm closer to Teddington High Street than it sounds you are (Hampton Wick Station). I walk to Kingston along the riverside in 25minutes.
PS. Yes, this is not Istanbul so it will be quieter luckily.
PPS Ham Parade is sad it's not good enough for you.

Original poster
Hellenhellen · 21/06/2024 00:00

@Curdled , I made my mind up on Teddington and made the school application via the council's website. I managed to rent very close to school, 0.25-0.30 miles; I have a rental contract and a TV license in hand and am waiting for the council tax bill.
There were two application forms: one for the 2023/24 academic year and the other for 2024/25.
We ideally want to start in September 2024, so I used that one, but a friend says it is better to apply for this year and accept the place if one becomes available, say in July. She thinks there will be more competition if I apply for the September start.
I am still so confused about this: is there no chance of being accepted for the September start and knowing this by mid-July, before the schools close?
Would we have more luck if I applied for this academic year? Schools just ended in Istanbul, and we need some rest, but I don't want to be on the waiting list for the September review.

I read that you said:
However, the June applications obviously get first dibs on any places that are freed up during July. As that is the end of term, it's a key time for students to be notifying schools that they're not returning.

But they can't offer the place to someone new until the departing child is registered in their new school - often that won't happen until September.

How do we get the first dibs in this case? Do you mean we can be offered places in July but not start before September when the leaves actually rolled -off?

I am thinking about making an application for this academic year, which would probably overwrite the first one and sit and pray that school would not call us to start before September.

OP posts:
Curdled · 16/06/2024 08:22

Hellenhellen · 15/06/2024 23:08

Another thing I checked based on a friend's advice is the crime rate. I don't know how reliable the crimerate.co.uk website is, but the results say Richmond is way safer than Kensington.

I don't know that website, but they probably scrape official figures that are published by the police You can get the information directly from source here: https://www.met.police.uk/area/your-area/

But it's worth contextualising it. The crime figures will always be higher in central London where the population is denser and thousands of people are commuting in and out every day, not to mention tourists and shoppers.

Original poster
Hellenhellen · 15/06/2024 23:40

@Ketzele oh wow! Such good news to hear this indeed! Almost what I needed to hear before a good sleep!

my kids are different too, I will have one in y4 - maybe you can advise on that too as I need to chose the primary after this) , she is very outgoing, and probably will turn to be a party girl. Older DD is Y9, very academic and introverted.

OP posts:
Ketzele · 15/06/2024 23:14

Hi OP, I have a girl at Teddington and another who has left there and is off to uni. I have been pretty happy with Teddington - it had some rough times a few years back but has turned it round very effectively. My two girls are very different - the older is quiet, well behaved and academic, the younger has complex emotional and behavioural problems - and the school has worked for them both.

Teddington is a lovely area to live in, with a great high street. The crime rate is very low and the transport links are good.

Given your options, I would be going for Teddington too - though I'm biased because I did used to live in the catchment area for Holland Park and moved to come here! Never regretted it.

Original poster
Hellenhellen · 15/06/2024 23:08

Another thing I checked based on a friend's advice is the crime rate. I don't know how reliable the crimerate.co.uk website is, but the results say Richmond is way safer than Kensington.

OP posts:
Original poster
Hellenhellen · 15/06/2024 23:05

@onlytherain , your comment aligned with my husband's saying, "People must be running away, or you wouldn't get a place in Y9 that easily."

I have no idea about life either, however, everywhere looks so quiet after Istanbul. I chose TS over GC as Ham is way too calm for me. I wanted a high street within walking distance (Ham Parade is not good enough for me), and I didn't want to pay £10 each time I parked my car. Teddington's winning cards over Ham were Hampton Wick Station, riverside Apartments, and Kingston High Street. I will keep the budget left on private tutoring as Ham is also more expensive than Teddington

OP posts:
Sirine1708 · 15/06/2024 22:37

@Hellenhellen only very rich or very poor people can now afford to live in Inner London. Prices just don't make sense if you have to start in London from scratch no matter what's the salary.

Original poster
Hellenhellen · 15/06/2024 22:11

@Sirine1708 , your research is so helpful; thank you so much! Turkish GCSE was stg. I would never have thought of checking. Continuing our journey with TD makes sense, considering the GCSE results. Buying a house is a plan within two years, which I completely forgot after the HS email. I couldn't afford anything more than 50 sqm with my budget in Kensington.

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Sirine1708 · 15/06/2024 21:52

We live 4.5 km away from HP and our neighbours still got a place there in y7 for 2023. It lost it's reputation and results-driven families will now be looking somewhere else for their kids.
GCSE result are pretty similar to Teddington school as well.

Where to move: Ham, Teddington or Twickenham
Where to move: Ham, Teddington or Twickenham
onlytherain · 15/06/2024 21:20

Read the threads on HP. There have been a lot of problems and I have friends there who are not happy anymore. Apparently quite a few families have left the school already. Their facilities are amazing though!

Life in Kensington/Notting Hill and Teddington/Ham/Richmond is obviously very different.

Sirine1708 · 15/06/2024 19:47

I actually made screenshots of GCSE exam entries and no one was doing Turkish in HP at all in comparison to 5-6 students in Y11 both in Teddingron, Grey Court and TKA.

But you will have to find them appropriate English language tutor or classes because normally schools don't help with this.

https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/138460/teddington-school/secondary/subjects-entered

Where to move: Ham, Teddington or Twickenham
Where to move: Ham, Teddington or Twickenham
Where to move: Ham, Teddington or Twickenham
Where to move: Ham, Teddington or Twickenham
Sirine1708 · 15/06/2024 19:39

@Hellenhellen I'm under the impression that Kingston/N. Kingston has more Turks than Holland Park area, though HP is multicultural as well. Also if you plan on buying a house later it will be cheaper in Kingston and around.