Education Inspiration?

[SunDriedTomatoes2]

Long-time lurker first time poster - be nice please :)

After more than 20-years as expatriates (with no ties to the UK other than family), in Summer 2020 we're planning to return 'home'. We're both likely to end up getting jobs somewhere in or around London (wherever we've lived, it's always been a capital city in which we've found ourselves - I don't think rural bliss would suit us much).

DS is 8 at the moment, so he'd be entering Grade 5 in September 2020 (I think that's right?). One of the reasons for moving 'home' (apart from the Middle East being in the 'bust' part of the cycle) is for DS - academically he's very able and we wouldn't want to fail him.

But neither DH or I have any idea as to how to go about choosing a school 'near London' or enrolment. I've read hundreds (maybe thousands) of posts and TBH I'm probably more confused the more I read!!

As we don't have an address in the UK at the moment, I guess we're going to have to send him somewhere private, at least to start with. And once we're back in the UK I'm sure it will be easier to find friends to make longer-term plans.

We don't need to live in central London (probably couldn't afford to) but don't want to set DH (and later me) up for silly commuting times. Obviously at first we're going to end up in some kind of interim (6-month?) rental, until we have some vague idea of our longer-term plans.

I know for many expats returning home it's a relief. For us it's going to be a real adventure. For our first step back, whereabouts should we live, what would be a good school?

Thanks so much for any suggestions x

what about Letchworth in Hertfordshire? Its a 30 minute train ride to central london, but it has gorgeous parks, a nice city centre and family neighbourhoods. 10 minutes drive away from Letchworth is kingshott school. I know several children who go there and they all seem very happy. you will need to contact the school to see if they have any openings. when is your ds's birthday? that will depend on what year he goes into. all the best x

Assuming you want to live in London if you rented somewhere like Clapham, Wandsworth, Putney etc you would probably find a place in a good state school fairly easily for year 5 as there tend to be spaces as people move out of London/ move to private schools. I would also have a think about what secondary schools you would be looking at - lots in SW London but it is trickier for boys depending on how academic they are.

I think he is possibly going to be in year 4 though not 5

Thanks for the thoughts!

OKBobble... DS will be 9 this October (so Year 4), and so in September 2020 (when we get back to the UK) he'll be almost 10, so Year 5. I think I've got this right?! But I am confused - at the moment he's in an American school, but moved up a year. Grade 3. Go figure

SleepIs... hmmm Letchworth. DH spent some of his childhood in Herts, remembers it as 'staid'. But Kingshott does look interesting. And looking around Letchworth - Hitchin looks tempting.

Nearlytheholidays... we were looking at SW London, but we don't really know much about it (I watched some tennis in SW19 once, but that's about it). I know that we're not going to make a 'good' choice, I just want to avoid making a 'really really bad' choice

Hitchin is definetely worth a look too- it has a decent town centre x

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk

This website will be your best friend when it comes to finding out about schools.

If you look at the top of the national league tables for the highest attaining local authorities, you'll find Sutton (S London), Richmond (SW London), Kingston (SW London). Kensington and Chelsea is also up here but they seem to have mostly faith schools.

I think one of those areas would be a good bet. I live in the borough of Sutton. It's also the safest borough in London (and crime rates are actually lower than places like St Albans or Guildford). Primaries are obviously fab + you get 5 super selective grammars for secondary and the non-selectives range from average to fab with only 1out of 22 that's actually bad. It's also a pretty affordable area but that's because it's quite down-to-earth - it isn't considered posh and there are no fancy boutiques around (but a designer department store opening soon in Sutton). There are gorgeous green spaces, though, and plenty of nice pubs and restaurants etc. Lovely villagey areas of Cheam and Carshalton.

The borough of Richmond has the most amazing primaries but the secondaries are a bit hit and miss (maybe many children go private for secondary??) There aren't any selective state schools and the comps you'd need to aim for for DS would be Orleans Park or Grey Court. The rest of the secondaries aren't desirable. Richmond is posh and super expensive. You've got the Thames and Richmond Park is lovely but you'd need to endure horrid plane noise as they approach Heathrow over your head. Crime rate is low too.

The borough of Kingston has great primaries. For secondary, there are 2 super selective schools and the non-selectives are mostly average to fab. It's pretty posh in most places and Kingston has a great town centre on the Thames. It's cheaper than Richmond but pricier than Sutton and you'll get plane noise in the north of the borough. It's also a very safe place to be.