Primary schools in south london

[minxmum]

Hi,

I'm a regular lurker on mumsnet but very rarely utter a sound! And apologies if I'm in the wrong topic area. But big changes are taking place so was just wondering if I could get a bit of advice. I currently live up north but have been offered a job in London at the end of the year. I'm a single parent to a 20mo DD and am keen to find somewhere to live that ticks a number of "lifestyle" boxes whilst being restricted by house prices i.e. can't afford places like Clapham. My mum lives in Kent, hence south london, and I will be working in Westminster so need reasonable transport links into central london. But, more importantly, would also like nearby primary schools to be of a reasonable standard. I have lots of friends in london but none with kids so was just wondering if I could get some parents' perspectives, ideas etc. about where to start looking. Thanks!

Thanks for all the responses.
Blu - if only £300+k was in my price range. However, am just completing a PhD (i.e. student income) and have not long been on the property ladder (am 26yo). This means that if I mortgage my ass and then beg, borrow and steal I'm probably looking at about £170k for a two bedroom flat. It's so depressing. Up here in Newcastle, that buys you a three bed terrace in a half decent area. I guess this price bracket restricts me from buying in an area in London with good schools. Better start playing the old lottery...

minxmum - fair enough - being on the property ladder at all at 26 is a miracle, IMO! But you can get 2 bed flats in London for that - check out 'findaproperty.com', and then look at areas. Catford is a possibility...don't know about the exact catchment of MotherInferiors DD's catford / Forest hill much-sought-after-primary!

The thing is, everything is so v expensive in London - like childcare, commuting, and as a single parent, you will need to not completely over-burden your life with an impossible commute etc, I would have thought.

Good news about your job!

Try also Brockley (v up and coming), Streatham is (just) a possibility, Knights Hill...

Minxmum, I've just taken a look at some property websites and it looks as if you might be able to find a two-bedroom flat in Streatham for under £170,000. I don't think any of the ones I saw were within the catchment areas of the highly-sought-after primary schools though. But then my three sons are at one of the less popular ones and they're doing fine.

I agree with Blu that you need to look into childcare, transport and other costs before moving. It might be a good idea to rent for a while in order to find out more about the area before you commit yourself. In particular, I would take a look at the schools, and not just their league table results, before going all-out to buy a flat in the catchment area. It is quite possible to loathe a popular school at first sight...

In answer to Blu's last post, I'd be a bit careful about Knights Hill/ West Norwood. It is a secondary school black hole, and parts of West Norwood aren't too good for primary school places either (I'm talking about not being offered a place, not being offered a place in a poorly performing school). There's a new secondary school opening the year after next just behind Tulse Hill station, but its catchment area is not expected to be very large.

I bet it's cheaper than Brockley round here. It's quite nice, honestly it is.

I'd be fascinated to know which good school Blu is talking about, was struggling to think of anywhere in Lambeth where you can be in the catchment area of a good school for less than half a million (for a small house). Am also struggling to think of a good school in Lambeth!
Would second the caution about commuting distance my approx 6 mile journey takes between one and two hours by car (depending on whether school holidays or not) and 2 hours by bus (no tubes) and I'm going against the flow of traffic. Nurseries that open long hours tend to cost a lot, you could always take your daughter to Westminster and get a nursery near work but it can be a bit unpleasant on transport, of course less of an issue if you have family help. Would second Earlsfield but don't know if in budget might be if you will take ex-council and small second room, Sutton has good secondary schools (so I'm guessing primary are too but have no real knowledge) Dulwich might also be in budget and some areas of SW can be cheaper but tends to be because public transport is poor. Would also stress that catchment areas here can be only a few streets so would really need to check well. There are some parts of Tooting that have OK schools and are a lot cheaper but catchment is a real thing and some of the good schools have entry based on practising religion. (Need three years round here now).

Agree with batters on catchment areas varying from year to year, particularly in the much-sought-after one-form-entry schools - one year a school with an intake of 30 took 27 siblings! My children are at neither of the popular schools mentioned (theirs is 2-form entry and with a bigger catchment area) and they're doing fine.

Mummia - in terms of primary schools, you could still move into a house v close to Sudbourne, in Brixton, judged one of the best 100 primary schools in the country last year, for £400k. And Corpus christi, St Judes, Julians or Granton for less. All doing v well.

Just stuffed for secondaries!

