Harpenden State Schools or Private when returning from overseas

[acrossthepondexpat]

Moving back to UK with boys who have been educated in Canada. One currently in private school aged 13, other aged 10 in state school. Would you advise putting boys in private, if so which schools? Or would you opt for state schools in Harpenden which my understanding is that they are all outstanding secondary’s.

all the secondary schools in harpenden are very good so i would personally go with state. your youngest son will be going into year 6, so i would also look at state primaries, possibly lea primary or high beeches depending on your catchment x

For a state school place, you'd need to contact the local authority to see which schools have a place. Harpenden does have excellent state schools. However, you might consider private if you prefer much smaller classes and extensive facilities/co-curricular provision.

When are you moving?

While the Harpenden state secondaries are all outstanding, your 13 year old may struggle to get a place at any of them, especially if you move part way through the academic year. He’s more likely to be allocated one of the underperforming (and thus undersubscribed) state schools in St Albans. This has happened to a few families I know who had to pull their kids out of private secondaries for financial reasons - they all ended up at Townsend or Marlborough.

If you’re going to be in the UK before the 31st October, you’ll be able to apply for a secondary school place for your 10 year old, and he’ll almost certainly get a place at Sir John lawes or Roundwood for secondary (or St George’s if you’re churchgoers)

You may well have similar problems regarding private schools for your 13 year old. He’ll have missed Year 9 entrance exams, so won’t have his pick of schools. You’ll need to start contacting them now to find out which have places.

Thanks for your response’s in such a short time. We are churchgoers and kids go to religious schools (Catholic) currently. 13 year old goes to a private school (#1 in Ontario) with advanced placement so works up to 1-2 years above his grade. Would he still struggle to get into a private high school such as St Albans Boys if we can’t get him into Harpenden secondaries was hoping St George’s, but know that’s a complete crab shoot or SJL we would look at a house with closest perimeter to St George’s or SJL. I’m unable to move until June next year as eldest is going into last year of school and sitting equivalent of A levels, although husband moving over this year for work relocation so would have an address based in Harpenden. Oldest boy (17) doing gap year then staying in Canada for university :(... It’s a shit show relocating with 3 boys all at various stages for education, guess I’ll call the various schools and county council next week to figure this out. If anyone can chime in on Alderwickbury and Beechwood Park which is more preferable would love your input for my 10 year old, he’s super sporty. On the plus side after 20 years of a Canadian winter I’m excited to show the boys there British heritage and a town I have many happy memories off as a kid.

It absolutely does not matter how close to a school you move. That only makes a difference for reception or Y7 applications.
If DS is super strong academically, I'd give some good indies a ring to see if they might make a space for a bright kid. State schools probably won't know until you've moved but spaces don't often become available in desirable schools once GCSE courses have started.

Thanks for all the info it’s been really helpful ,

It absolutely does not matter how close to a school you move. That only makes a difference for reception or Y7 applications.

That isn’t true, schools with waiting lists use the same admission criteria as at their standard point of entry. So when a one d comes up your place on the list is determined not by the length of time you have been waiting but by who most closely fits the admission criteria.

@TiredOldTable

Yes, it’s true for waiting lists. However, if you need your child in school, you get offered a school with an actual vacancy (regardless if it’s next door or 2 Miles away).
Theoretically, you could then go onto waiting lists elsewhere but I’m not sure the OP will want to move her son when he’s a few months into his GCSEs at one school already.