Schooling in Liverpool vs London?

[MomofAM]

Hi. Let me give a quick backstory first. We moved from Liverpool to the South a year ago and just do not feel settled here. We miss the slower paced life, the friendly people, the lack of traffic. We also really struggled to buy a house in the South. Two house sales fell through due to the seller pulling out last minute etc and now a third is also not going well. We've been in a one bedroom with our 2 kids for the last year. We had two options now: buy a 2 bedroom here or we move back. We kept comparing houses in the South to Liverpool... "100k more for a house which is smaller than what we had there". We've decided to move back to Liverpool. Unfortunately, my husband and I will have to do long distance for about a year (could be 6 months, could also be 2 years). He will be living at his parents in London and I will be with the kids in Liverpool.
Anyways, a lot of people have been saying to me that we are making a 'backwards' step. They've been saying that the standard of education in London is much better and we are making a mistake by taking the kids BACK to Liverpool. One of my cousins whose family has been in London for generations REALLY hated on our decision. We have a 7 year old and 5 year old. If it helps, we will be moving to Prescot. The kids went to school there before we moved to the South and we felt it was a lovely school. A few of the parents didn't give the best vibe and could be considered 'trashy' but most of them were lovely.
People have also been saying that we are making a mistake as my husband's parents / siblings are all in London and it's important for kids to grow up around family (even though we are planning to come down every half term so kids can spend time with family).
I moved to the UK from America so I am not sure if this is all just stereotypes or if we are actually making a mistake. I'm starting to freak out now as I obviously value my children's education and would them to go grow up and be highly educated and sophisticated individuals. I also value quality family time... which we did not have in London. We used to go out as a family every weekend when we lived in Liverpool. In London, we just see family every weekend and have gone out together maybe 4 times in the whole year we've been here? I also value having savings and money to travel... which would also have been difficult in London. I'm so conflicted and confused now. As a mother, I want what's best for my children.
Any genuine advice would be appreciated!!

Sorry I didn’t see where you asked for opinions from people who had lived both in London and Liverpool?
I gave you our experience of the schools in London based on children who are the same age.
If you just want justification to move to Liverpool then you shouldn’t really need it as only you and your husband know what’s best for your children. As many have said already, myself included Liverpool is lovely and there is lots to do culturally too.
There’s plenty of information available online regarding schools in the area you are choosing as well as the universities in the area.
Choose what’s best for you as a family.

It sounds like your ILs are subject to the same anti-Liverpool bias that many in the UK suffer from - we’re all thick, poor, lazy, uneducated thieves who’ve never had a job.

Within my own family (educated in Liverpool) we have

• A corporate lawyer who graduated from Oxford (living in London)
• A Neurologist
• Two Chartered Accountants

I have a DN at an inner-city Liverpool Comp currently who is predicted all 8s and 9s in his GCSEs this year. I wouldn’t think twice about coming back if I were in your shoes!

I'm from not far from you...I lived in Huyton until I was 18. Moved into Liverpool to go to University and then left Liverpool in 2002 moved to East Anglia. Live in beautiful countryside now and my children have a childhood. I hate the aesthetic of Liverpool. You need designer clothes, the best make up, everyone is keeping up with the Jones's. Rarely find a teenage girl without full lashes, nails etc.
My family are all still there. If we ever go back to Liverpool or into London the second we arrive home our kids all go phew..... I can breathe.
Here housing is much more expensive but it's well worth it for the lifestyle.
People are much friendlier in Liverpool that is very true ...but again I think the pace your kids have to grow up in is too much.

There are great schools in Liverpool. Like any city you need to do your homework and figure out which ones to avoid and which are what you're after. If you already know and love the city you'll be fine. Your standard of living will be much higher and you can still do all the London culture things when you go and see family. It's only 2 and a half hours on the train.

And yet, my closest friend in Liverpool wouldn’t recognise a ‘designer’ label under any known circumstance; has never worn make-up and is entirely aesthetically and intellectually and artistically independent!

Are these schools outstanding-rated or actually outstanding? There are several outstanding-rated schools in my area of London that are anything but 😬

I think the friendliness is a bit of a myth to be honest, it’s superficially friendly enough but as you’ve said it’s very based on appearance and people all behaving in the same way. And there’s a lot of hostility towards some who do not.

I’m from and in Liverpool and neither would I. Stereotypes aren’t helpful. I’m nice to anyone unless they give me a reason to not be nice.

The feel of a place or the ‘vibe’ extends beyond the individual, though. If you’ve ever been to a place that felt unsafe, chances are the majority of people who lived there were decent people who have never so much as got a parking ticket, but it doesn’t stop the vibe feeling dangerous.

