Good schools within 40 mins from canary wharf

[vedika]

Hi. I need some advice please. I am a single mum working 8-5 at the wharf and new to London. I have a son in year 1 and a daughter who will start secondary in September. I'm looking for an area with good state schools but such that I can be home by 6 pm to collect them. I am renting at Greenwich now and looking to buy a flat. I don't mind buying more expensive to begin with if it's the right place for the longer term. Both kids are sharp and could meet entrance test requirements. Would really appreciate any help please.

Hi. I need some advice please. I am a single mum working 8-5 at the wharf and new to London. I have a son in year 1 and a daughter who will start secondary in September. I'm looking for an area with good state schools but such that I can be home by 6 pm to collect them. I am renting at Greenwich now and looking to buy a flat. I don't mind buying more expensive to begin with if it's the right place for the longer term. Both kids are sharp and could meet entrance test requirements. Would really appreciate any help please.

May be live further into London - some of the inner London state schools are not doing too badly. Blairs' lot went to the Oratory (state Catholic). Cameron's are at a state C of E primary in Kensington. Gove's daughter is going to a state secondary which is C of E.

Thanks; what is c of e... Sounds very expensive? Do you think..

Church of England, a state school, no fees at all. You said state school, hence my answer.
I am a single parent but I earn enough to pay fees and happy to pay them but I did not mention fee paying schools as you said you wanted state school.
Most parts of England do not have selective schools in the state system so if the child is clever it will not make any difference to where they go to school. Some people move out to Buckinghamshire (a long way for your work) or Kent which have selective state grammar schools - non paying, entrance by entrance test and I think there are one or two schools in London with entrance tests for a state school but not many.

The schools I mentioned like the Oratory (none of which get as good results as fee paying schools) are not allowed to set entrance tests. that one is Roman Catholic. It is a ridiculous school system in the UK. Most of the country has no selective state schools. A few parts do. (Why the difference?). The majority with no selective schools do often have state religious schools - Muslim, Catholic etc and sometimes those are better than secular state schools.

I am not the best person to give you any help though as I have never sent a child to a state school. I am sure someone will be along soon who lives near Canary Wharf and knows schools in that area.

I'm not able to advise you on London schools I'm afraid, but just wanted to say that fee paying schools don't always get better results. This will depend on how selective the schools in question are. Highly selective schools will obviously get better results

You need to focus on the added value for the schools you are considering. If your children are bright then focus on added value for the higher attainers, and try to secure a school where this seems to be a focus.

If your dd is going into Y7 this September you've missed the boat I'm afraid as places have already been allocated and you'll basically be left with the schools very few people want

I think (although am no expert) that you'll have to make a late application and see what comes up

You'll need to do a but of research on transport for London journey planner and see which boroughs are within commutable distance and then contact schools to see if there's any space

You won't need to pick your dd up from secondary school however if you're planning on picking up your ds at 6pm you may well find it tricky to get him somewhere with after school care that is open that late. Not every primary has after school care and the ones near us have a pick-up time of no later than 5:45, usually earlier

Actually, if you can find somewhere right on the very doorstep of a school, you can make a late application and will go on the waiting list in the order of the admissions criteria - so if you move closest to the school, you will be top of the waiting list. And a lot of places become available over the summer.

I don't know anything about schools within 40 mins of Canary Wharf, though - sorry!

Greenwich and Blackheath have some very good schools, both state and fee paying, and as you know are convenient for the wharf and very nice areas to live.