Moving to South London and Schooling

[WineLover21]

We are planning to move to South London with our kids (from a fairly rural part of Scotland). Absolutely terrifying.

Any tips on schools and how to know what schools to get into?

Looking at Balham, Wandsworth, Earlsfield area.

Also totally scared about doing this with kids. Any advice appreciated

What age are the kids, and what have you got to spend on housing?

State or private?

Are you fixed on those areas?

How old are the children OP?

We are planning to move to South London with our kids (from a fairly rural part of Scotland).

😮

I'm a North Londoner btw OP so can't help on schools but if you can come back and give us a few more details. Someone will be along with advice.

How old are your kids?
what is your budget?
why those areas specifically?
where will you commute to?

That’s quite a change! In your position I think I’d look at slightly further out ‘greener’ areas with easier access to countryside. Wimbledon perhaps if you want SW London. Or if you could go SE Bromley has good transport links. Blackheath is lovely too and 15 minutes by train to central London.

If you’re looking at state schools, you should be able to check criteria and current distance for admissions online. Primary rolls in London are falling so you should have more choice than a few years ago. In year admissions vary but in my experience a couple of pupils would leave each year due to mobile population

I would googe best primary or secondary near where you are planning to live, choose a school within walking/cycling distance

London schools are better on average than the rest of England. You don't need to be so scared.

https://educationblog.buckingham.ac.uk/2020/07/29/why-are-schools-in-london-so-successful-by-barnaby-lenon/

In London 94 per cent of schools are currently judged to be good or outstanding by Ofsted, the highest percentage of any region in England.
Last year London’s schools helped pupils to achieve 60.9 per cent five A* to C GCSEs including Maths and English, the highest rate for any region and above the national average of 57.3 per cent.

https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/our-key-themes/children-and-young-people/education-and-school-places/future-school-funding-whats/key

hi OP I'm in my 40s and until recently had lived my whole life in south london - I know the areas you are talking about well. You don't need to worry - I brought my kids up in less pleasant corner of S london than those!

Let me dispel some myths first!

London is incredibly friendly - we had an amazing community connected to our primary school - as do most people I know.

My advice would be go to state primary and live as close as possible - the good ones have tight catchments meaning you will know all the families on the roads around where you live.

Do you have to live in the parts of london you are mentioning? they are not the cheapest - although very green lots of big commons.

I moved out of london to the south coast and miss the green/ parks of South london daily! look on a map and you will see how green it all is.

Nothing to worry about OP!

Kids are 2 and 4!

We can spend about £1.3m on a house which should get something half decent I think?

Yes, just state schools and we want to be in the thick of it. Lived in Balham before for 5 years so know the area well. Just worried that we haven't been there for 5 years and is it as good as I remember? I'm worried to take the kids incase it's not good for them?

Apologies replied below!

Can you afford Between The Commons (ie the part of SW11 that lies roughly between Wandsworth and Clapham Commons?)

I agree with the above poster. I spent 15yrs in Wandsworth my children were born in St Thomas’s hospital.
it is so family friendly. The commons are fantastic and there is such a huge community feel. It is however a cery expensive part of the world. The schools in Earsfield are great. I would look to be in the catchment of Beatrix Potter. but wandsworth is filled with great schools both state and private: you also have belleville and honeywell, holy ghost and st anselm if you re catholics, or good CoE, lots of private schools, and some really good secondary.
catchments are tiny so houses are expensive.
public transport is amazing so there isnt a need for a car really. You can cycle or walk or bus. Earsfield is 12mins on the train to central london.

great move. We moved out because of brexit so i didnt want to stay in England and move “back” in Europe as I dont want my kid to a Britain that is “great again” 😉🤣

Hello and welcome to south London. It’s a great place to live and full of friendly people.

Typos “i dont want my kids to live in a Britain…”
apologies

Thanks for this @Bubblesgun!

We're not catholic so would just be a normal school.

I'm really hoping the kids will enjoy it. I don't work, but my husband works in London 4 days a week and commutes from outside Edinburgh.

I'm hoping to get a job back in the city once the kids have settled.

We've got about £1.3m to spend? So I hope so, can't see much on the market at the moment though!

Is it quite competitive on the housing market?

And those areas as we have lived in Wandsworth and Balham before, have so many friends and also family nearby 😃

Sorry cross post!

Yes, Balham is great - and Tooting is also on the up.

On the basis that primary schools are pretty much all fine, then (if you are likely to be in London long-term) being close to Graveney is a consideration

I used to live in Balham and Chestnut Grove was probably the most popular local state secondary.

Hi OP, welcome to South London! Our DC were both born here, they are 10 and 6. They have always spent their spare time roaming in parks of which there are many and doing sports, of which you can do absolutely everything. We live near a velodrome, an ice rink, and dozens of tennis clubs, football clubs etc. They have very cheap swimming lessons at the local Lambeth pool which are pretty good. All of the local primary schools are good and outstanding and the wraparound activities and holiday clubs are many and varied. There is a lovely community feel and everyone is perfectly friendly.

In terms of it being urban and potentially scary, yes the kids see homeless people, it can be busy, they need to watch out for traffic in certain places. But I feel like they are seeing real life and they are used to navigating things, and when they are older and I'm not always there they will be streetwise and sensible.

Thank you for this. I really appreciate it.

One of my friends has told me I am absolutely insane to move them to London. She thinks I'm holding onto my old life and need to grow up. But I miss London so much and wonder if I'm being selfish.

Husband works there 4 days a week too and it's really hard being left for most of the week. I'm desperate to move back but do worry it's not the life I remembered. I'm pleased to hear it's good for kids... I want them to grow up with culture and curiosity about the world. Not in a bubble!