Hinchley Wood/Esher/Dittons/Claygate school help!

[HANN1212]

Hi
We moved to HW earlier in the year, we love it around here and have a 16 month old daughter and a baby on the way. I have started to look at local preschools and primarys for my daughter. When we moved here we were told that the state education is great - the local primaries very good and then HW secondary very good as well. It was one of the reasons we chose to move here and we are within catchment (0.6 miles away from both schools). However since moving here everyone I meet is looking at the private schools rather than the state ones. I've been to look at Rowan girls in Claygate and its lovely, I have also been to see little swallows in claygate, Long ditton montessori and Stepping stones. I have her name down for stepping stones, long ditton montessori and Rowan, but just found out that from next sept Rowan won't be early years funded with the free 15 hours of childcare so we would have to fund ourselves. We can afford to pay for schools (just) but I am reluctant to if the local schools are good. I haven't been able to visit HW primary yet but plan to soon.
I am confused as to why everyone is looking at going private if the local schools are really good. Can anyone shed any light on this? Does anyone have any children that go to the local state schools, especially HW primary?
I don't want to start paying private if the state education is good, especially from the age of 3, but equally I don't want to miss a space in the private schools if the state education is not adequate.
Any help would be much appreciated thank you!

Hi,

I'm very surprised that everyone you have met is considering private. It must simply be the circles you are moving in!

Everyone I have met in this area have sent their children to either Hinchley Wood primary or Thames Ditton infants. They are all, what I would consider to be, middle class families. Both are very good state schools.

sorry hit post too soon....

Meant to also say - in this area (unlike Kingston) there are no pre-schools attached to the infant/primary schools so most 3/4 year olds tend to go to one of the pre-schools you have mentioned above or remain with childminders/daycare providers until they start school at 4.

Long Ditton Infants has a nice state pre-school which takes children for their funded 15 hours (morning or afternoon) from the age of 3 IIRC.

The state schools in this area are as good as any you'll find I reckon, so those considering private schools are probably just predisposed to fee-paying education. Maybe it's just the way their family have always 'done' it/ the way they were educated themselves, or they think that private school confers significant advantages over state.... we can only guess :)

We had two potential choices of school for our daughter - HW and Long Ditton Infants. We looked around them both and chose Long Ditton because it was smaller and more intimate, and closer to our home. So far I am really happy with our choice. HW is highly rated by friends I have whose children go there so I am sure whatever state school

I would say don't be swayed by what other people are doing. Make your own decisions based on what school you like the look and feel of.

I am sure whatever state school you choose (if you do go state) will be fine.