I was educated in Liverpool , live near London. Liverpool all the way, what schools are you looking at in Lpool. I'm from South Liverpool and I'm a teacher.
More money in London generally but not aa much of a community spirit, friendly vibe. Massive difference between north and south in general, but not too much in primary or secondary schools.

They’re outstanding according to ofsted reports. They seem to be highly regarded and the catchments are also only 1 mile. Whether I feel differently when I view them in a few years is a different story..

As a GP your money will go a lot further in Liverpool than London. To me that would be a big consideration.
It doesn’t matter if schools are on average better in London or Liverpool. What matters is how you feel about the schools your children will attend. Are you happy with the likely options in the area ?
Forget the stereotypes - Liverpool people are just people not some homogeneous mass of good or bad.

& anyone who is so ignorant to believe that your kid will ‘grow up dumb’ because you live in the Liverpool area isn’t someone whose opinion I’d bother considering. They don’t exactly sound like the sharpest pencil themselves.

Despite all the very expensive “cultural experiences” of London, it’s honestly not a good place to raise a teen. Friends are very transient, actually very little safe teen options. Meandering up and down Kings Cross or similar both $$ and unhealthy. My family is moving out. Education is a long game and much more than what “schools” offer.

We live in Liverpool in wealthy area. Primary school was good. There are four comps near us. One is absolutely no no and two others bad. Fourth one is good but the attachment area keeps shrinking because of its good reputation. Dc are in fourth and they seem to be happy. Behaviour is a problem thought we are moving abroad and do will go to international school to finish their studies.

Liverpool as such is nice. We could afford a big four bedroom house with mediocre salaries and standard of living is good. No antisocial behaviour in our area.

If you want to understand and compare schools then look at the government site. All the info is on there. Just google 'compare schools' https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk

For me, as a Northerner, who now has children in London schools, it is not just about the schools having a higher attainment. It is all the extra curricular that is plentiful and easy to get to (definitely more expensive than up North though).

Yes the schools are excellent, although you need to be in catchment or be a certain faith and it is never too early in London to be thinking about secondary schools when buying a house!

If DH is training to be a GP, will he earn more in a few years and could he do private work in the future? London could be very lucrative for him compared to Liverpool.

I think being squashed into a flat will have made London very hard for you, but living her really does give you opportunities like no where else. But Liverpool will have good schools and clubs for sure, and if you prefer it then that is your choice.
Regarding the snobbery around Liverpool - it is probably the accent. Where I am from my accent denotes someone who is trustworthy but thick. Liverpool accents also have their own stigma attached and family members probably mean well but...

I've lived in both, have young children and am a teacher (secondary). I would choose Liverpool, not because of the schools in terms of ratings but for the lifestyle. You're 2 hours in all directions from national parks, your salaries (particularly as a qualified GP) mean you can live in the most affluent/naice parts of the city (Mossley Hill and surroundings) and you will be able to afford extra curriculars and other things that give children a well rounded childhood. People are snobby about the accent, I couldn't care less and defend my children and their roots fiercely. London is busy, over stimulating, and outrageously expensive - and the bits we all love to like i.e. the museums make for great visits!

London is a good place to live if you can afford a good living standard; otherwise I would live somewhere else so I would say go back to Liverpool; except that you won’t see your husband much or your kids their dad.

I live in London; plenty of bad schools here too, unless you can afford to live in a nice/expensive area. Secondary can be problematic. You need to research the area where you are going to live properly for both primary and secondary.

If you are moving to Prescot you are unlikely to get access to the good secondary schools in Liverpool. Catchment areas for the best ones are small or have a religious component. If your kids are very bright they might try for Bluecoat but it’s a heck of a commute. You need to research schools in Knowsley which I know nothing about, hopefully someone can advise.

My DS works in a high school in Knowsley and I’ll be honest, as a local authority the schools are amongst the worst in the country. If I were OP, I’d consider coming south west a bit to hit the Liverpool catchments rather than Knowsley.

We see that our friends in London with kids at APS get a great education for free. But as said the catchment area is about 500m and you need more than £1 million to buy a house in the catchment area. They spend tens of thousands every year on tuition (£100/HR), Saturday school, music, private swimming, theatre lessons etc etc. And their garden is the size of a postage stamp.

I like London but we live in the sticks in the west mids and I am always super happy to come home.

Our local comp is terrible so one kid goes private and the other weekly boards at a state grammar. It's not ideal but the kids and we prefer it to life in London.

I would research where the best schools in Liverpool are.