Trying to move to Walthamstow - would like to be in catchment for a decent secondary

[hackneybird]

My DS is only 2.5, BUT, as we are moving to Walthamstow from Stoke Newington (sob) and are hoping to move into what will be our family home for the foreseeable, as we do not want to move again!

From what I can see the majority of the local primaries are fine, but secondary is a different matter. We've been looking at the outskirts of the village, near Wood Street station, but it seems as though we'd be between the catchments for the currently desirable schools such as Highams Park or Walthamstow Academy.

However, I do wonder whether I am worrying unnecessarily as we are talking 9 years into the future and who knows what will happen in that time, things can change so much.

So, should I

a) stop worrying, chill out and focus on getting a decent affordable place near a good primary and see what happens regarding secondaries

b) try and deliberately move to an area closer to a secondary we think we might want to send our son to.

Your advice would me most welcome, as I am really getting worked up about this and need some clarity!!!

a) definitely. You don't know which schools will be good in 9 yrs time, head teachers come and go, and make such a difference. Why don't you wait and see? Maybe your DS will want to go to the same secondary as his friends.

Hmm... did part of my teaching practise in Walthamstow. It was a long time ago but there were some really dodgy schools there. Walthamstow School for Girls was considered really good but no good for your ds obviously. I think you're right to consider move in to the catchment of a good school because whether or not your ds ends up there it will probably hold its value. Otherwise you'll have to accept you're likely to want to move further on down the line.

Should add that when our dcs were pre school age we made the mistake of buying a lovely family house in an area where schools were rubbish which meant it was really difficult to sell to other families when we decided to move to the catchment of good schools. We ended up opting for private schools and then, later, moved anyway.

My sister lives just off Wood Street and I would avoid it tbh. She is desperate to move before her dd starts school.

We moved from Walthamstow to Highams Park when our Ds1 was due to start yr 1. We live in a property far too small and highly undesirable (high rise) but it has got him a place at Highams Park secondary this September. I don't regret this decision at all.

Those 9 years will fly by, and I would advise you to look nearer better secondary schools if it is an option.

Thanks for your replies everyone.

happy why do you say avoid wood street?

Oh, I just prefer this side of the tracks! I have family in the area and they are not happy with the level of crime, (drug and gang related) I've lived in Walthamstow Village, and the Lloyds Park area and I wouldn't want to move back. I'm only 5 minutes away but it has a much nicer 'feel'.Where exactly are you thinking of? Do you know the area well? Upper Walthamstow is nicer.

Option a definitely!

Other than the girls school, none of the secondaries are brilliant (but the majority are ok), and they don't have set catchment areas. I know year 6s going to just about every school in Waltham forest from one small area of walthamstow.

Schools change a huge amount in 9 years - a change of head, academy status, change of demographics etc. etc. can have a massive impact. Choose an area and house you like where there are a few reasonable primaries, and then review when you are actually thinking about choosing a secondary school. By then you may want or need to move out of the area anyway.

BTW I think both the village and lloyds park are lovely, and yes there is crime, but it is no worse than most other areas of London.

We don't know the area well at all. We know the village is lovely and have looked around it, but I don't know the lloyds park area at all. An estate agent tried to put us off lloyds park, steering us towards upper walthamstow instead.

Which roads are classed as lloyds park, and is it manageable in terms of its distance from the tube?

Ok, I'm not being very fair. I'm just comparing it to places I prefer. Walthamstow village itself is ok. It has a nice atmosphere of an evening too, and is closest to the tube. We lived on Pembroke rd. I would avoid The Drive and Prospect Hill areas.

Lloyds Park area is ok if you avoid Priory Court. We lived on Brettenham rd (Chingford rd end) The Billet rd side of Llyods park is better than the other side. Lloyds park is lovely and is being 'done up' too. Pretty close to tube, walkable but plenty of buses.

Upper Walthamstow is quite a bit further from the tube.

I grew up in Walthamstow/Leyton and went to Leytonstone school, a poor school that I was given as I didn't get into my chosen schools, however the year I started a new Head started and the whole time I was there is was hugely oversubscribed. It was a great school, my brother however came there and didn't get on with it and transferred to George Mitchell which has and always has had a terrible reputation, but did extremely well. So many factors to consider. At 2.5 I would be inclined to make sure that you get a great primary to give him a great start and possibly plan to move later. I got into Highams Park Sixth Form but chose to go elsewhere as I just didn't feel it suited me. Personally I think Upper Leytonstone is far nicer than any part of Walthamstow, Chingford or Highams Park, have you spent much time in the area to gauge if it is really right for you and your family?

I guess if you take one thing from my post it is focus on the now and move again if necessary or perhaps move somewhere else if ou aren't completely comfortable.

Thanks mixed, we've been going to Walthamstow a lot at weekends and pottering about in the park and having lunch etc. DH has a lot of friends in the area too, all with children the same age as ours.

DH works in Hammersmith so he is keen to be on the Victoria Line.