Minxmum, it's a bit like Armistead Maupin's rule of three (you can have a hot lover, a hot job and a hot apartment, but never all at once - this is 70s San Francisco btw) in London now.
You can have a bijou neighbourhood, an affordable home, or nice schools - but also not all at once.
You did mention "lifestyle boxes" in your OP which might have put some of us living in anti-lifestyle London burbs off posting advice.
Blutown is deffo much more trendy and central than where we live, out in SE London, zone four no underground, no Costa, no independent bookshop nearby .
But with you at the back of my mind I scanned our property pages this week and can report that £170k will buy you a decent 2 bed flat in New Eltham/Sidcup, close to a number of very good Greenwich/Bexley primaries, and the latter borough with a good choice of selective grammars and non-selective comps at 11. Train services are good in to Charing X for Westminster, you will be handy for mum - it's just the lifestyle that is absent, tbh.

I live in Streatham (well Fursedown to be exact) and I work in Westminister. Streatham Common and Streatham Hill stations have trains that go direct to Victoria and take less than 20 min it is then a 10min walk or so to Westminister. You can get the tube or bus.

DS's school (Eardley Primary School) has twice been ranked in the top 300 schools in the Country by Ofsted. It's not perfect but my DS is stretched accademically (he is a year or so ahead of his peers and the teachers run with it). Penwortham Primary school has a decent rep also. There is a secondary school nearby (Graveney) which is VERY sought after. The commons are fab. Fursedown where I live is between Tooting and Streatham (close to both Streatham Common ans Streatham stations) so at a push I can get the tube if I need it.

Streatham is worth a look and I think furzedown specifically is worth a closer look. Try Barnard Marcus Estate agent as they cover this area. Hope this help.

meant a 20min walk to Westminsiter.

It is spelt Furzedown not Fursedown.

Oh and Furzedown is in Wandsworth so lowest council tax in the land.

Yeah it's very family orientated. I used to live in the heart of Streatham and never knew this part existed. It's very quiet, surprisingly so, and as I type this I am listening to kids playing in the street.

Furzedown is so nice - Drosophila, what does your road begin with?

do you know A playgroup on W road?

Hi Minxmum. Marina managed to say so well what I ended up saying so badly! Furzedown was one of the areas I was referring to earlier but to be honest I had always thought it was in Tooting. It is one of the areas people move to for the schools which are good but you need to watch the catchment areas. Wandsworth council helpfully publishes a map in it's school application brochure telling you which house number you need to be in for which school! You can get it on line. However I think that there is more than one good school there. However (I don't know the area that well) but there are lots of houses there and I'm not sure how many flats. There is an area called Heritage park just down the road built a few years ago with lots of flats, quiet roads, green spaces and opposite Tooting Common but I'm not sure whether you would get a 2 br flat for 170,000 but worth a look. Has at least one good nursery too. Would also absolutely second what Marina says about looking in SE London a lot cheaper than SW because of lack of tube, however the trains can be really good into the centre, if you are a bit further out there can be some good schools (have friends in Hither Green and there are a few there) but again a street by street catchment. Might also end up nearer to your Mother too.

my friend sold a 2-bed in Heritage Park last year for 280 k, eek.

Morning Dinny Crikey It's mad isn't it? Keep meaning to post on your recession thread but don't want it to turn in to a rant!

east dulwich is fab with about 3 good primaries (and the others improving) .. not sure on budget though

minxmum, when we moved to SW London we took the train out of Victoria (where dp worked) over a couple of weekends, getting off the train at each stop, looking at house prices and the area, laughing and getting back on the train again. First weekend we were virtually in Wales (OK, we got as far as Twickenham) before we found prices we could afford, but didn't want to be that far out. Second weekend we discovered Raynes Park. We could afford a three bedroom house no problem, and the area is inoffensive (although not exciting). DP is well under an hour into work (works at Millbank Tower, so basically Westminster). We are very happy with the schools - but we are very confident about the education system as I work in it. As someone said, the nursery system is excellent. Merton abandoned its siblings policy last year so that takes away the risks some have mentioned. I rate the secondary schools round here too. I work for the local authority in Wandsworth in secondary schools and (I'm sorry) but I found the comment about "ADT, St Cecilia's or Graveney" laughable - out of our 11 schools they certainly get the best results, but I don't think I'd send my children there unless they were nearest or my children were particularly keen. And I think the Merton secondaries are good too.

Go for a place that feels best for you!